The Chiefs will have to wait to find out if quarterback Alex Smith will clear the concussion protocol in time to face the Jaguars in Week Nine, but they’ll do it knowing that backup Nick Foles is capable of leading the offense to a victory.
Smith was knocked out of the game in the third quarter and missed some of the first half while being evaluated for a concussion for the first time, but the Chiefs cruised to a 30-14 victory over the Colts. Foles completed 16-of-22 passes for 223 yards and threw a touchdown pass in both halves of the game to keep everything running in fine condition for the 5-2 Chiefs.
Foles hit several big plays during his time in the game with Tyreek Hill, Chris Conley, Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce all coming up with long gains through the air. Kelce’s day could have been even bigger had officials not overturned an apparent 37-yard gain because they found he did not retain control of the ball while going to the ground late in the third quarter.
Kelce still had seven catches for 101 yards, though, and Hill added a couple of good punt returns to help the Chiefs in the field position battle.
There weren’t all that many highlights for the Colts over the course of the afternoon. Their defense lost cornerback Vontae Davis to a concussion, which helps explain why there was so much room for Chiefs receivers to operate, and their offensive line turned in a dismal effort. Andrew Luck was sacked six times -- 3.5 courtesy of linebacker Dee Ford -- and wound up as the team’s leading rusher thanks to his many scrambles out of the pocket over the course of the afternoon.
Luck was also charged with a pair of turnovers on a fumbled snap and an interception, so there was bad all around for the Colts on Sunday. Even their attempt to make the final score more respectable with a Donte Moncrief touchdown catch was squashed by a holding penalty.
The Colts are now 3-5 and they’ll head to Green Bay next week before a Week 10 bye. No one has sprinted away with the AFC South, but a loss to the Packers will make it pretty hard for the Colts to maintain realistic hopes of putting together the kind of run it would take to challenge for a playoff spot.
Smith won’t be the only player being checked out by the Chiefs medical staff in the coming days. Running back Spencer Ware also left with a concussion and left guard Parker Ehinger didn’t return after hurting his knee, but it’s always easier to deal with such issues coming off of a win that leaves you at the top of the division.