There were a lot of reasons for Kansas City to be excited about its 23-20 overtime win over Indianapolis — including head coach Andy Reid’s commitment to the run and huge day from wide receiver Rashee Rice — but it’s the defense that deserves a ton of credit for Kansas City keeping its playoff hopes alive and avoiding a three-game losing streak. That unit held the highest-scoring offense in the league to just 20 points and a season-low 255 total yards. It limited Jonathan Taylor, the league’s leading rusher, to 58 yards on 16 carries. Just as importantly, the Chiefs were able to harass Colts quarterback Daniel Jones in the second half of that game, which helped Kansas City rally from a 20-9 fourth-quarter deficit. The Colts went three-and-out on their final four possessions of the game, including overtime. That’s a huge change for a Chiefs defense that couldn’t contain Josh Allen and James Cook in a loss to Buffalo and also struggled with Bo Nix in a defeat at Denver. In fact, one of the least discussed stories in the league was how vulnerable that defense had become this season. The Chiefs have struggled to generate pressure with their defensive line all year. They’ve been just as disappointing when it comes to blitzing, which is the trademark of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. That’s why Sunday’s game had to create some optimism for Kansas City finding a way to turn around a frustrating season. Yes, there’s always a lot riding on quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his ability to generate points. There’s also plenty of pressure on the defense. That unit has been an underrated part of this team’s success, and the Chiefs will need more of what they saw on Sunday.
