Colts, Lions playing short-handed against AFC West foes

The Indianapolis Colts are trying to stay atop the AFC South this weekend, but it won’t be easy.

Despite the overmatched Oakland Raiders coming into town on Sunday, the Colts will be without a bevy of their top talent. Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton is doubtful with a quad injury, while inside linebacker Darius Leonard has been ruled out with a concussion. Safety Malik Hooker is also out for the next month or so, coming back from a torn meniscus in his knee.

Indianapolis can likely survive in its now building against Oakland, but the maladies can’t continue to pile up. The Colts aren’t the deepest team, so while losing three key contributors hurts any team, it really hurts them. This is especially true of Hilton, as Devin Funchess is already sidelined after breaking his collarbone in Week 1 during a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

While the Colts largely face an easy scheduled throughout the foreseeable future, Week 5 does bring them a date at Arrowhead Stadium with the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. Losing to Kansas City on the road isn’t a big deal, but Indianapolis might have a chance if healthy. Here’s to hoping the Colts can mend and give us a good primetime showing next week.

Lions trying to survive with defensive injuries

The Detroit Lions are putting their unbeaten record on the line with the Chiefs coming to Ford Field on Sunday afternoon.

The task is already difficult, but it could be even tougher with injuries to defensive tackle Mike Daniels and cornerback Darius Slay. Both Daniels and Slay are Pro Bowl talents, and the former has already been ruled out with a foot issue. Slay was limited throughout the week and is questionable, making one wonder how much he can realistically contribute while dealing with a hamstring pull.

Kansas City has the league’s best offense, led by NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and his slew of weapons including Sammy Watkins and Travis Kelce. If the Lions are going to win, they’ll need unheralded names to step up defensively.

Should Detroit emerge victorious, it’s time we all start taking it seriously. The Lions have already knocked off the Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles, and the Chiefs would be a massive pelt on the wall. Of course, this will be the toughest test for Matthew Stafford and Co. yet, with Kansas City laying 6.5 points on the road.