Touchdown Theory

Week 2

Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs

Sun Sep 20, 8:20 PM ET (Sun Sep 20, 7:20 PM local)

The market

Line
KC -6.5
Total
47.5
Moneyline
IND +245 KC -305

These are the market's numbers, recorded as the feed saw them. They are shown so the model can be compared against something, not as a recommendation.

How the line moved

RecordedLineTotalINDKC
Mon Aug 31, 4:46 PM ETKC -6.547.5+260-325
Wed Sep 9, 5:19 PM ETKC -6.547.5+260-325
Fri Sep 11, 3:11 PM ETKC -6.547.5+250-310
Sun Sep 13, 11:25 PM ETKC -6.548.5+235-290
Mon Sep 14, 10:31 PM ETnot posted
Tue Sep 15, 12:29 AM ETKC -6.547.5+250-310
Tue Sep 15, 10:00 AM ETKC -6.547.5+245-305current

Each row is a snapshot the feed recorded, oldest first. Superseded rows are kept, because a line that moves and moves back is only visible if both are shown.

Environment

Venue
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Roof
open
Elevation
909 ft
Surface
grass
Temperature
71F
Wind
8 mph N
Chance of precipitation
15%
Humidity
84%
Forecast
Slight Chance Rain Showers

Issued 133 hours before kickoff. A forecast issued further out has had less time to settle.

Stadium WP did not list elevation; using Kansas City city elevation (909 ft; stadium is in eastern KC near the Truman Sports Complex so actual elevation slightly lower).

The projection

Not published yet. When it is, this section carries the projected score, spread, total and win probability for this game, the fair odds the probability translates to, and the projected play counts and per-team box lines behind them.

How the number is built

The model projects each side, then adjusts for the conditions the game is played in. Both steps are shown so the adjustment can be seen rather than taken on trust. These add up exactly as printed; if they ever did not, this section would not appear.

KC24.6
24.6Before environment+(+0.0)Environment=24.6
IND22.8
22.8Before environment+(+0.0)Environment=22.8
Total47.4
47.4Before environment+(+0.0)Environment, KC+(+0.0)Environment, IND=47.4
Wind
not applied
Cold
not applied
Indoors
not applied
Elevation
not applied

Wind and cold are recorded as an effect on passing efficiency, not as points, and the conversion between the two is not published, so they are shown in their own units rather than added into the chain above. Indoors and elevation are recorded in points.

Two earlier links, per-play efficiency and the matchup adjustment, are computed and discarded rather than stored, so they cannot be shown yet.

live-20260915T030122Z, generated Mon Sep 14, 11:01 PM ET

Where the player numbers come from

The model projects each team's line first, then divides it among players. Both are shown, with the team figure beside the sum of its parts, so the division can be checked rather than trusted. A row appears only when the parts add up to the whole.

Kansas City Chiefsprojected 39.5 pass plays, 23.2 run plays
Team lineProjectedSum of players
Pass attempts34.734.7
Pass yards222.4222.4
Receiving yards222.4222.4
Pass touchdowns1.021.02
Receiving touchdowns1.021.02
Carries26.726.7
Rush yards103.6103.6
Rush touchdowns1.011.01
PlayerPosPassRushRecTgtShare
Patrick MahomesQB222.421.1100%
Kenneth Walker IIIRB49.225.93.112%
Rashee RiceWR2.168.59.431%
Travis KelceTE0.045.85.821%
Xavier WorthyWR4.627.93.813%
Emmett JohnsonRB20.610.62.15%
Tyquan ThorntonWR14.81.27%
Cyrus AllenWR0.413.31.76%
Brashard SmithRB5.65.11.02%
Noah GrayTE0.08.81.94%
Jared WileyTE1.00.30%
Jalen RoyalsWR0.60.40%
Indianapolis Coltsprojected 37.3 pass plays, 24.3 run plays
Team lineProjectedSum of players
Pass attempts33.433.4
Pass yards231.5231.5
Receiving yards231.5231.5
Pass touchdowns1.111.11
Receiving touchdowns1.111.11
Carries25.025.0
Rush yards109.6109.6
Rush touchdowns1.501.50
PlayerPosPassRushRecTgtShare
Daniel JonesQB231.510.9100%
Alec PierceWR0.390.47.539%
Jonathan TaylorRB66.522.43.310%
Tyler WarrenTE0.445.96.320%
Seth McGowanRB22.99.91.94%
Josh DownsWR26.14.211%
Keenan AllenWR0.018.22.98%
Mo Alie-CoxTE0.07.41.33%
Ashton DulinWR1.85.30.52%
DJ GiddensRB6.70.4
Nick Westbrook-IkhineWR0.03.30.71%
Drew OgletreeTE1.60.31%
Laquon TreadwellWR0.01.10.10%

Share is a player's portion of the team's projected passing yards, counting a quarterback by what he throws and everyone else by what he catches. Targets are shown but not totalled: a throwaway, a batted ball or a sack is a pass attempt with no target, which is about four a game per team, so targets legitimately do not sum to attempts.

live-20260915T030122Z

Injury report

This is the week 1 report. This game is in week 2, and the league has not filed a report for it yet.

Indianapolis Colts9 listed
A.J. HaulcySAnkleFull Participation in Practice
Alec PierceWRHeelLimited Participation in Practice
Andrew OgletreeTENeckFull Participation in Practice
Anthony RichardsonQBIllnessFull Participation in Practice
Austin AjiakeLBOutHamstringDid Not Participate In Practice
Charvarius WardCBNot injury related - resting playerLimited Participation in Practice
DeForest BucknerDTNot injury related - resting playerDid Not Participate In Practice
Grover StewartDTNot injury related - resting playerFull Participation in Practice
Sedrick Van Pran-GrangerCIllnessFull Participation in Practice
Kansas City Chiefs11 listed
Ashton GillotteDEFootFull Participation in Practice
Chamarri ConnerSOutKneeDid Not Participate In Practice
Chris JonesDTCalfDid Not Participate In Practice
Jack CochraneLBKneeFull Participation in Practice
Josh SimmonsTOutBackDid Not Participate In Practice
L'Jarius SneedCBKneeLimited Participation in Practice
Patrick MahomesQBKneeFull Participation in Practice
R Mason ThomasDEHamstringFull Participation in Practice
Rashee RiceWRKneeFull Participation in Practice
Trey SmithGHipFull Participation in Practice
Xavier WorthyWRShoulderFull Participation in Practice