The Kansas City Chiefs started off the 2026 season with a bang, smoking the Denver Broncos 31-10 at home on Monday night. It was a game that brought together the culmination of lots of added talent both on the field and on the sidelines from a coaching perspective.
Kenneth Walker III introduced himself to Chiefs Kingdom, as did this new-look Steve Spagnuolo defense, which was flying around and forcing multiple Broncos turnovers. Turnarounds are quick in the NFL, especially for the team with one less day of rest than their opponent on Sunday night, the Indianapolis Colts.
Indy got bludgeoned by the Baltimore Ravens 41-23, giving up over 500 yards of offense and a trio of touchdowns to Derrick Henry. Perhaps a ground-and-pound game plan is the same approach Kansas City takes. It sure worked in Week 1 with Walker and rookie Emmett Johnson.
Either way, here's three Chiefs players to watch for in tonights showdown who could be real X-factors.
A trio of potential X-factors in this Chiefs-Colts Sunday night primetime showdown
Xavier Worthy
Worthy was a player to watch for me last week as well, and in all honesty, he disappointed. But truth be told, it did not have any kind of negative impact on the game. That's how well the Chiefs ran the ball. I'm putting the pressure right back on him to produce and make his presence known in this one.
Worthy led all Chiefs pass catchers last week in targets with half a dozen, but caught just half of them for 18 yards. He was also the "culprit" in a Patrick Mahomes interception in their own territory that was nothing more than a slight miscommunication between him and the all-time QB.
It was clear, though, that the Chiefs were trying to use Worthy as their WR1 in a multitude of ways. Coming into this game, the Colts' secondary does not pose as much of a threat as Denver's, and Worthy's speed is still his superpower in this league. I hope to see him connect with Mahomes on some longer plays, and a guy the Chiefs show a willingness to get the ball in his hands.
Khyiris Tonga
It's hard for fans to truly understand the impact a defensive nose tackle makes in a football game when watching it live. But diving deeper into the game, it was clear that free-agent addition Khyiris Tonga played excellently in Week 1, stifling Denver's rushing attack time after time.
He ended with just one assisted tackle, but Tonga's ability to plug the gap and take up two or sometimes even three blockers is a trait that the Chiefs' interior D-line has been missing for too long. Tonga having a massive impact in this Colts game will be even more important.
Jonathan Taylor is a truly elite running back, and hindering his progress upfield might be the difference in this game. And keep an eye out for the big fella to see a handful of offensive snaps, as he did in Week 1, if the Chiefs find themselves in short-yardage situations. The guy can just move bodies effortlessly.
Alohi Gilman
The second Chiefs free-agent offseason addition to find his way onto this list is 29-year-old safety Alohi Gilman. While he finished with just three total tackles, Gilman's communication and IQ on the back end of the Chiefs' defense were a thing of beauty. In fact, the Broncos had just one reception all game that went over 15 yards.
The Chiefs face a different beast this week, and his name is Alex Pierce. One of the better vertical threats in all of football since he came into the league, Pierce was awarded a big-money contract from Indy. He caught four balls last week for an average of over 15 yards.
Aside from letting Taylor get loose all day, the Chiefs' defense cannot allow Pierce to find himself behind the secondary multiple times. Gilman will be a clear part of that, not only by communicating and leading but also by being the guy who gets a foot ahead of Pierce and knocks away a would-be 40-yard play.
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