Chiefs vs. Colts: Finding silver linings in a confusing loss
By KC Proctor
Nick Bolton
After a breakout rookie campaign that included highlights such as a clutch scoop-and-score against Denver and leading the team in tackles (112), Nick Bolton was tasked with the responsibility of play calling. Hype was built up around Bolton and his play-making ability as the new mike linebacker in the offseason. His effort thus far has lived up to and exceeded expectations. On Sunday, he racked up nine tackles, one for loss, and followed up the first sack of his career with a second later in the game.
Beyond stuffing his line on the box-score, he led the way in stuffing a 4th&1 rushing attempt from Johnathan Taylor which opened the door for the Chiefs to close out the game. Of course, the final score doesn’t reflect that moment, but we’re talking silver linings here. In terms of Nick Bolton, the way that he continues to improve his play and sharpen his leadership week-over-week inspires hope for what’s to come from this young defense.
L’Jarius Sneed
L’Jarius Sneed faced one of the greatest challenges on the board for Sunday in covering Michael Pittman. The Colts WR1 had a productive day catching eight passes for 72 yards, but he was kept out of the end zone and limited from big plays.
Chiefs Kingdom welcomes a day where any cornerback goes unheard of, but Sneed has more jobs to do than locking down wide receivers. In Steve Spagnuolo’s aggressive defense, Sneed often shows up in blitz schemes out of the slot. On Sunday, He had a strip sack against Matt Ryan. The play offered a significant swing in momentum near the end of the first quarter and led to the Chiefs’ first scoring drive of the game.