Chiefs vs. Colts: Five stats to know

It’s a rematch of last year’s AFC divisional round game, as the Indianapolis Colts head to Arrowhead Stadium to avenge their playoff loss to the Chiefs.

Let’s dive into the numbers to know:

31-13

The last time Indianapolis came to Kansas City, its season ended with a 31-13 loss in the 2018 divisional round. The Chiefs did a great job stopping the run that game, holding the Colts to 87 yards on the ground. The Chiefs also did well stopping Indianapolis on third down, not allowing any of the Colts’ nine attempts on third down convert. A lot of things have changed for the Colts since their last meeting with the Chiefs — most notably former Colts quarterback Andrew Luck’s retirement — but if the Chiefs find a way to limit the run and stop the opponent on third down, they should see a lot of the same success.

10 passing touchdowns

Before Thursday night’s game between the Rams and the Seahawks, Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett and Patrick Mahomes were tied for the most touchdown passes in the NFL. Matching Patrick Mahomes in any quarterback statistic is no small feat, especially one as important as touchdown passes.

Brissett has 911 total passing yards to go along with his 10 touchdowns and two interceptions and a 65% completion percentage. While he might not have posed as much of a threat as Andrew Luck, Brissett is more than capable of scoring a lot of points and will be a true test for the Chiefs defense.

3 straight games 100 rushing yards allowed

The Chiefs have allowed over 100 yards rushing in three straight games, and opposing teams would do well to take notice. In Week 1 against the Jaguars, the Chiefs only allowed 81 yards on the ground, but have since then been weak against the run.

Just last week, the team allowed 186 yards rushing to the Detroit Lions. While teams have typically abandoned the run due to being down late against the Chiefs, a strong run game could be the recipe for an upset by Indianapolis.

1 sack in four games

Justin Houston will be making his return to Kansas City on Sunday in what could be an interesting reunion. Both Houston and Chiefs defensive end Frank Clark have one sack each in four games, which isn’t great production from either pass rusher.

One of the many storylines from this game could be which edge rusher breaks his dry spell this season. Clark is well aware that he isn’t meeting the expectations fans have for him, so it will be important to watch if he can turn things around a quarter of the way through the season.

21 out of 34 passes completed

Matthew Stafford completed 21 out of 34 passes against the Chiefs last week in Detroit, which is a good measuring stick to gauge the effect of Morris Claiborne’s addition to the Chiefs secondary. Claiborne has served his suspension for violating the league’s drug policy and should at least add depth to a Chiefs secondary that desperately needs help.

In 15 starts for the New York Jets last season, Claiborne recorded 57 total tackles, 14 pass deflections and two interceptions. Having another corner with the ability to make a play with the ball in the air is crucial for the Chiefs — especially while they are trying to protect a lead. If Claiborne plays well, the Chiefs may slow down attempts to trade for another team’s cornerback.