Lucas Oil Stadium's open roof likely played role in Chiefs' punt return mistakes

INDIANAPOLIS — A picture-perfect Sunday in Indianapolis ended up playing a key role in the Colts’ win over Kansas City.

The weather was perfect. The roof was open.

And it’s harder to catch a punt in Lucas Oil Stadium when the roof is open.  

“Absolutely,” long-time Colts punt returner Nyheim Hines said. “I hate it.”

Hines lost his first return in the sun, realized he didn’t have a good read on the ball and jumped out of the way at the last second, leading to Kansas City downing the punt at the Indianapolis 11-yard line.

But trying to catch that punt would likely have been a much worse decision, a lesson Kansas City rookie punt returner Skyy Moore had already learned on the previous drive.

When Colts punter Matt Haack opened the game by lofting a gorgeous, high-arcing punt inside the Kansas City 10 after a three-and-out, Moore tried to make the catch, felt pressure from Indianapolis gunner Ashton Dulin and muffed the punt, leading to a Kylen Granson recovery that set up the Colts’ first touchdown.

“I think everything was normal,” Moore said later. “I just have to catch that. Just got to come down with it.”

Except that it’s not normal.

Not according to Hines.

“When the roof’s open, it’s not natural sunlight,” Hines said. “It’s a dome, but the sun shines through one part of the stadium. It’s 1 o’clock, the sun’s (right above), and there’s no damper, and then there’s the window. That’s why I didn’t catch one. I couldn’t see the ball.”

The light likely played a role in another misadventure for Moore on the second Colts punt of the day.

Unsure of Haack’s offering inside his own 20 again, Moore didn’t make an attempt, and the ball bounded inside the 1-yard line, where Granson downed it to trap the Chiefs in terrible field position.

Moore’s first mistake played a role in his second.

“Probably a little bit, just not wanting to make that mistake again,” Moore said. “I’ve got to catch that one, too.”

Catching a punt return with the roof open is possible.

Hines has done it plenty. It’s just a much more difficult catch to make when the weather prompts Colts owner Jim Irsay to announce on his Twitter account that the roof and window will be open.

“I’ve had some experience,” Hines said. “I remember missing a deep ball from quarterback Andrew (Luck), like 5 years ago, and ever since then, I’ve taken my visor along. … I am not a fan of the roof being open, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. It’s an adverse situation, and shoot, they’ve got to do it, too. I’ve done it more than the other team.”