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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Laquon Treadwell thought he'd won the game and lost it, all in a matter of seconds. The Indianapolis Colts' veteran receiver, who hadn't registered a catch in an NFL game in three years until Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs, hauled in a 48-yard reception in overtime to put the Colts in the red zone. But after sliding to make the catch and then getting up to run, Chiefs defensive back Nohl Williams punched the ball out and L'Jarius Sneed pounced on it.
A lost fumble meant the game was over, but before the Chiefs could celebrate a walk-off win, the officials stepped in to review the turnover.
"In that moment, you're just hoping that you get another opportunity," Treadwell said after the game.
Treadwell was ruled down by contact, so Indianapolis mercifully retained possession and had a chance to deliver the knockout blow, but it was the Chiefs who outlasted the Colts for a 33-30 victory at Arrowhead Stadium.
Colts coach Shane Steichen's conservative late-game play calling after Treadwell's field-flipping catch will rightfully be criticized amid Indy's ninth straight loss, extending the longest losing streak in the NFL. Calling a run play on second-and-11 from the Chiefs' 18-yard line is unforgivable. But the Colts' defense shouldn't be absolved either, not after giving up over 500 yards for a second straight game.
The Colts are in their 74th season of existence. This is the first time they've ever done that.
"We have to figure out ways to not lose the games (by) ourselves and do the controllable things, the correct way," Colts safety Cam Bynum said. "That comes down to communication. That comes down to effort. … We're not finding any comfort in being close to this team or going into overtime. There's no comfort in losing.
"We have to look in the mirror and figure out what we can do more to stop losing."
On the heels of Treadwell's big play, and with an upset in reach, Indianapolis never took a shot to the end zone. Instead, Steichen was surprisingly reserved, at least from the outside looking in. He called back-to-back run plays for Jonathan Taylor, losing three yards, before Daniel Jones was stopped after a 5-yard scramble.
"We wanted it to be the last possession for us," Steichen said. "We were going to run it there, in that situation, and let J.T. win it there at the end."
After his failed approach, Indianapolis still trailed by three points and faced fourth-and-8 from Kansas City's 15-yard line. The Colts lined up as if they were going to call a play, but they eventually took a delay-of-game penalty. Spencer Shrader then drilled the ensuing 38-yard field goal to tie the game, only for Patrick Mahomes to march the Chiefs down the field on the next possession to set up Harrison Butker's 40-yard, game-winning field goal.
So, was Steichen really willing to roll the dice on that fourth down?
"Yeah, if we had the right look," Steichen said. "I was like, 'Shoot, if you love it, then let's go at it. Let's go win this thing.' But if it's not the right look, 'Shoot, let's kick the field goal here.'"
Said Jones: "I think it was smart to see (the defense). We liked our chances if we liked the look, but certainly, whatever Shane thinks, I'm 100 percent behind it."
Steichen, who rarely calls a run play on second-and-long, said he did so in overtime, even after Taylor had been stopped on first down following Treadwell's catch, hoping Taylor would break free for the game-winning touchdown or at least drain the clock to ensure a tie. The coach has been heavily criticized for not relying on Taylor late in games in recent years, but he appeared to buck that trend as the game hung in the balance.
"I was trying to finish the game with J.T.," Steichen said.
Some may say Steichen's decision to lean on Taylor was wrong, though it's not completely indefensible. Taylor finished with 24 carries for 92 yards and scored two touchdowns, both in the red zone. A third would've made Steichen look like a genius for trusting his superstar tailback. Keep in mind, for as much scrutiny as Steichen will face, his play-calling also helped the Colts put up 30 points on a defense that only allowed 10 in its season opener against the Denver Broncos. Indy was also without its top receiver, Alec Pierce, for most of the game after he exited in the first quarter due to aggravating his surgically repaired left heel.
While Steichen is at fault for Sunday's loss, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and the Colts' defense deserve most of the blame. Indianapolis gave up 523 yards of total offense, tied for the 12th most it has allowed in franchise history. Mahomes was hardly fazed, completing 32 of his 47 pass attempts for 382 yards and three touchdowns. Kenneth Walker totaled 24 carries for 117 yards, marking his second straight 100-yard rushing game and the 11th of his career. And Travis Kelce turned back the clock, recording nine catches for 101 yards and a TD as he consistently made the Colts' linebackers and cornerbacks look silly.
Asked if he was concerned about his defense after the game, Steichen said he thought his unit "got a lot better this week" following the Ravens' 41-point explosion in Indy's season-opening loss. But beyond the points, it's nearly impossible to confirm any improvement as the Chiefs, a franchise that's been around since 1960, logged their 19th-most yards in a game ever.
"Every single one of us could have played better and to try to find that extra play to finish the game," said Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who had five tackles and a sack. "It's frustrating because we're so close. Granted, everybody had us counted out this game."
And they'd be right to count the Colts out again.
Sunday's loss served as a painful full-circle reminder of how much has and hasn't changed for the Colts over the last year. In 2025 at Arrowhead, where their current losing streak started, they were handed just their third loss in 11 games after going toe-to-toe with the Chiefs' future Hall of Fame quarterback and forcing overtime. In 2026, they're staring at a 0-2 hole while trying to convince themselves, particularly on defense, that they're better than what they are.
"If we're gonna see the progress, we gotta see the win," Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner said succinctly.
Indy hasn't seen one of those since November of last year.