The Indianapolis Colts have officially started their critical 2026 season with an unenviable 0-2 record after falling in primetime to the Kansas City Chiefs in a 33-30 overtime thriller .
While the Colts were ultra-competitive and navigated injuries to some key players, it ultimately wasn't enough to win on Sunday Night Football.
Indianapolis has areas all over the team that need to improve and be more efficient, or things could start to spiral out of control quickly.
With this in mind, it's time to discuss the Risers and Fallers from the tough loss at Arrowhead Stadium.
Sep 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Indianapolis Colts kicker Spencer Shrader (3) kicks a field goal against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Spencer Shrader was surgical against the Chiefs, and was called upon plenty to keep Indianapolis close in this battle.
Shrader ended the day perfectly on all fronts, securing all three field goals and extra points, accounting for 12 of Indy's 30 points on the day.
After battling Blake Grupe during the offseason for the right to be the kicker for Indianapolis, it's safe to say that Shrader was the right call from special teams coordinator, Brian Mason.
This is even further supported by the fact that Shrader did this in arguably the most hostile environment in the NFL.
The Colts have many questions across their roster, but Shrader is as sure-fire as it gets for Indianapolis.
Sep 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen (10) reacts after a play against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Alec Pierce left the game early with a heel injury that kept him out for the rest of the evening .
Once this happened, it meant that veteran Keenan Allen would need to step up and be more effective than ever to help out Josh Downs and Laquon Treadwell .
However, Allen wasn't just underwhelming; he was downright bad.
Allen only caught one pass on five targets for a measly five yards. Without Pierce and Ashton Dulin , the Colts' receiving corps lost its downfield targets, allowing the Chiefs to focus exclusively on short-to-intermediate routes.
Even though the Colts' passing attack was less impactful without Pierce and Dulin, more was expected from Allen to help this receiving corps.
Sunday night was a massive disappointment for Allen, and seeing how Pierce was in a boot and on crutches, the Colts may need to dip into free agency to add another effective pass-catcher.
It's early in the year, and perhaps Allen can bounce back, but he was a non-factor in primetime when the Indy offense needed him most.
Sep 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (38) tackles Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs (2) during the fourth quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
While Allen was a disaster, Downs stepped up in a big way and looked like a top wideout for the Colts' offense against Kansas City .
Once Pierce was out with his injury, Steve Spagnuolo knew that Downs would be the pass-catcher to stop for the Colts. However, Downs still made a vast impact despite being mostly a slot specialist.
Downs was targeted nine times and secured seven catches for 72 receiving yards and a long haul of 20 yards. He also posted a fantastic Pro Football Focus receiving grade of 89.0.
It's clear that Downs is a must-re-sign once his rookie deal expires after this season, and if Pierce needs to miss significant time, he'll be leaned on, along with tight end Tyler Warren , to produce for Shane Steichen's passing attack.
Sep 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) scores a touchdown defended by Indianapolis Colts cornerback Justin Walley (27) during the first quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Last week against the Baltimore Ravens , Colts cornerback Justin Walley struggled badly in coverage against Zay Flowers . He deserved some slack since this was his first-ever game.
However, after seeing what was done to him against the Chiefs and Travis Kelce , it's becoming a narrative that Walley might be a liability as the nickel cornerback.
Walley finished with a horrific 35.4 coverage grade and allowed catches far too easily. Chiefs superstar Travis Kelce cooked Walley often and finished with nine catches for 101 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Colts linebacker Jaylon Carlies could have made this entry, but Walley replaced franchise legend Kenny Moore II this offseason as the premier slot cornerback, and it's not panned out in the slightest.
We'll see if Walley can bounce back in the upcoming weeks after a pair of tough showings to kick off the 2026 season.
Sep 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) carries the ball defended by Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kapena Gushiken (34) during the third quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
I know what you may be thinking: "Who is Kapena Gushiken?" Well, if Sunday was any indication of what this unknown cornerback is capable of, you'll get to know his name more and more.
Gushiken was an undrafted rookie who Indianapolis added on September 2nd from the Philadelphia Eagles . He was tossed into the fire to try to help contain Kansas City's potent offense, and the Hawaiian native showed out.
Gushiken only saw eight coverage snaps, but made massive plays late in the primetime matchup to help keep Indianapolis alive.
Eight snaps aren't much, but seven of them were in the slot, so perhaps Lou Anarumo gives Gushiken more exposure at nickel after Walley's immense struggles with the assignment.
Sep 20, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III (9) carries the ball defended by Indianapolis Colts linebacker Jaylon Carlies (57) during the fourth quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Colts' defense was atrocious with their tackling last night, and it seemingly didn't matter which Chiefs player had the football, the whiffs continued on and on.
Below are the missed tackles by player, per Pro Football Focus.
A.J. Haulcy | 4
Justin Walley | 3
Jaylon Carlies | 2
Arden Key | 2
Hunter Wohler | 1
Jaylahn Tuimoloau | 1
Sauce Gardner | 1
Cam Taylor-Britt | 1
Jerry Tillery | 1
Charvarius Ward | 1
Cam Bynum | 1
This adds up to a brutal 19 tackles missed on the day.
This type of fundamental lapse will never give the defense a good chance to succeed, and it's arguably the worst thing to struggle with for any group of stop troops.
Every level of the defense was missing tackles, and if this continues, Anarumo's side of the ball won't give the offense the proper support it needs.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/colts/onsi as Colts Risers and Fallers in Nail-Biter Defeat Against Chiefs .
