The Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts traded blows all night long on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season.

After a back-and-forth game, it came down to an overtime field goal attempt by Harrison Butker. The Chiefs defeated the Colts, 33-30. They’re now 2-0 to start the 2026 NFL season, and they’re one of the few undefeated teams after two weeks. They still have a lot to improve on, especially after a close, challenging game.

With that in mind, let’s break down the winners and losers from the Week 2 win.

Winner: Kristian Fulton

Fulton got the start in place of rookie CB Mansoor Delane, who continues to deal with a shoulder injury. The veteran corner joined the team on a two-year deal last season and dealt with some injury adversity in 2025. This year, he’s proving that he belongs in Kansas City. He made an incredible, one-handed interception to help set the Chiefs up to take a 10-7 lead late in the first quarter. He made a big stop on third down in the fourth quarter, though the Colts converted on the fourth down.

Winner: Patrick Mahomes

A week ago, the offense looked a bit disjointed and heavily reliant on Kenneth Walker. This week, Patrick Mahomes looked very comfortable. He had some vintage Patrick Mahomes moments like the 45-yard pass to Tyquan Thornton. The Colts were keyed in on stopping the running game and daring Mahomes to beat them through the air, especially in the red zone. He was 32-of-47 passing for 382 yards. Mahomes threw all three of the team’s touchdowns, each to a different receiver. He even had some timely scrambles on his surgically repaired knees. It felt like a message to the league: “I’m back.”

Winner: Tyquan Thornton

Tyquan Thornton came back to Kansas City this offseason with the goal of being a featured player. He felt like exactly that in Week 2 against the Colts, catching all four of his targets for 86 yards. He had the long catch of the night, going for 45 yards. The 30-yard reception in overtime was a variation of the Chiefs’ iconic Wasp play from Super Bowl LIV. Time will tell, but he feels like a big part of Kansas City’s game plan after this one.

Winner: Jalen Royals

Jalen Royals hasn’t exactly had the ideal start to his career, but it looks like he finally turned the corner against the Colts. Royals was targeted twice on Sunday night. One was a five-yard gain on second down that resulted in a first down. Later, he recorded his first career touchdown reception on a fourth-down play with a back-of-the-endzone grab. He made plays when the team needed it, and that’s what you really want to see from a young player.

Winner: Emmett Johnson

Kenneth Walker is still clearly the lead back in Kansas City. However, rookie RB Emmett Johnson has proven for the second consecutive week that he can carry the load as well. He showed off some impressive moves late in the third quarter. Johnson had back-to-back carries resulting in 15 total yards. He also caught a 12-yard reception, juking some Colts defenders on the play that looked very Dante Hall the Human Joystick-esque.

Loser: Steve Spagnuolo

Steve Spagnuolo’s defense was one of the more impressive things about Week 1. In Week 2, it felt like they were one of the least impressive things about the Chiefs. Shane Steichen’s game plan really kept Spags from getting what he wanted. Some of that was Jonathan Taylor creating 3rd-and-short situations. Some of it was the quick passing game. Still, he couldn’t get to the blitz game, and when he did, it didn’t create negative plays. The front four didn’t generate nearly enough pressure. Their best four-man pressure came with under a minute left to go in the fourth quarter. Despite defending quite a few passes, the secondary felt challenged a few times. They definitely have some things to work out after this game.

Loser: L’Jarius Sneed

Speaking of defense, Chiefs veteran CB L’Jarius Sneed was really challenged in coverage all night long. He’ll want the coaching staff to burn some of the tape. I’m not sure if his knee injury was a problem, but it felt like Colts QB Daniel Jones picked on him all night. He surrendered the 48-yard reception to Laquon Treadwell in overtime that almost ended the game. He made a game-saving tackle, but he wouldn’t have needed to if it weren’t for the coverage.

Loser: Dave Toub

I’m aware that a Harrison Butker field goal resulted in a win. However, this is the second consecutive week that I’ve chosen Toub as a loser. His special teams unit hasn’t been sharp at the start of the season. But let’s be real, the special teams have been a net negative in Kansas City for a few years. This week, special teams committed more penalties. Harrison Butker missed a 51-yard field goal, which isn’t a chip shot. Yet it felt huge in a game that went to overtime. Nikko Remigio fielded a punt inside the 10-yard line and looked like he was running through mud. The only good thing on special teams was P Matt Araiza, but the defense couldn’t capitalize on some bad starting field position.

Loser: The Chiefs’ linebackers outside of Drue Tranquill

I’ve been pretty down on the linebacker room this season, and this game felt like more proof that the unit isn’t good enough. Colts RB Jonathan Taylor was great in the running game with 24 carries for 92 yards and two touchdowns. He felt even deadlier in the passing game, though. He caught 4-of-4 passes for 40 yards. They couldn’t stop him or cover him in the passing game. They were a bit more physical with TE Tyler Warren, but he also caught 6-of-7 passes for 21 yards. The only linebacker that seemed to make impact plays tonight was Drue Tranquill. He had a couple of tackles for loss at key moments.