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[Indianapolis Colts]

Stampede Blue Staff Roundtable: NFL season predictions

The 2025-26 NFL season is here and members of the Stampede Blue writing team decided to come together to offer their predictions for the season.

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Andrew Aziz

Colts Record: 7-10

Division Winners: Ravens, Bills, Texans, Chiefs | Lions, Eagles, Buccaneers, 49ers

Wild-Card Spots: Bengals, Broncos, Chargers | Packers, Commanders, Rams

NFL MVP: Joe Burrow

Super Bowl Matchup: Detroit Lions vs Baltimore Ravens

Super Bowl Winner: Detroit Lions

It would be silly to dismiss the Colts’ recent history when projecting their record. The overall team is strong but lack a quality quarterback, which has been the case the last few years. Over the past 4 seasons, the Colts have essentially been a 500 team, so I expect more of the same this season.
Regarding MVP, Joe Burrow could’ve been MVP last year if he had made the playoffs and I see their offense being stronger this season, so he could have a historic season.
Regarding the Super Bowl matchup, the Ravens might have the most well balanced and deepest team in the NFL, with their one weakness last year (their secondary) being fixed this offseason. The Lions still have a great team and will get a ton of players returning from injury. It’s always a crapshoot, but I’m rolling with two deep, well balanced and well coached teams with the Lions finally winning a Super Bowl.

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Thomas Butler-Guerrero

Colts Record: 9-8

Division Winners: Ravens, Bills, Texans, Chiefs | Packers, Commanders, Buccaneers, 49ers

NFL MVP: Lamar Jackson

Super Bowl Matchup: Green Bay Packers vs Baltimore Ravens

Super Bowl Winner: Baltimore Ravens

The Colts enter 2025 with more uncertainty under center as Daniel Jones is set to become the eighth different Week 1 starter over the last 9 season openers. There are some must-win matchups that are more than favorable on the schedule, but the first step in the right direction would be to beat the Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday to break the league’s longest winless drought in Week 1. For the Colts to get over .500, it’s vital to win the season opener, have a solid October against the Raiders, Cardinals, and Chargers, plus it will help if they sweep the season series against the last place Titans, beat the last place Raiders, while at least earning a split against the Jaguars and Texans.
Lamar Jackson is the best football player on Earth and I’m predicting another phenomenal campaign, which will result in his third NFL MVP Award. Last season, Jackson threw 43 TD passes against just 4 INTs, while becoming the first QB in NFL history to throw for over 4,000 passing yards with 900 rushing yards.
As a Cowboys diehard, it’s more painful than ever for me to suggest the Packers acquisition of All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons may have propelled Green Bay over the hump. It should be mentioned Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers were both 27 at the time of their first Super Bowl appearance. Ever since Lamarvelous took over as Baltimore’s franchise QB in the middle of the 2018 season, the Ravens have posted a 70-24 when he starts, which is the second-best record in the league. The Ravens will finally get over the hump to dethrone the Chiefs, who have claimed the AFC title in five of the last six seasons. Baltimore claims its third Super Bowl title, while Jackson becomes the eighth player in league history (second active player along with Mahomes) to claim both league MVP and SB MVP in the same season.

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Mateo Caliz

Colts Record: 6-11

Division Winners: Bengals, Bills, Texans, Chiefs | Lions, Eagles, Bucs, Rams

NFL MVP: Patrick Mahomes

Super Bowl Matchup: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Buffalo Bills

Super Bowl Winner: Buffalo Bills

Let’s go by parts here. First of all I am not high at all on the Colts this season, which seems to be the overall consensus along the media, fanbase, and experts. I think that no team, no matter how good the rest of the squad is, can survive a quarterback situation where Daniel Jones wins the starting gig. It sucks because we have plenty of darn good football players in the prime of their career like Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Jonathan Taylor, Kenny Moore, and some others, but this is a quarterback driven league, and until we find the next guy, we are stuck in this weird purgatory. The Texans win the division because, you guessed it, their quarterback. C.J. Stroud is far and away the best signal-caller in the division (we were just a pick away… damn), and the rest of the team is good enough for them to make the playoffs once again in a historically weak division. I believe that Mahomes’ legacy, and status as the GOAT contender, is in serious jeopardy after such a lopsided Super Bowl loss, and he will be back with a vengeance, earning MVP honors in the process. That will not be enough however, as I predict this is the year the Bills finally get over the hurdle and make it to the Super Bowl, where they will manage to beat the Eagles and Josh Allen will get his first ring.

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Elliot Denton-Singh

Colts Record: 7-10

Division Winners: Ravens, Bills, Jaguars, Chiefs | Packers, Eagles, Buccaneers, Rams

NFL MVP: Josh Allen

Super Bowl Matchup: Green Bay Packers vs Buffalo Bills

Super Bowl Winner: Buffalo Bills

Colts will regress this year with their overall record, falling to 7-10 on the year. Daniel Jones isn’t a QB1 and will show just that when he is at the helm of the Colts offense. The offense might look slightly better but the big plays and excitement will be drained away instead. The defense will improve but not even a top 15 defense will be able to overcome the shortcomings of a Daniel Jones led offense.
Josh Allen takes his game to this next level this year, leading his team to another division title and deep into the playoffs again.
Unexpected Super Bowl matchup by most but the Packers look all in for a big year and the Bills have been patiently building a juggernaut team for years. Allen tops off an MVP year with his first ring and even snags Super Bowl MVP too.

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Jay Robins

Colts Record: 9-8

Division Winners: Ravens, Bills, Texans, Chiefs | Vikings, Eagles, Buccaneers, Seahawks

NFL MVP: Joe Burrow

Super Bowl Matchup: Philadelphia Eagles vs Baltimore Ravens

Super Bowl Winner: Baltimore Ravens

Colts have another season in the middle of the NFL field of teams. After looking at the schedule, I see the Colts having a very similar season to 2023, having 9 wins and having a chance at the playoffs with a matchup against Texans to potentially decide the division. Texans have the home field advantage, so I give them the edge there. Still too many questions with this new defense and what level of QB play the Colts can expect out of Daniel Jones and potentially Anthony Richardson this year.
I see the Lions losing their top spot in the NFC North to Vikings, which was a close battle last year. Losing both of their coordinators, especially Ben Johnson on Offense, takes a hit to their record.
Seahawks also see a rise to division champs in the NFC West. Swapping out Geno Smith & Tyler Lockett for Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp might be lateral moves to slight upgrades at this portion of each’s careers, but the Seahawks upgraded elsewhere via the draft. Keeping their stout Defensive unit together, I could see the unit grow into a top end Defense led by a young secondary of Witherspoon, Woolen, and rookie Emmanwori & a good veteran pass rush. With Stafford’s injury concerns, the Rams could be a vulnerable 2024 division winner.
Seahawks also see a rise to division champs in the NFC West. Swapping out Geno Smith & Tyler Lockett for Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp might be lateral moves to slight upgrades at this portion of each’s careers, but the Seahawks upgraded elsewhere via the draft. Adding Arroyo at TE, Horton at WR, and Zabel to the OL (along with a healthy Abraham Lucas) should be solid upgrades to the Offense. Keeping their stout Defensive unit together, I could see the unit grow into a top end Defense led by a young secondary of Witherspoon, Woolen, and rookie Emmanwori & a good veteran pass rush as well. With Stafford’s injury concerns, the Rams could be a vulnerable 2024 division winner.
The MVP race is a tight race between several elite AFC QBs. Lamar Jackson & Josh Allen have been the top vote getters and won each of the last 2 MVPs, and if Mahomes ups his passing stats again while leading the contender Chiefs he will get consideration too. But if Joe Burrow can carry the Bengals talent-deprived team (outside of offensive skill talent) to the playoffs, he will likely get the nod with his staggering passing stats paired with the emphasis on the word VALUABLE in the award. He got 0 1st place MVP votes despite over 70% comp%, 4,900+ passing yards, and 43 TDs to 9 INTs in large part due to just missing the playoffs in 2024 at 9-8. That should change come 2025 if the Bengals return to the playoffs.
The Super Bowl of Ravens vs Eagles might be a battle of avians, but the winner would be determined by the matchup on the ground. Lamar & Henry vs Hurts & Saquon. A spectacular showdown of Run Pass Options, Play Actions, QB Designed runs and Scrambles, and even a Tush Push or two.
The Ravens have been so close to making the Super Bowl for years with Lamar, and after surviving the gauntlet of QBs in the AFC they have to maximize this opportunity. They get to Levi Stadium this year in large part due to their rebuilt secondary of Malaki Starks at Safety from the draft and Jaire Alexander and Chidobe Awuzie at CB (if either are healthy) paired with incumbents Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, & TJ Tampa forming a dynamic and versatile secondary that can cause havoc to opposing passing attacks. Even in a lower volume passing attack game vs the Eagles, they will have a chance to make a key impact. Should that secondary be opportunistic enough to take the ball away from Hurts or limit AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, the Ravens likely hoist their 3rd Lombardi Trophy and 1st in the Lamar era.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/nflgeneral/114187/stampede-blue-staff-roundtable-nfl-season-predictions

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Colts fanbase ranked ‘least optimistic’ in annual poll

The Indianapolis Colts enter the 2025-26 NFL season in pole position for low expectations from its fanbase. After half a decade of band-aids thrown at the sport’s most important position from a lame duck regime to the recent abrupt passing of longtime philanthropist and Colts owner, Jim Irsay, fans far and wide are ready for a changing of the guard.

The Athletic’s annual NFL Hope-O-Meter article series polled fans of all 32 franchises on how they’re feeling heading into the season. In dead last for the least optimistic fanbase leaguewide, the Colts sit at 6.8% optimism and join the New Orleans Saints (9%) as the only two fanbases to poll under 10 percent.

Each voter was also provided the opportunity to share some explanatory thoughts on their reasoning. Here are some of the more notable entries.

“Daniel Jones is our starting QB. Chris Ballard is our GM. This team has been a mess for years. I’m just excited for a reset … unfortunately, we have to wade through this quagmire of a season to get there,” one detested Colts fan explained.

“The team has given up on its first-round quarterback in favor of a player that offers no clear upside,” another pessimistic poller added. “The front office and coaching staff will be gone and the only hope is losing enough to have a chance at a good QB prospect paired with the right GM and head coach. So basically the three most important things in the NFL all being right in the same offseason. No big deal.”

There will always be two sides to a coin; thus, the vast minority of optimistic fans will stick out like a sore thumb and may even be viewed as a contrarian’s take. However, there are still some Colts fans who believe they’ll shock the world this fall.

“Colts made good additions to the defense and Daniel Jones has a good supporting cast of skill players. I think the Colts will surprise the pundits,” one brave soul added. Most may be out on the reclamation project that is Daniel Jones leading the charge, but some aren’t ready to close his book thanks to his strongest supporting cast yet.

Perhaps the ultimate example of the current state of the Colts as an organization is that irony has finally brought the Colts fanbase together under Chris Ballard’s tenure in Indianapolis. After years of turmoil, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel. Although a full-blown rehaul may require one more season, the togetherness that, although birthed from disgust, has finally brought Colts fans on the same page is a sight to see. It may have taken too many headaches and failed visions to achieve, but a reality where the dog days are over is beginning to take shape.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/analysis/114225/colts-fanbase-ranked-least-optimistic-in-annual-poll

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Meet The New Guy: Joining the Stampede Blue Colts Writing Crew!

Greetings to all Stampede Blue members!

A while back, Luke Shultheis announced on a Fan Post, that Stampede Blue would be hiring another contributor. He essentially asked if there were any members who had an interest in filling this position. I was beyond interested, but what came next was a total shock to me. Seeing fellow members go to the effort to suggest to Luke that “Clydesdales” would be a good candidate for the position, really brought a smile to my face and a bit of sense that I had connected with some of you. For that, please accept my heartfelt gratitude.

Your support continued as Stampede Blue sorted through what I believe to be a good amount of qualified candidates. I know that some of you became a bit impatient, but rest assured that there was a process and it needed to be completed. Actually, I may have been announced sooner, but giving me the ability to access and create content, needed to see me be able to authenticate, which my old flip phone does not have the ability to do. We are still actually using a work-around to complete this process.

So, don’t believe that this was a lengthy contract negotiation involving salary or artistic control. I’m doing this for beer money and I am happy to share my thoughts with all of you, as I have for 10 plus years. My hope is that I continue to connect with many of you and that you find relevance and a bit of humor in what I present. I also promise to do my level best to respond to your responses to my articles. Maybe not all of them, but if there is a question in there, I’ll get you a response.

Quickly about me. Clydedales is a name I have used for everything from bowling, softball, and fantasy sports teams, to dating profiles and forum handles. It’s a simple connection in that I was quite the Budweiser fan for much of my youth. Bear in mind that I consider my 30’s and 40’s as part of my youth these days, at the ripe old age of 64. I am currently a high school Drafting and Computer Science teacher, but I am hoping to be able to retire at the end of this school year.

I was a Colts season ticket holder for 26 years, starting in year two in Indy. My disposable income conveniently took a hit the same year that Peyton’s neck did, which ended my run. I moved away from Muncie, going on 10 years ago, so I have gone through an array of ways to watch the Colts. The first was to go to a Sports Bar. This only lasted a season as I found myself spending 40 bucks on beer and wings and only occasionally being able to hear the broadcast. I was fortunate enough to have the NFL Sunday Ticket for free for two years by choosing the Dish Network as my provider.

Since then, I have had NFL Plus. I get to stream the games about five minutes after they are completed. Because of this, I don’t see a ton of other teams, because I do not watch the other games while the Colts are playing, for fear of getting spoiler alerts. It does allow me to have the “All 22”, which I hope to be able to use in the occasional article.

The articles will be centered around the “Pulse” of the fans. I’m not 100% sure of the format, but I will be offering an article or two each week. I expect to have greater details on the format of my articles as we all transition to the new login format. I hope you can have a little patience with me as I grow into this role.

Lastly, thanks again to those who were in my corner during this process. You all have given me the green light to respond to my wife’s queries about why I am spending so much time on the computer with an, “I’m working here!” response.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...-joining-the-stampede-blue-colts-writing-crew

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Report: Colts QB Anthony Richardson’s agent ‘broached’ idea of trade with GM Chris Ballard

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson’s agent representation, Deiric Jackson, ‘broached’ the idea of a possible trade with team general manager Chris Ballard when the pairing met in person last week:

The Anthony Richardson situation is one I will watch closely throughout the season. Richardson’s agent, Deiric Jackson — who publicly questioned trust in the Colts to our Stephen Holder after Richardson lost the QB battle to Jones — met in person last week with Colts general manager Chris Ballard to clear the air. Jackson called the meeting “very constructive,” and just a chance for sides to “let feelings be known.” Though a trade was not requested, the topic was broached in this meeting. Ballard reinforced that Indy has no plans to trade Richardson and still believes in the quarterback.

Richardson isn’t making any waves — he will remain professional, backing up Jones and maintaining his readiness. But part of his camp’s frustration is that all parties acknowledge patience would be required when Richardson was drafted. He entered the league with one year as a full-time high school starter and one year as a starter at Florida. He has admitted publicly that his leadership and maturity were not up to par in 2024, which contributed to his in-season benching. But despite that, Richardson is 8-7 as an NFL starter, including two fourth-quarter comebacks late last season. He also worked on improving his regimen, leadership, mechanics, diet and ability to layer short-to-intermediate throws, resulting in improvement in camp that ultimately wasn’t enough to win the job. But the Colts know Richardson has a chance to play this season. This situation feels far from settled — and raises questions about how franchises fail young quarterbacks along the way.

It’s worth noting that as the ESPN dynamic reporting duo indicates, Ballard has even since publicly noted that he is not trading his demoted 3rd-year quarterback, who was the former 4th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft and has been limited to just 15 starts through his first two seasons in Indianapolis.

Whether that would hold up if the Colts actually received a ‘king’s ransom’ for Richardson remains to be seen (I’m guessing not!), but it’s realistically highly unlikely right now that Indianapolis would get more than a 4th round pick, especially when looking at the recent Trey Lance trade from San Francisco to Dallas.

Given newly named starter Daniel Jones’ own struggles with consistency, turnovers, and injuries, and Richardson is arguably more valuable than that as a top backup quarterback option right now—and having one more year with a cap hit of $10.8M left on his current rookie deal (unless Indianapolis picks up his first round 5th-year club option) gives Indianapolis some added future flexibility.

The young quarterback’s early career has so far been a roller coaster ride both on-and-off the field. There’s been flashes of greatness, only to see some fairly deep lows, and the Colts can’t seem to make up their minds on whether they actually want to definitively sit or start him going forward—having yanked him both back-and-forth between starting and sitting.

It’s a fair question of whether they gave him a legitimate shot to compete this offseason or whether 3rd-year head coach Shane Steichen’s mind was already reasonably well made up after signing Jones to a 1-year, $14.5M deal.

This offseason, despite Richardson arguably outplaying him on the practice fields, Jones (at least publicly) won the job because of his consistency, reliability, and command of the Colts offense—along with his reported pristine practice and off-the-field work and study habits.

However, for a Colts organization that once preached continued patience and the need for obtaining meaningful experience regarding Richardson’s early career development, it’s strange for them to do perform a 180, especially to sit him for Jones of all potential starting quarterback options for 2025.

While Richardson showed signs of growth and maturity following his 2-game midseason benching last season—after demonstrating too much naivety and not taking the QB1 leadership role seriously enough, it leads me to wonder whether there’s more to this story behind the scenes professionally, that we simply do not know publicly yet.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...-broached-idea-of-trade-with-gm-chris-ballard

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Expectations for the 2025 Colts

The regular season has arrived. The Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are set to take on the Dallas Cowboys to kick things off. There is a lot of excitement that comes with a new season as each team and fanbase have their own set of expectations. If a poll was taken to gauge expectations for the 2025 Indianapolis Colts, the results would most likely be all over the board. Some fans see this season being one for the drain and already have eyes for a new Manning in town. Others hope Daniel Jones reinvents himself in Naptown, while many more see something hovering closer to the middle.

This season could run off the rails. Completely. Jones has struggled during his NFL career to produce consistent results, and could find himself under a high level of pressure behind a revamped offensive line. Additionally, while all the talk is about Anthony Richardson and his injuries, Jones has his own list of ailments. A big hit from his blindside or getting crunched while taking off on a run could result in time on the shelf. Even if he manages to stay healthy, his dink and dunk strategy might prove futile. He isn’t as equipped as Richardson to sling it down the field, and the preseason didn’t calm nerves after watching his inability to sustain and finish drives. That applies more pressure on the defense. If they fail to get off the field and become warn out from defending short fields because of Jones’ turnovers, the score will rise too high to maintain contact. The secondary, while improved, could prove fragile and depth issues could be exposed, while the defensive front could also face injuries like it did in 2024. All of that would mark a disastrous season.

That is the worst case scenario. On the flip side, the Colts could take advantage of their schedule. A soft home schedule could net 8-9 wins. The road schedule is more challenging based on opponent alone, but the Colts could pick up 3-4 there as well. Jones could be this year’s Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield. Shane Steichen’s system could be just what he needs. Tyler Warren joins the rookie of the year discussion as he becomes an X-factor on offense, and Michael Pittman Jr. returns to form, while Josh Downs and Adonai Mitchell make leaps. The key free agents in the backfield look like steals as Chris Ballard shows he finally found a crucial piece with Charvarius Ward, and Laiatu Latu shows the power of an offseason as he looks like the most improved player on the team, wreaking havoc on the defensive line. Lou Anarumo’s new scheme which thrives on deceptiveness and pressure, ushers in a new era of Colts football in which the defense is the foundation on which everything is built.

Mixing the best with the worst seems like the most realistic outcome for the Colts this year. Aspects from both scenarios will most likely be true and produce a result somewhere in the middle. The dream of an incredible season meets limitations of a roster. Could it burn to the ground or be a season to remember? Absolutely. The realistic expectation is that this team should be better overall but will also struggle at times. A new quarterback every year makes predictions difficult until we see them in action. Daniel Jones is the biggest unknown while also being the biggest driving force on the team. As he goes, so too will the Colts. Here’s hoping for the best, preparing for the worst, and expecting something in between.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/analysis/114208/expectations-for-the-2025-colts

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Where to Watch: Dolphins at Colts for 2025 season opener

The Indianapolis Colts (0-0) (-1.5) host the Miami Dolphins (0-0) for the 2025 regular season opener at 1 PM EST, at Lucas Oil Stadium, which the Horseshoe shockingly hasn’t won a Week 1 game since 2013.

Indianapolis will be looking to snap that embarrassingly long franchise streak, and perhaps they’ll get some help from up above, as late team owner Jim Irsay will be inducted into the franchise’s ring of honor at halftime. Irsay will be the 20th member to join the Colts’ ring of honor.

Colts fans can catch the game on local CBS or via streaming with paid subscription on NFL+, Paramount+, NFL Sunday Ticket, Youtube TV, and Fubo.

On television or streaming, Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), Charles Davis, and Jason McCourty (analysis) will be on the call for the home opener—meaning no CBS’ Spero Dedes for at least this week.

The Horseshoe faithful can also tune in on the local radio to either 93.5 and 107.5 The Fan or 97.1 Hank FM. Matt Taylor will handle play-by-play, Rick Venturi with analysis, and Larra Overton as the sideline reporter. The Colts’ Week 1 game can also be listened to nationally on Sirius XM (Channel 227).

Colts Injury Report:

RB Tyler Goodson (Elbow) – Questionable

Dolphins Injury Report:

CB Ethan Bonner (Hamstring)- Out

TE Darren Waller (Hip) – Out

RB Jaylen Wright (Knee) – Out

OL James Daniels (Ankle) – Questionable

WR Dee Eskridge (Concussion) – Questionable

All-Time Head-to-Head History: 48-29 Dolphins

Last Time Played: 16-10 Colts win at home on 10/20/2024

Broadcast Map

Official Assignment: Brad Allen

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...atch-dolphins-at-colts-for-2025-season-opener

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Shane Steichen resurrected Daniel Jones in Colts season opener

Indianapolis, IN — For the first time since Andrew Luck’s second year in the NFL, the Indianapolis Colts start their season with a 1-0 record after besting the Miami Dolphins 33-8 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

It was both an important and monumental day for the organization. Not only has the aforementioned curse finally been lifted, but the franchise honored its late, great owner in Jim Irsay, by inducting him into the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor during halftime of the game. Notable Colts players from all eras were in attendance to show their support, from Peyton Manning to Pat McAfee and everyone in between. Emotions were high and expectations low; therefore, the end result was just as shocking as it was impressive.

Not only did Shane Steichen and DC Lou Anarumo have these guys playing as together and inspired as we’ve seen in recent memory, but complementary football was on display. Most importantly, there was down-to-down consistency on the offensive side of the ball. This newfound sense of self resulted in a historical showing from the Colts’ offense, and although expectations need to be proactively tempered, there now lies concrete proof that this offense has a respectable ceiling, and that is thanks to the recent last-ditch effort of a marriage between three parties: GM Chris Ballard, HC Shane Steichen, and QB Daniel Jones.

It sounds laughable to suggest that Daniel Jones could be the missing piece to this impossible puzzle that’s been the Ballard era Colts, but Week 1 suggested, potentially fraudulently due to a subpar opponent in the Dolphins, that Indy may have found something by pairing Jones with Steichen and then meshing them with the respectable offensive weapons littered amongst the Colts offense.

It’s been regurgitated ad nauseam that the recent influx of successful reclamation projects at quarterback across the NFL. From Geno Smith to Sam Darnold and everyone in between, this recent reminder to not give up on young players has allowed faltering organizations to retool as opposed to accepting a full-blown rebuild. As with the case of Daniel Jones in Indianapolis, this marriage of sorts has an asterisk due to the overarching nature of said move. Yes, like the other examples, Jones was to be given a fresh start to right his wrongs, but with a twist. He, too, is responsible for the future(s) of Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen. Given that this season has been regarded as the last year for this regime to figure it out, the clock is ticking for all parties involved.

Since this timeline in Indianapolis had all but run its course heading into the season, skepticism toward the franchise’s uncharacteristic notion of ‘going all-in’ was more than valid. While some masochist fans wanted to see their team historically fail so that this regime in question can receive a fitting end, the majority of the fanbase had checked out entirely, not necessarily hoping for a collapse, but rather expecting one.

Fast forward to the conclusion of Week 1, Steichen and Co. have the boys humming. From start to finish, the Indianapolis Colts dominated the Miami Dolphins and secured their first 1-0 record since 2013. Not only did the offense put on a historic showing, responding to every drive with a score, but the defense played greedily as well, with multiple takeaways coming early and often. The team was firing on all cylinders, but the question(s) begs to be asked: how is such complementary football achieved in such a drastic turnaround? Sure, the basis of a contender remained, but the edge-defining key positions in football evaded them for far too long. Why now?

Perhaps, Chris Ballard was finally afforded the resources to field a worthwhile product. Maybe Shane Steichen is not in over his head as head coach. What if.. Daniel Jones is just another example of how not every quarterback is built the same, and additionally, how the ideal circumstances are necessary to not only succeed but to thrive?

That’s a lot to tackle at once, but one thing is apparent, and that is Daniel Jones has regained his sense of self. Even he, during his post-game press conference, explained that consistency throughout the season is most important, but he looked like the best version of himself during the Colts’ long-awaited Week 1 victory, and that’s beyond noteworthy.

From the very first snap, Jones was dialed in. He was locked in pre-snap as he made checks throughout the opening drive. His dropbacks were in rhythm, and his passes were on time. Jones was smooth sailing throughout this game as if this were a televised walkthrough. If his situation was so bad just a season ago that he requested he be released to continue his story elsewhere, then how, in such a short turnaround, has he mended his otherwise blatant shortcomings? You do so by providing a favorable scheme while instilling faith and confidence in one’s ability to get the job done, and Shane Steichen has done just that.

Anthony Richardson aside, this storyline is quickly blossoming into a powerful one. Not even a calendar year ago, Jones was tossed aside to be soon featured as the next line of ‘bust’ quarterback prospects. Similarly, with the ever-apparent regression of the aforementioned young quarterback, who, unfortunately, has since received that same reputation, Shane Steichen’s days as the man in charge were beginning to be counted. After just one game of the following season, both individuals have breathed new life.

After putting on a clinic of a coaching performance against the Dolphins, Steichen and Jones have fans and analysts alike giving flowers while simultaneously apologizing. As the new signal-caller, Jones put up an impressive stat line to the tune of 22-29 passes completed (76% completion), 272 passing yards, 1 passing TD, 1 sack, 114.7 passer rating, and rushed the ball seven times for 26 rushing yards and 2 rushing TDs.

Schematically, Steichen was throwing so much at the Dolphins defense that he very well could’ve checked his playbook’s index for additional ideas during the second half — and Daniel Jones handled the workload with ease. Most of the time, Jones was throwing shorter routes, but not all were quick-hitters. Of course, he was mostly money on said quick-developing routes, but even on the plays where he worked through his progressions would result in a net positive. Couple his poised decision-making with the favorable matchups thanks to Steichen’s timely and balanced playcalling performance, and it’s clear how and why the Colts offense was able to dominate so seamlessly.

Efficiency and production aside, Jones was truly operating like a savvy veteran in the season opener. He made various checks at the line, utilized his cadence for hard counts and similar tendency-breakers, all while communicating regularly with all ten of his teammates on the offense. It’s an impressive trait that is evident even from the broadcast copy, and furthermore, iz an inside look to how Jones so clearly won the starting job. It shouldn’t be an indictment on any young quarterback who is falling short, but a brief idea as to what’s required from the sport’s most important position at its highest level possible. Steichen proudly discussed this very excellence during his media availability following the win.

“He checked the protection on it. He made a few of those all game. There’s a lot of that stuff that goes on. There was another one on 4th down where they checked it and brought [cover] 0, and he threw it to [Josh] Downs. He makes a lot of plays like that for us,” Steichen went on about a question regarding an opening-drive check call that Jones had made.

“There’s no doubt. There’s all those little things — the game within the game — those are conversations that happen in offensive staff meetings,” Steichen later added when discussing how Jones utilizes cadence to further his pre-snap manipulation. “Then he brings those [takeaways] to the offensive meetings and he stands up and talks about it like, ‘Hey, here’s what I’m going to do on this one fellas,‘ and guys are locked in and ready to go.”

It’s easy to understand, even outside of the timeline’s crumbling looming overhead, why Shane Steichen would want to pair a veteran quarterback like Jones with a rock-solid roster like the Colts have. The offense’s ceiling in terms of explosives may be lowered without Anthony Richardson’s talents, but its ceiling as far as a sustainable operation goes has undeniably been raised.

As I discussed in a previous article, how we got to this point could’ve been done so in a less stressful way, but as far as the vision for the Colts’ 2025-26 season goes, I get it. Although it seemed at first like the Daniel Jones signing was window dressing to light a fire under Richardson, this regime’s last-ditch effort is a commendable one, even if it’s way past due.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/analys...surrected-daniel-jones-in-colts-season-opener

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Colts obliterate Dolphins 33-8 to snap decade-long drought in season opener

The Indianapolis Colts obliterated the Miami Dolphins 33-8 in Sunday’s season opener at Lucas Oil Stadium to snap what was the NFL’s longest Week 1 drought. Indianapolis scored on all seven possessions to become the first NFL team in at least 47 years to score on every possession of a game.

The stampede sporting blue had not witnessed a season opener victory since 2013, but the 2025 Colts played with an edge from the opening kickoff following a tribute to induct late owner Jim Irsay into the Ring of Honor. The Colts emerged victorious with a brutal throttling on all three phases that would have made the franchise owner of 28 years proud.

Daniel Jones wasted no time silencing his doubters with a spectacular performance in his Colts debut. The seventh-year veteran quarterback scored three total touchdowns, including two rushing scores. Jones was an efficient 21-of-29 for 272 passing yards and flawlessly commanded Indy’s offensive unit to convert 7-of-15 on third down.

Danny dimes. pic.twitter.com/MyPDovxpTi

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 7, 2025

Jones set the tone from his first throw to rookie tight end Tyler Warren for a solid 14-yard gain and continued to thrive when the Dolphins bit at the play action. Indianapolis’ first-round draft pick caught three passes on the opening drive for 43 receiving yards, highlighted after Jones redesigned the play call with a nice audible to target Warren downfield for 21 yards. Warren caught a game-high seven receptions for 76 receiving yards and added three rushing yards to convert five first downs in his NFL debut.

New defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo delivered the best defensive game plan in recent memory as the Colts sacked Dolphins’ QB Tua Tagovailoa three times and picked him off twice. Miami crossed into Indianapolis territory on its first snap, but the Dolphins’ opening drive was terminated after Tagovailoa sailed a pass over the middle and was picked off by Colts’ safety Camryn Bynum. The fifth-year veteran safety signed with Indy in free agency and made an impact on his fifth snap in a Colts uniform. Bynum is known for his performative celebrations after making game-changing plays and showcased his moves after his interception. The 27-year-old sprinted to the end zone, laid on his back and glided through the blue turf to mimic a “slick back” dancing trend on TikTok, where dancers appear to float or glide in a rhythmic fashion.

INTERCEPTION FOR

CBS pic.twitter.com/SUmJgFkd6Z

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 7, 2025

Cam's first celly of the season.@budlight | #easytocelebrate pic.twitter.com/LF7wfO3BMs

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 7, 2025

The Colts went back to work following the takeaway as Jones orchestrated a 14-play scoring drive that lasted 8:18, which was longer than any drive from the 2024 season. Head coach Shane Steichen often leaned on star running back Jonathan Taylor, who led the Colts with a game-high 71 rushing yards on 18 carries. On the first play of the second frame, Jones recognized Miami’s secondary in Tampa 2 and delivered a strike down the right sideline to receiver Michael Pittman Jr. for a 27-yard passing touchdown to take a 10-0 lead. Pittman led the Colts with 80 receiving yards on six catches, including the first TD of the 2025 season.

Daniel Jones to Michael Pittman Jr. connection!#MIAvsIND on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/PYMcl8DT11

— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025

The Colts were in relentless pursuit of another takeaway two snaps later as cornerback Kenny Moore II strip-sacked Tagovailoa, which allowed cornerback Xavien Howard to recover the fumble inside the territory of his former team. Anarumo had a field day, mixing in different blitzes and coverages to flummox Tagovailoa and the Dolphins. It was demonstrated best when the Colts new DC used second-year edge rusher Laiatu Latu to drop back in coverage, which allowed Latu to leap in front of a route to grab his first career interception to end the Dolphins first drive of the second half.

It took five aggressive plays for the Colts to march in for another score, starting with a play-action fake to Taylor, which gave Jones enough time to let receiver Adonai Mitchell separate from his defender and reel in a diving snag near the sideline for 18 yards. Jones capped off the drive with his first rushing TD as a Colt, muscling into the end zone from 1-yard out on third-and-goal to extend the lead to 17-0 early in the second quarter. The Colts took their largest lead, 30-0, after Jones added a second sneak into the end zone for the knockout blow in the fourth quarter.

Colts kicker Spencer Shrader was automatic and made four field goals from 24, 35, 28 and 48 yards out. It was a coaching clinic as Indianapolis’ offense produced 10 explosive plays that gained at least 15 yards, while its defense allowed just four, all in the second half. The Colts converted 27 first downs and finished with 418 total yards of offense, averaging 6.0 yards per play.

The Colts (1-0) host the Denver Broncos inside Lucas Oil Stadium next Sunday. The Dolphins (0-1) head back to Miami for the home opener against the New England Patriots.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...-to-snap-decade-long-drought-in-season-opener

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

What If He’s Good?

With games that count on our doorstep, it is really hard to find optimistic prognostications for our Colts. I know that I have seen a reference to an NFL.com poll that had zero of their 31 “experts” predict the Colts to win the AFC South. I heard Michelle Smallmon of the morning Unsportsmanlike broadcast include the Colts among the bottom five teams in the NFL. Even if you just look at mock drafts for next year (you know you have) you won’t find them picking better than last year’s #14.

It is hard to call it irresponsible reporting, but it does indicate that we will see worse play at QB this year, than we have over the past two years. Straight from the Parcells quote list is, “You are what your record says you are.” Most who predict a poor record, are applying Daniel Jones’ losing record of 24 – 44 and saying that that is who he is. I don’t think many are giving him a chance to show better than he has to this point.

Right now, it seems like the best anyone is willing to concede is that he will have a better supporting cast than he had in New York. From what I have read, there seems to be equal parts, “He never had a chance” to “Good Riddance!” I believe that even their ownership said that they had done most everything possible to see him fail. I think that you would have to draw your own conclusion to whether he was the driving force on the 2022 team that made and advanced in the playoffs.

Besides the record, those who are not expecting anything more than average play will point to the average depth for his passes. Quite simply, he does not often let it fly downfield. He’s being labelled a “Check down Charlie”. Personally, I don’t think that a guy of his size would have difficulty getting it downfield, as long as he had protection and felt someone was open enough to send the ball his way.

Now that we have given some of the reasons that many are using to predict our dismal, depressing season, let’s revisit the title of the article’s title. What If He’s Good?

I want to go back to those Giant teams and point out that it is not just a narrative that they were going to be hard for anyone to take over the top. I find five guys who are listed as Pro Bowlers during Jones’ tenure, with Barkley being the only offensive player. I don’t think the lack of talent tells the whole story.

Maybe more than talent, you can look at coaching. Since being drafted and plunged into the starting role, he’s had Shurmer (now in college), Judge (now in college), and Dabol as head coaches. His offensive coordinators have been Shula (now in college), Garrett (unemployed) and Kafka (no prior coordinator experience). Given that Steichen was listed as a top 10 play caller by defensive coordinators and assistant coaches, as recently reported by Luke, I’d say that Jones is in the best position to succeed that he has ever been.

Here is a quick list of things that Jones may be able to do with the Colts that he was not able to do with the Giants.

Have time to throw.

Have reliable, talented receivers

Have a security blanket that gains yards after the catch.

Have a line that allows him to throw downfield.

Have a coach that calls the plays that give him the best chance to succeed.

I’m not even going to point out the recent success stories for QBs who have changed teams and found themselves a little later in their career. I guess I just did?

To finish up here, my role as a contributor on Stampede Blue will be to gain a fan pulse of all things Colts related. So, let me know what you think happens if Daniel Jones is good? Can he elevate us to the playoffs? Can he save jobs? If you think that he can’t be good and have an original idea to help change minds, by all means, share that as well.

Go Colts!

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indianapolis-colts-news/114106/what-if-hes-good

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Colts’ rookie Tyler Warren earns significant PFF Week 1 honors; Joins Matt Goncalves on star-studded squad

According to PFF, both Indianapolis Colts rookie tight end Tyler Warren and 2nd-year offensive guard Matt Goncalves were named to their ‘PFF Week 1: Team of the Week’:

Offense​

• QB: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
• RB: Breece Hall, New York Jets
• WR: Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
• WR: Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
• TE: Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts
• Flex: WR Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
• LT: Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens
• LG: Joel Bitonio, Cleveland Browns
• C: Erik McCoy, New Orleans Saints
• RG: Matt Goncalves, Indianapolis Colts
• RT: Armand Membou, New York Jets

Defense​

• EDGE: Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos
• EDGE: Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
• DI: Quinnen Williams, New York Jets
• DI: Ed Oliver, Buffalo Bills
• LB: Foyesade Oluokun, Jacksonville Jaguars
• LB: Nate Landman, Los Angeles Rams
• CB: Sauce Gardner, New York Jets
• CB: Will Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
• S: Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens
• S: Evan Williams, Green Bay Packers
• Flex: CB Josh Jobe, Seattle Seahawks

Special Teams​

• K: Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers
• P: Michael Dickson, Seattle Seahawks
• ST: Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers
• KR: Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints

Not only this, but Warren was named PFF’s ‘Rookie of the Week,’ while Goncalves was part of a Colts unit that was named ‘Offensive Line of the Week’:

Rookie of the Week: TE Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts​

You could make a strong case for at least three players to earn this recognition, but Warren gets the nod. The 14th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft led the Colts in targets, and his 3.17 yards per route run ranks second among tight ends this week, trailing only Brock Bowers.

Offensive Line of the Week: Indianapolis Colts​

The Colts dominated the Dolphins up front, setting the tone early. They allowed just five pressures on 33 dropbacks, with no offensive lineman surrendering more than one. They were solid on the ground as well, averaging 3.9 yards per carry.

It only seems right (as barring the Monday Night Football game), Warren will finish Week 1 as PFF’s highest graded rookie. He led the Colts with 9 targets for 76 receiving yards on 7 receptions (10.9 ypc. avg.). He also had one carry for 3 yards, lined up at fullback in short yardage situationally.

Warren was a breath of fresh air, as a rare Colts receiving tight end that they seemingly haven’t had in years who the opposing defense has to account for featuring special versatility and the ability to make plays all over the field, with his surprising quickness, sure hands, and tremendous physicality:

“Just the physicality. He’s an old school, throwback freaking baller is what he is,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen commented on Warren’s debut pro performance postgame following Sunday’s Week 1 win.

Meanwhile, new 2nd-year starting right guard Matt Goncalves may as well have been a seasoned veteran out there. Last year’s top swing-tackle as a rookie is currently PFF’s 4th highest graded guard with a +76.8 overall grade—highlighted by a +83.1 pass blocking grade.

Specifically, in 34 total pass blocking snaps, Goncalves allowed just 1 QB pressure.

This is some great national recognition for some young Colts and hopefully they can keep the momentum going!

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...rs-joins-matt-goncalves-on-star-studded-squad

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Is this version of Colts QB ‘Danny Dimes’ here to stay?

It’s time to give rightful credit when it is definitely due.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones, who had to listen to his fair share of naysaying (myself included!) since being newly named the starter, clearly answered the call during his debut game in Horseshoe blue.

‘Danny Dimes’ was nothing short of magnificent, completing 22 of 29 pass attempts (75.9%) for 272 total passing yards, a touchdown, and 0 interceptions—earning a passer rating of 115.9. He also added two rushing touchdowns on the ground near the goal line.

Perhaps, most importantly, it was Jones’ command of the Colts offense, getting his teammates in the right play, the right protections, and making the right reads—spreading the ball all around to his wealth of new receivers.

Here's #Colts HC Shane Steichen post-game discussing how Daniel Jones raises the offense's floor pre-snap on a down-to-down basis:

"He makes a lot of plays like that for us…the game within the game." pic.twitter.com/1cnM7S5y9d

— Noah Compton (@nerlens_) September 7, 2025

On Monday evening, Steichen added during 1075 The Fan’s ‘Roundtable Live’ (via the radio voice of the Colts Matt Taylor) as follows:

“He was great,” Steichen said. “Like I said, he kept us . . . stayed steady, put us on schedule. Found the completions. Hit the shots when they were there. And just like you said, he distributed the ball to everybody. First read wasn’t there, he got to his second, third reads. Sometimes, fourth read.”

Now, if Jones consistently plays like he did on Monday afternoon against the Miami Dolphins, the Colts will have found a bona fide Pro Bowl caliber starting quarterback for the remainder of the 2025 campaign (and no I’m not talking 2023 Gardner Minshew!). He was that good en route to a Colts blowout victory.

That being said, Jones has shown flashes of being a franchise quarterback before, as it helped him once earn a lucrative 4-year, $160 million contract extension with the New York Giants back in early March of 2023—only to be hindered by inconsistency, turnovers, and injuries before being eventually waived.

It’s just a matter of whether the former 6th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft can routinely bring it on the field for the Colts on a weekly basis.

Next weekend’s home matchup against the Denver Broncos stingy defense, who are one of the best units in the entire league, will be a tall test—and a better measuring stick. Broncos All-Pro Patrick Surtain II, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year and 2x NFL All-Pro, is as good as it gets at starting cornerback these days.

The Broncos defense just limited rookie #1 overall pick Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans passing offense in Week 1 to just 112 total passing yards. They were a great defensive unit last year too, allowing the third fewest points (18.3 avg. ppg.).

It’s hard to know right now whether the Colts are actually (and surprisingly) pretty good, or whether they met a below average Miami Dolphins team in Week 1, who may be borderline dysfunctional these days. Honoring late team owner Jim Irsay at halftime and having not won an opener since 2013, the Colts were plenty motivated.

If ‘Indiana Jones’ can put together another solid to pretty good start, perhaps the Colts have finally found something here again at starting quarterback. However, expectations should still remain a bit tempered until we get an extended look from Jones against the Broncos.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/analysis/114415/is-this-version-of-colts-qb-danny-dimes-here-to-stay

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Colts make some secondary moves to revamp practice squad

The Indianapolis Colts announced on Tuesday that the team signed cornerback Keydrain Calligan and safety Darrick Forrest to their practice squad, while waiving both center Mose Vavao and safety Trey Washington in corresponding roster moves:

we have signed CB Keydrain Calligan and S Darrick Forrest to the practice squad. we also released C Mose Vavao and S Trey Washington from the practice squad.

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 9, 2025

Regarding Calligan, the 6,‘0”, 200 pound cornerback spent this past offseason with both the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans. The former First-Team All-Southland Conference member back in 2024 was a standout for Southeastern Louisiana, having previously played collegiately at both Jackson State and Louisiana-Monroe.

He had a pretty good RAS (maximum of 10.0) as a prospect this past draft cycle:

Keydrain Calligan is a CB prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 8.78 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 338 out of 2752 CB from 1987 to 2025.https://t.co/LsgoEb3BMk pic.twitter.com/7TZftHJ4D2

— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 3, 2025

Meanwhile, Forrest was a former 2021 5th round pick of the Washington Commanders.

The 5’11”, 200 pound safety is coming off a season for the Commanders in which he recorded 13 tackles (6 solo) during 10 games (1 start). He signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills this past offseason, but was released as part of final 53-man roster cuts.

Like Calligan, he also has some impressive athletic traits, even drawing a physical comparison to Colts current backup safety Daniel Scott.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...some-secondary-moves-to-revamp-practice-squad

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

That was the best game the Colts have played in a really long time

Recent times have been inconsistent at best for the Indianapolis Colts. There have been quite a few downs, but there have also been some ups in there as well. What we witnessed Sunday against the Dolphins was encouraging, exciting, and simply remarkable. Across the board, the Colts dominated, and they did it week one. That wasn’t supposed to happen. The Colts don’t win week one games, or at least hadn’t for over a decade. All of that is out the window now as the Colts put the rest of the league on notice.

Is it just one game, and could this be way too much hype? Absolutely. It could also be right on the money, and whether the wheels fall off in week two, nothing can be taken away from the performance that was game number one. The offense scored on every single possession. All of them… That is insane and makes for a headline in and of itself. A quarterback who was criticized in preseason for not being able to finish drives with points, went out and shut everybody up. Daniel Jones looked like a phoenix out there; reborn from the ashes that are New York NFL teams. Short, intermediate, and long, Jones made all the throws. He even took off with the ball several times and rushed for two scores. There isn’t much else he could have done better.

If you are a fan of Tyler Warren and the Colts selecting him out of Penn State, you had to be smiling ear to ear. Rookies draw special interest as the desire to see them succeed is immense. Getting out of the gate early is tough for most because of the steep learning curve that is the NFL. This didn’t appear to be the case for Warren who looked like a ten year veteran out there. His teammates joined him as well with everyone make big catches. Seeing Michael Pittman Jr. look like the player of old was encouraging as well after a nagging injury left him hampered last season.

The defense appeared to be a potential calling card for this team heading into the season. Not necessarily slating them to be a top five unit, hopes had to be higher than years past, and oh boy, did they deliver. The front was in Tua Tagovailoa’s face all afternoon wreaking havoc and forcing him into bad throws. The Dolphins had 43-yards at halftime. Um… It was even a shutout for most of the game and had the Dolphins not converted an improbable fourth down and goal, it would have stood. Lou Anarumo looks exactly like what the doctor ordered as this defense and its pressure are lightyears ahead of what we have seen in seasons past. A defense like that will keep even a less than perfect offense around to compete in any game.

Outside of the Buffalo Bills games in which Carson Wentz was under center and Jonathan Taylor went cheat code, I cannot recall a more dominate performance. Maybe the Colts won other games by more points, but the final score doesn’t always tell the tale. That was a team performance and an incredible way to start the year. The Colts finally have something to build on as they start the season instead of working out of an early hole. Put together similar or even performances close to that, and we could be in for a real treat in 2025.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/analys...e-the-colts-have-played-in-a-really-long-time

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Week 1 Colts Offensive Rankings and Analysis:

Each week during the season, I will be walking through the data from the previous Colts game and analyzing the numbers to form a sort of “what happened” narrative, as well as comparing the Colts against all other teams in the league. For a glossary of the stats listed, reference Season Stats. Thanks to Pro Football Reference, NFL.com, Football Outsiders, and the nflFastR project for being awesome sources of weekly data.

---

“Stat of the game: 27 first downs.”

— Lord help our Colts

Yep. Points are what ultimately matter, but you score points by moving the ball — and tracking first downs is one of the best ways to measure that. I like to convert it into a percentage of total series, which gives you Drive Success Rate (DSR). Mostly, I do it because it takes something simple and makes it sound more complicated, but either way, whether you look at 27 first downs or an 87.1% DSR, the message is the same: the Colts’ offense had no trouble moving the ball against the Dolphins.

I’d have liked to trade a few of those field goals for touchdowns, but I’m not going to complain about 400+ yards of offense and six red-zone trips. What I wanted was consistency — and that’s exactly what I got.

---

TEAM TOTALS​

Mouseover for definitions: PPD, Adj PPD, W-L, Pyth Wins, PPG, Yds, DSR, Strt Fld, yds/ply, EPA/ply, adj TSR, 1st/ply, Pen 1st/ Yds, 3DC, 3rd ytg, Expl Plys, TO, TOP%

Even though Buffalo, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh each outscored the Colts, Indy did it on fewer drives — finishing Week 1 with the most points per drive in the league, along with the No. 1 Drive Success Rate (DSR). Their yards per play weren’t as eye-popping (ninth overall), but ranking fourth in EPA per play and second in total success rate shows they made the most of every yard.

The one negative: despite having the second-shortest average distance to gain on third down, the offense converted <50% of those third downs — just the 19th-best rate. In other words, they were strong on first and second down but poor on third — and that’s a problem if it continues. They made up for it on 4th down a few times and they had the 7th most explosive yards of any team, so “no harm no foul” I guess.

---

PASS TOTALS​

Mouseover definitions: EPA/db, Adj EPA/d, PSR, Cmp, Att, Yds, TD, Int, Sck, Sck Y, Sck Fum, Scrm, Scrm Yds, Scrm TD, Scrm Fum, 1st/db, ny/d, cmp %, aDOT, CPOE, Air Yd, YAC, 20+ #/Yd

Unlike my QB stats article, I’m not including designed QB runs here, so the numbers look a bit different. Daniel Jones debuted in Indy with the seventh-best EPA per dropback and the fourth-best passing success rate. He also posted the third-best conversion rate and the fourth-highest net yards per dropback.

That production was fueled by a ridiculous 75.9% completion rate — 5.4% above expectations. Add in more than 100 yards in explosive plays and zero turnovers, and it’s easy to see why his efficiency jumped.

He didn’t force much, made very few mistakes, and simply kept the offense moving. Some will label that “game manager.” I don’t care what you call it — I just want to see more of it.

---

RUSH TOTALS​

Mouseover definitions: wgt RSR, adj RSR, YDS, CAR, TD, 1st, Fum Lost, RSR, 1st/c, YPC, 10+ #/Yd, 3rd, EPA/c,

---

The Colts’ run game was highly efficient as well. The raw total of 136 rushing yards may not jump off the page, but those yards produced two touchdowns and 11 first downs — good for the sixth-best standard Rush Success Rate (RSR). Once you account for down, distance, and game script, that climbs to the fourth-best weighted RSR in Week 1.

Going 3-for-6 on third downs isn’t great, but having the fourth-most explosive rushing plays provided a huge boost in keeping the ball moving down the field.

CONCLUSION​

Overall, it was a great showing from both phases of the offense. Sure, Miami’s defense probably isn’t very good — but good teams are supposed to put up points on bad defenses, and the Colts did exactly that. One week in, the Colts have one of the best offenses in the league. Yes, I said it.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/nfl-an.../week-1-colts-offensive-rankings-and-analysis

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Reigning DPOY is keeping his eye out for Colts rookie TE Tyler Warren

Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II is of NFL lineage and has recently evolved into becoming arguably the best defender across the league. Son of former All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year has quickly cemented himself as the best cornerback of his generation at a mere 25 years old.

He’s been locking down the league’s best passcatchers since he entered the league as a spry 21-year-old and hasn’t looked back since. Surtain II oftentimes is ignored entirely due to his loud presence in the backend, but this doesn’t stop him from producing. Since entering the league in 2021, Surtain II has logged 11 interceptions while putting up at least 10 passes defended in each season. He’s the epitome of a modern-day lockdown corner and is aware of the challenge that the Colts’ talented group of passcatchers poses in their matchup this weekend.

“I think they’ve got a unique set of passcatchers,” the reigning DPOY would go on to explain. “I think [Michael] Pittman Jr. is a reliable target; he’s got great hands and good body control. [Alec] Pierce is a speedster; he can run down the field. And [AD] Mitchell, I think, has all the tools to be successful — shifty, crafty, and all of that.”

The fact that he didn’t mention Josh Downs is less disrespectful in my eyes and more indicative of the opening quote altogether. Perhaps he evaded Surtain II’s recollection based on the schematic fact that he won’t be lined up in the slot where Downs typically resides; it could certainly play some factor, but I think it speaks more to the group as a whole as opposed to one player or even position.

Furthermore, even though the quarterback leading the charge has since changed from Anthony Richardson to Daniel Jones, these Colts passcatchers provided little to no impact in their matchup against the Broncos just a season ago. So what’s changed? It’s the exact same wideout room with plenty of familiar faces at tight end. Surely the rookie tight end they drafted in the first round isn’t the missing piece to this passing offense’s puzzle. Turns out, he very well could be, and Surtain II thinks so, too.

“I think he’s very dynamic,” Surtain II explained. “From the first game, they utilize him a lot. Motioning him, putting him in different sets around the offensive scheme — we definitely got to keep an eye out for him because they utilize him a lot in the passing game. Once he gets the ball in his hands, he has the ability to make a big play after that. We’ve gotta do the best we can to contain him and eliminate that.”

The young, old-school tight end has been making headlines since he was drafted with the 14th overall pick back in late April. After just one game in the NFL, Tyler Warren has the attention of the league’s pound-for-pound best defender. He would scoff at this bit of information and, in Kobe fashion, would say, ‘job’s not finished,‘ so we can point it out for him.

There was a lot of pressure on Warren to raise the floor of an offense that was running out of time, but after a couple of hellos, he already has the NFL paying attention. It’s not quite a Brock Bowers-level ascension out of the age, but then again, why can’t it be? Although this Colts offense will spread the ball as much as possible as an attempt to create a sustainable, balanced offense, this very well could turn into the Tyler Warren show as early as year one, and defenders across the league are taking notice.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...-his-eye-out-for-colts-rookie-te-tyler-warren

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Week 1 Colts Defensive Rankings and Analysis:

Each week during the season, I will be walking through the data from the previous Colts game and analyzing the numbers to form a sort of “what happened” narrative, as well as comparing the Colts against all other teams in the league. For a glossary of the stats listed, reference Season Stats. Thanks to Pro Football Reference, NFL.com, Football Outsiders, and the nflFastR project for being awesome sources of weekly data.

---

In my offensive stats article, I highlighted first downs as a critical stat for measuring performance. Similarly, preventing first downs is critical for a defense. Miami managed only 12 first downs — the third-fewest of any Week 1 team, which shows how the Colts kept the Dolphins from moving down the field.

On top of that, three of the Miami drives ended in turnovers. For a defense, the only thing better than preventing a first down is taking the ball away altogether. Miami’s inability to move the chains — combined with their struggles to hold onto the ball — is why they were kept out of the red zone on all but one drive.

---

TEAM TOTALS​

Mouseover for definitions: PPD, Adj PPD, W-L, Pyth Wins, PPG, Yds, DSR, Strt Fld, yds/ply, EPA/ply, adj TSR, 1st/ply, Pen 1st/ Yds, 3DC, 3rd ytg, Expl Plys, TO, TOP%

The Colts held Miami to just barely over 200 yards of offense and the 5th lowest points per drive.

The Colts’ defense ranked ninth-lowest in yards allowed per play, but when factoring in the value of their turnovers, their defensive EPA per play jumped all the way to second-best.

Other defensive highlights included zero defensive penalties and allowing the fourth-fewest explosive plays of any team. The Colts did give up a big play that led to a garbage time touchdown for Miami, but other than that there is very little to complain about (although I will later).

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PASS TOTALS​

Mouseover definitions: EPA/db, Adj EPA/d, PSR, Cmp, Att, Yds, TD, Int, Sck, Sck Y, Sck Fum, Scrm, Scrm Yds, Scrm TD, Scrm Fum, 1st/db, ny/d, cmp %, aDOT, CPOE, Air Yd, YAC, 20+ #/Yd

Three takeaways helped pushed the Colts’ defense to No. 1 in EPA per play allowed. But even without the big plays, their pass defense held up — Miami managed the third-lowest passing success rate of any team. Three sacks tied for the seventh-most of any defense, and the 4.0 yards per play allowed ranked third-lowest for the week.

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RUSH TOTALS​

Mouseover definitions: wgt RSR, adj RSR, YDS, CAR, TD, 1st, Fum Lost, RSR, 1st/c, YPC, 10+ #/Yd, 3rd, EPA/c,

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However, the Colts were far less effective against the run. Game script limited Miami to just 10 rushing attempts, but those carries produced the highest rushing EPA rate of the week. The Dolphins converted 100% of their third-down runs and broke off two explosive carries for over 40 yards.

When adjusting for situation, that translated to the 10th-most efficient run game in terms of weighted Rush Success Rate. Frankly, I wouldn’t have wanted to see how this matchup played out if Miami hadn’t been forced into a one-dimensional attack.

CONCLUSION​

Overall, it was a strong outcome, but it was tarnished by a vulnerable run defense — a flaw that, if not corrected, could come back to haunt the Colts in future games.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/nfl-an.../week-1-colts-defensive-rankings-and-analysis

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Report: Colts work out six players on Friday

According to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, the Indianapolis Colts worked out six players on Friday afternoon, including former Miami Dolphins’ 2017 2nd round pick Raekwon McMillan:

#Colts worked out Shemar Bartholomew, Milo Eifer, David Long, Raekwon McMillan, Duke Riley, Ty Summers

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 12, 2025

The 29-year-old linebacker appears to be the most recognizable name on this list, recording 285 tackles (172 solo), 4 passes defensed, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries during 72 career games (37 starts) in his 5-year career.

He’s also spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, and Tennessee Titans organizations. McMillan last appeared with the Patriots and Titans last season, as he had 46 tackles (25 solo) and a pass defensed combined during 11 games (4 starts) during the 2024 season.

He earned a +38.8 overall last season with New England.

Given that Bartholomew, a cornerback, is the only non-linebacker on this list, and it appears as though the Colts are clearly kicking the tires regarding adding extra depth at the linebacker position.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...6/report-colts-work-out-six-players-on-friday

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Indianapolis Colts Injury Report: Week 2

The Indianapolis Colts today released their Friday injury report for Week 2 of the NFL season ahead of their Sunday game against the Denver Broncos.

final practice report for #DENvsIND: pic.twitter.com/SKvgn9EUuB

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 12, 2025

Cornerback Charvarius Ward had been ruled OUT for Sunday’s game against the Broncos with a concussion. Ward appeared in the injury report early in the week after being placed into the league’s concussion protocol. Ward being ruled out doesn’t bode well for a secondary that was lacking a true CB1 all year last season. Ward will likely be replaced by Mekhi Blackmon.

Cornerback Jaylon Jones has been ruled OUT with a hamstring injury for this Sundays gane against the Bronxod. Jones has been dealing with hamstring injury since training camp and it appears to be lingering still now. The team have said they are contemplating placing him on injured reserve but are still considering all options.

Defensive end Laiatu Latu has been ruled as QUESTIONABLE for this Sundays game against the Broncos.
Latu injured his hamstring during practice on and failed to practice both Thursday and Friday. If Latu does miss Sundays game then expect a heavy rotation of Tyquan Lewis, Samson Ebukam and maybe even some reps for rookie JT Tuimoloau

Running back Tyler Goodson is QUESTIONABLE for Sunday’s game against the Jaguars due to an elbow injury. Goodson was limited at practice most of the week due to the elbow injury that he suffered during the pre-season. If Goodson misses time again this week expect DJ Giddens rotation reps to increase more.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indianapolis-colts-news/114629/indianapolis-colts-injury-report-week-2

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Colts Injury Update: Jaylon Jones heads to IR

The 2024 Colts starting Corner was placed on IR Saturday, declaring him OUT for the next 4 games minimum. The Colts activated Chris Lammons from the Practice Squad to fill his space on the 53 Man Roster in the interim.​

we have placed CB Jaylon Jones on IR.
we have signed S Trey Washington to the practice squad and released S Darrick Forrest from the practice squad.

we have also elevated RB Ulysses Bentley IV and CB Chris Lammons to the active roster from the practice squad for #DENvsIND.

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 13, 2025

Jones was the Colts Cornerback 4 on the the depth chart to start the season after Charvarius Ward and Xavien Howard signings. He was the top backup outside CB on the depth chart, and would have been next man up with Ward also dealing with an injury (a Concussion that was reported on Monday).

The Colts Cornerback depth chart for Week 2 vs the Broncos is now:

• Xavien Howard
• Kenny Moore II
• Mekhi Blackmon
• Jonathan Edwards
• Chris Lammons

Blackmon took a good amount of snaps in Week 1, but has predominantly been a slot corner in his pro career. He could play outside, as could Kenny Moore II on non-nickel personnel, but it is unclear if Colts Defensive Coordinator Lou Anarumo will use either or one of Edwards or Lammons at the other outside Corner spot opposite of Howard. Whoever gets the nod will potentially draw Cortland Sutton as the matchup. Depending on the severity of Ward’s concussion, this group could be the unit the Colts use beyond Week 2 for other early season games.

Additionally Ulysses Bentley IV returns back to the active roster with Tyler Goodson still questionable to make his 2025 debut for the Colts with his elbow injury. The Colts also swapped Darrick Forrest for Trey Washington on their practice squad at Safety, a reversal of a previous practice squad roster decision leading up to Week 1 of the season.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian.../colts-injury-update-jaylon-jones-heads-to-ir

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Daniel Jones, I Owe You An Apology; I Wasn’t Familiar With Your Game

Indianapolis, IN — As pandemonium ensued following the initially missed game-winning kick off the foot of kicker Spencer Shrader, Shane Steichen sighed loud enough for the nosebleeds to hear it. The third-year head coach had just led his offense down the field, trailing by two points amidst a 2-minute drill, and elected to passively chew clock behind the legs of star running back Jonathan Taylor to get into field goal range.

After getting an all-time break in the form of an untimely leveraging infraction by the Broncos’ interior defensive line on their block attempt, Spencer Shrader would remain perfect in his young career with a 45-yard game-winning kick. Just prior, Shrader had missed the would-be 60-yard attempt, but the penalty in question gave the Colts another shot from even closer — ironically enough, just inside Shrader’s career-long.

There’s a story in there about how Shane Steichen mismanaged the end of that game and got lucky; however, sometimes in the NFL, it’s best to be a little lucky. That’s not to absolve this Colts offense of their questionable final drive, but the bigger story is how pairing Daniel Jones with Steichen has quickly proved to be a worthwhile reclamation project. There’ve been some woes, but the offense has simply been too good to nitpick.

It’s been discussed ad nauseam, both the recent influx of successful reclamation projects as well as the blazing hot seats of everyone involved with this Colts regime, but after two weeks, the well-established tune is singing much more optimistically.

Sure, the long-evasive Week 1 victory was enough to single-handedly instill delirium into a checked out fanbase, and yes, the same can be said about starting the season off with a 2-0 record for the first time since Peyton Manning was in town, but this feels.. different.

General manager Chris Ballard has shown a willingness to deviate from the norm in recent years, but especially during this past offseason. The otherwise uncharacteristic big fish free-agent acquisitions in QB Daniel Jones, S Camryn Bynum, and CB Charvarius Ward were enough to prove as such, but then a wildly different defensive scheme in Lou Anarumo’s coordination was also brought in. Regardless of whether it came on the heels of a last-ditch effort or a new era of ownership opening up the checkbook due to a newfound dedication to winning, through two weeks, these additions have collectively re-wired the Colts’ psyche entirely.

The early resurgence of seventh-year quarterback Daniel Jones has been a sight to see, and it starts at the top. Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen were open and honest with Jones in the offseason, expressing their belief in him and offering him the chance to win the starting job. He took that motivation from New York, and instead of running it back to backup J.J. McCarthy at Minnesota, he decided to bet on himself in Indianapolis. Lo and behold, Indiana Jones was born.

With Jones at the helm to kick off the season vs the Miami Dolphins, Indy’s offense rattled off a perfect 7-7 scoring drives, becoming the first team since 1977 to accomplish this feat. Continuing onto Week 2, Jones and Co. would score on their first three drives vs the Denver Broncos, setting an NFL record for the most consecutive scoring drives to start a season with ten (four touchdowns, six field goals).

Perhaps the easy name-to-nickname pipeline should’ve been enough to convince us all, and sure, it’s only been two games, but Shane Steichen and Daniel Jones have just stacked another efficient performance that’ll likely incite unmanageable expectations for the weeks to come. After being deemed an afterthought, with a large sect of the sport’s fandom clowning on Jones any chance they get — solely due to his shortcomings on the field, mind you — Danny Dimes has seemingly transformed into a star overnight. I am by no means anointing him as such, but if he continues to play like he has thus far, he will be considered for the face of this franchise moving forward.

Not only has Daniel Jones been wildly efficient, but he’s as comfortable and confident as he’s been in recent memory. Jones was running for his life in New York due to a subpar offensive line in each of his six seasons, not to mention the bottom-tier receiving corps he was afforded. Everything was stacked against him, but still managed to stay afloat and net himself a second contract with the organization to remain their starting quarterback. Now, with arguably the league’s best offensive line as well as one of the best group of offensive weapons leaguewide, Jones can calmly hit the layups without having his process sped up.

“I feel confident. There’s a great energy about our team,” Jones said to the media following the electric 2-0 start. This comes after torching one of the better defenses in the league to the tune of 23-34 (~68% completion), 316 passing yards, 1 passing TD, 1 sack taken, 107 passer rating, as well as 6 carries for 2 yards and a patented ‘Dimes Dive’ (QB Sneak) as Pat McAfee would call it.

Daniel Jones isn’t just confident nowadays; it’s almost like he’s unlocked. Not only has he been his typical efficient self on underneath, quick-hitting routes, but that efficiency has since trickled into each level of the field. Shane Steichen is undoubtedly providing Jones with a fitting game plan and scheme, utilizing lots of pre-snap motion and post-snap play-action, but Jones is arguably making life just as easy on himself with his overall command of the offense. It’s not just on clean-pocket dropbacks, either; he is playing at a career-high level while blitzed and/or under pressure.

Jones is a career 61.9% thrower when blitzed (466-758) and a brutal 49.8% passer under pressure (384-771), per Pro Football Focus. It’s the biggest reason I, like many others, was skeptical of this experiment altogether. In Week 1 behind the Colts’ offensive line, however, Jones was 80% on throws under pressure (5 attempts on 8 dropbacks) and was 68.4% on throws while blitzed (19 attempts on 20 dropbacks). Against the Broncos in Week 2, Jones stacked another strong showing.

According to Next Gen Stats, Jones was blitzed on a career-high 71.1% of his dropbacks vs the Broncos and completed 16 of his 25 attempts while facing five or more pass rushers for 265 yards and a touchdown, the 4th-most passing yards against the blitz in any game in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016). Through two weeks, this Colts offense is being blitzed north of 50% of its dropbacks and has allowed just two sacks.

This is more than promising in itself, but the aforementioned confidence has been sprinkled into Jones’ post-snap decision-making. It’s been well-documented that Daniel Jones largely won the starting job in Indy due to his top-tier pre-snap operation, and while that’s certainly been on full display through two weeks thus far, the entire culmination of his quarterbacking has evolved before our eyes.

Coming into this game, national and local media alike suggested avoiding Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II entirely. The young defensive back has blossomed into the best cornerback in the NFL, and has been strategically avoided as a result, but Daniel Jones had other plans. Jones attempted 10 passes into tight windows, completing 6 of them for 100 yards, including 4 tight window completions for 41 yards against Pat Surtain II. On the day, Jones targeted Surtain II 9 times and completed 7 passes for 63 yards and netted a defensive penalty, the second-most targets of the reigning Defensive Player of the Year’s career.

“We know he’s a hell of a football player,” Steichen said regarding the challenge that Surtain II brought. “When we get 1-on-1 matchups with him, we’ve got to win them. I’ve got a ton of respect for him. He’s one of the best, if not the best, in the league right now. There’s a ton of respect there, but I thought our guys stepped up to the challenge for sure.”

Even after back-to-back potentially narrative-reversing showings to start the season, Jones is by no means satisfied. He feels confident in his team and his own ability, but it’s a long season and Indy’s signal-caller knows that.

“I think we’re executing at a high level, but there’s still things we need to do better,” Jones explained post-game. “You look at some of the red zone stuff today. There are things we can sharpen up down there, things I can sharpen up for sure, but I think collectively, as a group, we’re confident about what we can be, and we know we’re still growing and developing.”

You want your head coach and starting quarterback to almost have a hive mind, especially considering Steichen’s offensive influence, and it appears that both Steichen and Jones are on the same page when it comes to cleaning up red zone woes.

“We’ve gotta go back and look at some things. They brought some pressure there a little bit, but we’ve got to get that stuff cleaned up,” Steichen explained. “Obviously, we’re scoring points, but those are four-point plays. That starts with myself, and we’ve got to be better.”

With as much recent evidence of ‘failed’ quarterback prospects turned successful reclamation projects as there’s been, I struggle to see why I disregarded that as a possibility for Daniel Jones in Indianapolis. Hand up: I wrongly assumed that this regime was dead in the water and presumed whatever move they make to be the lesser of two evils. After years of similarly band-aided processes, why would the final year of the Chris Ballard era finally be the one to right a half-decade of wrongs?

It’s borderline frustrating that this has materialized as such, not because of a bitterness in being wrong, but because the outlook was predictable. Hindsight bias allows me to say that, but when the talks all offseason have centered around the offense just needing someone to hit the layups, it makes perfect sense how this pairing could result in such success. Instead, I allowed the overarching dysfunction of recent years to play too big a factor in my analysis.

The grass isn’t always greener, but it certainly is when you compare Daniel Jones’ past supporting casts, or lack thereof, to his current-day one. Like many Colts fans and media members alike, I figured that the only way this regime would be able to right the ship would be to unlock Anthony Richardson, but of course, the newly established pipeline of reclamation projects is proving Chris Ballard right. Some of his detractors may scream at me and suggest that even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while, but so far, I am prepared to eat my crow.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/analys...ou-an-apology-i-wasnt-familiar-with-your-game