⚡ Chiefs’ Week 12 meltdown against the Colts revealed a shocking weakness that turned a sure blowout into a heart-stopping overtime battle.QQ
The Kansas City Chiefs struggled to convert touchdowns in the red zone in Week 12 vs. the Indianapolis Colts, but it has been a multi-week problem.
The Kansas City Chiefs pulled off a 23-20 overtime win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12, getting themselves back on track against a team in the AFC playoff field that boasted the NFL’s No. 1 offense.
While the defense was the major story coming out of the Week 12 win for Kansas City, it was actually the Chiefs’ offense that dominated in practically every facet of the game. If you looked at just the stats and not the score, you would’ve assumed a blowout win. Kansas City outgained Indy by 244 yards. The Chiefs ran 91 offensive plays, had 33 first downs, and held the ball for over 17 more minutes than Indianapolis.
The Colts must tread lightly against a Houston Texans team gunning for the top spot in the AFC SouthThe Colts must tread lightly against a Houston Texans team gunning for the top spot in the AFC South
The game turned out to be an overtime nail-biter for one reason: the red zone offense.
The Chiefs need to get better at converting touchdowns in the red zone
The Chiefs reached the red zone multiple times against the Colts, which has become the modus operandi for the team this season. They are actually second in the NFL in offensive red zone attempts per game. The problem is that they had a 16.67% touchdown rate in the red zone. They settled for Harrison Butker field goals twice in the red zone during the first half. They ran a total of 13 plays in the red zone in those two particular trips. They also had the Kareem Hunt fumble drive in the fourth quarter, with another two opportunities to convert in the red zone.
Chiefs’ red zone TD rate in Super Bowl-winning seasons
- Super Bowl LIV (2019): 60%
- Super Bowl LVII (2022): 71.08%
- Super Bowl LVIII (2023): 51.23%
Over the past three weeks of the 2025 NFL season, the Chiefs have posted a 30.77% touchdown rate in the red zone. On the season, they’re just under a 60% red zone touchdown rate, which ranks right in the middle of the pack among the rest of the NFL. Heading into the game, there was even some talk about the need to improve in the red zone, but they simply didn’t accomplish that at all in Week 12. If they’re to find success against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 13, they’re going to want to spend some time during their truncated practice week figuring out what works best in the red zone. It’s the one area of the field where Andy Reid has been able to get really creative in the past. Perhaps we’ll get to see some of that in front of a national audience on Thursday.
