The Indianapolis Colts and the Kansas City Chiefs square off in an AFC showdown in Week 12. This is a massive game for the Chiefs as they are 5-5 and are on the outside looking in regarding the playoffs.
The Chiefs will be without Isiah Pacheco for the third straight game, and the Colts are getting more reinforcements on the defensive side. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Saturday that CB Charvarius Ward will return and play after being activated from IR. This will be the first game that Ward and Sauce Gardner get to play together, adding more pressure to the Chiefs' offense in this contest.
Charvarius Ward’s Return Adds Pressure to Chiefs' Offense
Ward has missed the last five games due to a concussion, and the Colts made the blockbuster trade for Gardner ahead of the trade deadline. They believe this duo will give them the best CB tandem in the NFL, and his return shows that the offense will need to bring their A-game.
The Chiefs haven't been able to run the game well this season, but this is the kind of game where they'll need more from that group. Having a good ground game takes pressure off the aerial attack, and with two top CBs on the other side, that would be ideal.
And it's not only the rushing attack that needs to bring it. It's everyone involved. The offensive line needs to give Mahomes an extra tick on passing plays, since the Colts have a good coverage unit in the secondary.
Mahomes also needs to take care of the football and put his receivers in the best position to succeed. And of course, guys like Xavier Worthy, Rashee Rice, Marquise Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Tyquan Thornton will need to create separation to help that happen, which will be no easy task against Gardner and Ward.
Heading into this game, the Chiefs are seventh in the NFL in total offense (364.2) and ninth in scoring offense (25.4). They've been able to put up points throughout the season, but they've struggled over the past couple of weeks. During this two-game losing streak, the Chiefs haven't scored more than 21 points, but they'll need more against an explosive Colts offense, which averages an NFL-high 32.1 points per game.
This game is massive for the Chiefs' playoff push, and in order to get this win, the offense will need to play some of its best ball of the 2025 season.