Kansas City Chiefs that must step up vs Colts in AFC Divisional Round
By John McCarty
The Kansas City Chiefs will need these players to step up and perform against the Indianapolis Colts if they hope to advance to the AFC Championship Game.
The game against the Colts is loaded with story lines discussed and dissected at length all week. Chris Ballard, former Kansas City Chiefs assistant general manager, now runs the Colts. The Chiefs have never defeated the Colts in the playoffs. The ‘no punt’ game. Lin Elliott. Helmet fumble, etc etc.
If history and the storylines are going to change and not simply an added chapter to the story of Chiefs misery, these players will need to step up and perform.
CHIEFS WHO MUST STEP UP – DEE FORD
The left side of the Colts offensive line is strong, between All-Pro rookie Quenton Nelson at guard and Anthony Castonzo at tackle. However, the right side could be different. Mark Glowinski has only started nine games this season and the right tackle Braden Smith is a rookie from Auburn that played guard in college.
With that, enter Dee Ford.
Ford has had 13 sacks this season along with 55 tackles and is set to be a free agent. He will need to have a big game.
If Andrew Luck is able to stand uncontested in the pocket all game and survey the field, it will be a long day for the Chiefs and their defense. Sacks and forced fumbles would be great, but constant pressure and getting close to Luck often will do wonders in helping the Chiefs quest for victory.
Luck threw bad interceptions in Week 17 and against the Texans in the Wild Card game. Luck, for all his greatness, has a propensity for putting the ball in harms way when hurried and pressured. With a rookie at tackle, if Ford wants to get paid this offseason, this is the type of game he needs to fill up the stat sheet.