Indianapolis Colts, Daniel Jones Just Lost a Needed Counterpunch for Sunday Kansas City Chiefs Matchup
The Indianapolis Colts will enter Sunday night without wide receiver Ashton Dulin (ankle), removing a role player the offense could have used to counter the Kansas City Chiefs’ anticipated pressure packages. Dulin was ruled out after missing all three practices this week, and Locked On Colts host Zach Hicks said his absence takes away both an early-down blocker and one of the offense’s few credible downfield threats.
Hicks expects Indianapolis to stay out of obvious passing situations against defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, whose unit can disguise pressure and make third-and-long a difficult proposition. The host’s prescription was simple: establish manageable down-and-distance situations, lean on run-pass options, and keep the offense in third-and-short rather than asking quarterback Daniel Jones to repeatedly solve blitzes with the field compressed.
Dulin’s absence narrows the margin for that plan. Locked On Colts co-host Jake Arthur said Dulin offers more than blocking value because his speed can create downfield gravity and force safeties to account for him. The Colts will need other receivers to provide that element, while Jones and the offensive line must identify pressure more cleanly than they did in the Week 1 loss to Baltimore.
Arthur predicted a 27-23 Chiefs win, while Hicks forecast a 23-19 Kansas City victory. Both expected Indianapolis to look more competitive than it did in the opener, but neither viewed that improvement as enough to overcome the matchup at Arrowhead Stadium. For the Colts, Dulin’s injury makes an already demanding offensive assignment more dependent on efficiency, protection, and avoiding the negative plays that create Spagnuolo’s preferred situations.
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The Colts visit Kansas City on Sunday, September 20, 2026, with kickoff scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET. A cleaner offensive performance without Dulin would not erase the Week 1 problems, but it would give Indianapolis a needed baseline heading into an early-season road test.
Colts News and Notes
– Colts linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither (knee) will wear the green dot and handle defensive play-calling in Week 2, allowing safety Cam Bynum to focus more fully on organizing the secondary after the communication issues against Baltimore.
– Kansas City will be without left tackle Josh Simmons (back) and safety Chamarri Conner (knee). Simmons’ absence gives the Colts a potential edge on the perimeter, although the defense still must contain quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ quick-release passing game.
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This story was originally published September 20, 2026 at 11:00 AM.
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