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[Indianapolis Colts]

Colts’ Monday Morning Awards: Week 2 vs. Broncos

2-0 for the first time since 2009, and the Colts continue with their surprises. Andrew Luck could not do it in his entire career, and Daniel Jones has managed to do it in his first season in blue. I was not optimistic at all about the outlook for this year, but after just two games, I am ready to get hurt again.

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MVP of the Game: Spencer Shrader / Jonathan Taylor​

In case you did not hear the announcers try and jinx Shrader, he is still perfect in his NFL career. He missed a 60-yarder wide right before a huge call against the Broncos for leverage gave him another shot from 45, perfectly inside his range. I was worried the previous miss, along with the massive pressure of the situation, would get to Shrader, but he remained cool and kicked it right down Broadway. Not only that, but he made all 5 of his field goals, and converted the two extra points. The Colts’ offense is moving the ball at will, but their inability to capitalize those yards on touchdowns is giving Shrader plenty of chances. It was between Shrader and Taylor, so why not both of them. Taylor gave us a vintage performance, and a revenge game after last year’s drop before reaching the end zone. He finished the game with over 200 all-purpose yards and a touchdown.

Dud of the Game (The Grigsy): Xavien Howard​

Howard was in a bad spot to be in, not having played football in over a year and being thrust into the starting lineup after both Charvarius Ward and Jaylon Jones were ruled out of the game with injuries. Sean Payton saw that too, and the Broncos’ passing offense started throwing the ball Howard’s way consistently, drawing flags left and right. As the game went on he settled down a bit, which is to be expected after such a long layoff. With Ward expected to be back next week the other cornerback spot alongside him will be between Howard and Blackmon.

Best play of the game: Camryn Bynum’s interception (and celebration)​

You will not find a better interception celebration in the NFL. The Colts are pic.twitter.com/P3Knjf9j7g

— Andy Splatz (@AndySplatz) September 14, 2025

Two games, two interceptions for new Colts’ safety Camryn Bynum, who celebrated like crazy on both of them. That play was huge not only because of the momentum shift, but it came at the perfect time when the Colts’ defense desperately needed a turnover. On a game that was decided by just a point, that interception negated the Broncos the chance to go for a field goal even if they failed to convert that third down.

Worst play of the game: Two inside zone runs on the brink of field goal range​

I was screaming at the TV, and even more after Shrader initially missed the 60-yard field goal, which was evidently way outside of his comfort range. Colts had a 1st and 10 on the Broncos’ 43-yard line, and Steichen ran three consecutive inside zones. The first one got two yards, the next one got just one, before the final one went back for two. Colts’ kicker Spencer Shrader does not have a single make over 50 yards in his career, so trusting him to nail a 60-yarder to win the game was insane. In the end Steichen got bailed out by the flag and the eventual make by Shrader, but it was still really poor playcalling at a time where the Colts needed a play.

Best position group: Special teams​

It was really hard finding what group to give this award to, and at first I was tempted to go offensive line, but the true difference here was special teams. Once again no punts, which is the weirdest stat I have witnessed since following the Colts. Imagine if before Week 1 someone told you that this offense would not punt the ball in the first two games, you would probably believe that it was because of a massive number of turnovers.

Rookie of the Week: Tyler Warren​

J.T. Tuimoloau played just five snaps, as he is still clearly behind both Samson Ebukam and Tyquan Lewis on the depth chart. I expected a bit more after Latu’s injury, but perhaps the coaching staff is taking things a bit more slowly with him. So, as default, this is the Tyler Warren Award until proven otherwise. He had another good game, leading the Colts in receiving yards, including a 41-yarder.

Unsung hero: Josh Downs / Alec Pierce​

Downs and Pierce did not get much targets in Week 1, but they were a big part of the passing game last season. This week the target share balanced out a bit, and the two wide receivers made the most of it. Pierce caught a deep ball for 44 yards, that could have been a touchdown if Jones had not underthrown him a bit. Downs caught 6 passes for 51 yards, and while he might not be the flashiest, anytime the Colts need a key first down he is the guy you go to.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/analysis/114755/colts-monday-morning-awards-week-2-vs-broncos

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Colts’ Week 2 QB Analysis: Is this real life?

Thanks to the nflFastR project, Pro Football Focus and NFL NextGen Stats for the timely sources of data.

For those of you new to this, I will publish key QB stats each week judging how well the Colts’ QB performed. Yes, O-Line, receivers, and play-calling impact these numbers but they are primarily QB measures. I will probably modify the charts throughout the season. Commentary will be brief but feel free to let me know in the comments that stats aren’t everything. (click charts for larger view)

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A really good 2nd game from Daniel Jones almost has me believing . . . almost.

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HOW WELL?​

His 0.29 EPA per play ranks him as the 8th-best QB of the week and the 2nd-best across Weeks 1 and 2 combined. His 57.1% success rate (3rd-best) shows that his value isn’t coming from a few lucky, high-value plays, but from consistent, successful execution. After two weeks, he leads all quarterbacks with the #1 success rate.

I was disappointed with the last few series since he couldn’t move the ball when we really needed a score. But I guess it worked out in the end—doesn’t everybody get a game-saving fluke penalty?

Looking at the big 4 QB stats, he wasn’t quite as good as last week, but still well within a top 10 QB category.

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HOW FAR?​

He’s completing passes and piling up first downs. The solid blue line shows how his yardage efficiency tailed off toward the end of the game—which isn’t great—but quarters 1–3 were outstanding. A 68.6% completion rate with 9.7 yards per attempt? Gotta love it.

Passing depth was up this week (6th-longest average attempt), and the high completion rate translated into long gains as well (7th-longest yards per completion).

So far this year, he hasn’t been relying on short passes for his completions—a clear departure from his production with the Giants.

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TO WHO?​

For the second week in a row, he spread the ball around really well. I’m especially excited that the Colts finally seem to realize—yes, tight ends are allowed to catch the ball.

For the year, Warren leads in both targets and yards.

This is a good spread: most receivers are producing higher-than-average EPA per target, with Taylor almost off the chart… almost.

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HOW ACCURATE?​

Woohoo! Two games with above-average accuracy. I’ll say it again: a QB has to complete passes, and Jones is doing exactly that.

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HOW FAST?​

His time to throw was a bit slower, but his average attempt was longer too, so that makes sense. He’s still getting the ball out faster than the average QB, and given his depth of target, he’s making quick decisions.

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TO WHERE?​

He had success at all depths and across the entire field. Beautiful.

He clearly favors the left side (51.6% of his attempts this year). That’s probably not ideal, but so far it seems to be working.

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DASHBOARD​

mouseover definitions: epa/d, median EPA gain in similar game situation (down, distance, etc.)”>arsr, 3 yards to gain in game-neutral situations”>edp, opd, pr%, tip, ttt, adot, ay/c, yac, yacoe, yd/c, ac%, cpoe, aypa, scr%, ta%, sck%, aa%, aay, ny/d, ny/p, 1st%, td%, to%, 0″>qbsr epa/p, adj/p
There’s a lot of green in this chart.

To summarize week 2:

• The Colts’ run game took a step back this week—which actually worked in their favor, as they leaned on the pass (15th ARSR, 7th EDP).
• Jones faced much more pressure, but he responded by getting rid of the ball faster, scrambling more often, and throwing it away when necessary—all while still avoiding sacks (3rd PR%, 18th TIP, 10th SCR%, 17th TA%, 29th SCK%).
• He threw long and completed long (6th aDOT, 3rd AY/C).
• Just like last week, his accuracy stood out, boosting yards after catch and driving impressive yardage efficiency (9th CPOE, 10th YACOE, 7th AYP/A).
• His ability to avoid sacks without completely abandoning passing plays (22nd AA%, 29th SCK%) pushed his efficiency to 8.6 yards per dropback (4th NY/D). Designed runs brought that down slightly to 7.9 yards per play overall (8th NY/P).
• With that kind of yardage efficiency, moving the chains was easy—but it didn’t translate into passing touchdowns (2nd in first down rate, 19th in TD rate).
• Most importantly, he kept the “no turnovers” streak alive, which helped his EPA remain high (25th TO%, 8th EPA/d).

So far, Jones has benefited from better protection and quicker processing, and it’s directly translating into a highly efficient passing offense.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/nfl-an...85/colts-week-2-qb-analysis-is-this-real-life

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Secret Superstars 2025: Who is this version of Daniel Jones, and where did he come from?

Throughout the 2025 NFL season, SB Nation’s Doug Farrar will write about the game’s Secret Superstars — those players whose performances might slip under the radar for whatever reasons. In this installment, it’s time to wonder exactly what version of Daniel Jones the Colts have on their roster. Because throughout a previously unremarkable career, Jones has never looked like this before — and Shane Steichen’s offense is setting records as a result.

On March 13, 2024, Sam Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings to be rookie J.J. McCarthy’s backup. Nobody knew then that McCarthy would miss his entire rookie season to a torn meniscus, but when that happened in the preseason, Darnold became the starter. Under the brilliant play-calling of head coach Kevin O’Connell, Darnold was able to resuscitate a career that had almost always gone wrong since he became the third overall pick in the 2018 draft courtesy of the New York Jets. Darnold’s three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks, which includes $55 million guaranteed, is testimony to how well that worked out.

On Nov. 29, 2024, Daniel Jones signed a $383,400 contract to attach himself to the Vikings’ practice squad. This came one week after Jones requested his release from the New York Giants, the franchise that had selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft, after Jones was benched over the bye week in favor of Tommy “Cutlets” DeVito. This was due to Jones’ poor performance, and like Darnold, Jones was never really able to live up to overinflated expectations when MetLife Stadium was his home away from home.

Jones never played a snap, because Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was already busy saving Sam Darnold from himself rather successfully. Jones would have to wait his turn, and he got that opportunity when the Indianapolis Colts signed him to a one-year, $14.5 million contract with $13.15 million guaranteed on March 13.

Jones had his home, he had an able offensive designer in head coach Shane Steichen, and he had the opportunity to beat out a younger quarterback in the person of Anthony Richardson. Steichen and Colts general manager Chris Ballard had been saying for months that they wanted internal competition to light a fire under Richardson if such a fire could be lit, and after a preseason in which Jones did enough to earn confidence while Richardson didn’t, Jones was given the keys to the operation.

The Colts’ 33-8 season-opening win wasn’t something that Jones could really hang his hat on, because the current Dolphins might be the NFL’s most dysfunctional team if the Cincinnati Bengals could relax for a second. But in that game, Jones showed enough command of the offense to be a bright spot as the team headed into Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos, owners of one of the NFL’s best defenses.

This was Jones’ star turn, and he took it with an authority he’d never shown before. No matter what Vance Joseph’s Denver defense did, Jones had a ready answer. Per Next Gen Stats, the Broncos pressured Jones on 16 of his 38 dropbacks and blitzed him at a 71.1% rate that was the highest he had ever faced. The quarterback who had previously been awful when disrupted completed 16 of his 25 attempts while facing five or more pass rushers for 265 yards and a touchdown, the fourth-most passing yards against the blitz in any game in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016).

The Broncos pressured Daniel Jones on 16 of his 38 dropbacks.

Quite improbably, Jones had answers for just about all of it. pic.twitter.com/4pgGyNl7tN

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) September 15, 2025

Jones also attempted 10 passes into tight windows, completing six of them for 100 yards, including four tight-window completions for 41 yards against Pat Surtain II, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Daniel Jones completing tight-window throws with Pat Surtain II as the primary defender. If you say that you expected this, you may be bending the truth a bit. pic.twitter.com/G26wmDb93a

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) September 15, 2025

Jones’ ability to run Steichen’s entire offense so quickly has allowed the Colts to match and set some remarkable records.

Per NFL Research, Jones is now the fourth player in NFL history with at least 270 passing yards, a touchdown pass and a rushing touchdown in each of his team’s first two games of a season, joining Jack Kemp with the 1965 Buffalo Bills, Cam Newton with the 2011 Carolina Panthers, and Kyler Murray with the 2021 Arizona Cardinals.

The Colts scored on all seven of their possessions against the Dolphins, and their first three against the Broncos, making them the first team in NFL history to score on each of their first 10 offensive possessions of a season. And the Colts became the first team in the Super Bowl era to never punt the ball in their first two games of the season.

Which is not something that anybody would have expected from this team, and this quarterback situation, before the season began.

Asked on Monday what the most impressive part of Jones’ game has been so far, Steichen was happy to provide the answer. It’s what he’s been looking for with his quarterbacks ever since the former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator took the job in 2023, partially because he was able to get Jalen Hurts to a similar place.

“I think the consistency that he brings, his preparation, and it’s coming to life on the field on Sundays,” Steichen said. “He works at it. I think he’s doing a really nice job of going through his reads. If the first read is not there, he’s getting to his second, third reads. The offensive line is doing a hell of a job for him. I think he’s communicating well with the receivers throughout the week – different looks that could come up, route adjustments, all those different things throughout the course of a week of preparation. Then to see it happen on Sundays has been good, so we’ve got to continue that.”

There’s no indication that Daniel Jones is about to be the next Sam Darnold, or Baker Mayfield, or Geno Smith — that veteran near-bust who had the light go on in the right environment, and it changed his career radically for the better. But through two games — and at least one tough opponent — we are seeing a Daniel Jones we’ve never seen before.

And the Colts will happily take all of that.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/colts-...on-of-daniel-jones-and-where-did-he-come-from

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Indianapolis Colts Injury Report: WR Downs and TE Warren Miss Practice

The Indianapolis Colts today released their Wednesday injury report for Week 3 of the NFL season ahead of their Sunday game against the Tennessee Titans.

wednesday's practice report for #INDvsTEN. pic.twitter.com/ygTPQPXeGv

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 17, 2025

Wide receiver Josh Downs missed practice today with an ankle injury. Downs is a key member of the Colts wide receiver grou leaves in heavily on third downs. Downs had missed practices in previous years with ankle issues but hopefully this one many too serious. He will be one to keep an eye on as the week goes on.

Tight end Tyler Warren missed practice today with a toe injury. Warren had been nothing short of amazing in his first two games of his rookie season. Warren has been everything the Colts imagine when they drafted him in the first round of last years draft. He has brought a new element to the Colts offense they were previously missing. Hopefully similarly to Downs he isn’t out long and makes a recovery in tome to play on Sunday.

Defensive end Laiatu Latu was limited at practice today with a hamstring injury. Latu missed practice time last week and last weeks game due to the injury. The Colts defense was crying out for a pass rushing edge threat against the Broncos.

Left tackle Bernhard Raimann was limited at practice today with an illness. Hopefully Raimann is able to bounce back soon and not miss any further practice time or any game time

Cornerback Charvarius Ward was a full participant at practice today after missing practice time last week and last Sundays game due to a concussion. Ward is still in the concussion protocol but appears to be moving through without issue and should be able to return to playing this Sunday.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...y-report-wr-downs-and-te-warren-miss-practice

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Indianapolis Colts Injury Report: WR Downs and DE Latu Return To Practice

The Indianapolis Colts today released their Thursday injury report for Week 3 of the NFL season ahead of their Sunday game against the Tennessee Titans.

thursday's practice report for #INDvsTEN. pic.twitter.com/LoJ8z3EjUT

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 18, 2025

Wide receiver Josh Downs returned to full practice today. Downs missed practice yesterday with an ankle injury but managed a full practice today. Downs looks set to be available to play Sunday barring any setbacks tomorrow.

Defensive end Laiatu Latu was a full participant at practice today. Latu was limited yesterday with a hamstring injury that caused him to miss last Sundays game against the Broncos. Latu looks set to return to game action this week.

Left tackle Bernhard Raimann was limited at practice today due to illness. Raimann has now logged back to back limited practice days. Raimann could bounce back quickly before Sunday but the is looking like there may be some doubt over his availability currently.

Linebacker Joe Bachie missed practice today with a quadriceps injury. Bachie was not on the injury report yesterday so it would appear to be a practice related injury. Bachie has played well in his starting role alongside Zaire Franklin and would be a big miss if he misses time. He will be one to keep a close eye on tomorrow.

Charvarius Ward was a full participant again today. Ward is recovering from a concussion and looks set to be able to pass through the leagues concussion protocol. Ward could make a return this Sunday.

Tight end Tyler Warren was a a limited participant at participant due to a toe injury. Warren missed practice yesterday so appears to be trending in the right direction. Warren will be one to keep a close eye on tomorrow as he could still be set to miss tone this week due to injury.

practice yesterday so appears

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...eport-wr-downs-and-de-latu-return-to-practice

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Week 2 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.

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The Colts’ defense regressed in Week 2, giving up four touchdowns to the Broncos. That worked out to the 4th-most Points per Drive allowed. Denver kept moving the chains, piling up 22 first downs and posting the 3rd-best Drive Success Rate of the week.

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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 10th-most yards per drive isn’t as bad as the 4th-worst points per drive. So, I guess the Colts were better at limiting yards than they were points. This is confirmed by the 6.0 yards per play carrying an average EPA of 0.23, the 5th-highest allowed by any defense.

They just couldn’t stop Denver from moving the chains and finishing drives in the end zone. We were lucky to walk away with a “W.” After the first 2 games the Colts defense has dropped to 19th by PPD.

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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

The Broncos didn’t pile up yards through the air (11th fewest), but Bo Nix still produced 0.38 EPA per play, making him the 5th-most efficient QB of the week. He paired the 4th-highest play conversion rate with the 5th-highest completion rate. He wasn’t flashy — he simply kept moving the chains, and the Colts defense had few answers.

That effort knocked Indy down to #8 in passing defense after two weeks.

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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,

Against the run, the Colts were better — but still far from good. Their 19th-ranked weighted Rush Success Rate is nothing to write home about. Denver picked up 7 first downs and a TD on 22 carries, giving them the 7th-best rushing play conversion rate of the week.

That 19th rank is mirrored in their first 2 week cumulative totals.

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CONCLUSION​

The defense was sub-par in both phases, and unless that changes, it’s hard to expect many more last-minute wins.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/nfl-an.../week-2-colts-defensive-rankings-and-analysis

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Is Tyler Warren the Best TE in Football already?

Warren has racked up quite a stat line through two weeks. No Tight End has had more yards ever in their 1st two games of their career, let alone in the 2025 season. No Tight End has had more Yards After the Catch. No Tight End has caught more contested catches. No Tight End has more Targets per Route. Only 1 Tight End has more Yards per Route. His average separation score is near the top of his position. And he has yet to drop a pass.

Tyler Warren among TEs through 2 weeks:

155 Yards (1st)
92 Yards After the Catch (1st)
3 Contested Catches (T-1st)
0 Drops pic.twitter.com/HJxZXUvEwg

— PFF Fantasy (@PFF_Fantasy) September 15, 2025

Tyler Warren is off to a HISTORIC start to his career pic.twitter.com/vsNUVjgydc

— Jay Robins (@TheJayRobins) September 15, 2025

A Tucker Kraft and Tyler Warren chart pic.twitter.com/1BaEQ7oDpJ

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) September 15, 2025

He also ranks among his position’s best at blocking, ranking (out of 76 Tight End in the NFL):

• 3rd in Blocking Grade
• 10th in Run Blocking
• 2nd in Pass Blocking

All while being asked to block on 49.6% of his snaps, making him not tip Defenses off to whether the Colts will run or pass just by being on the field.

Week 2 Rookie TE Block Report
Block Grade / Run Block / Pass Block / Block Snap%

Jackson Hawes
92.7 / 83.1 / 73.3 / 90.2%

Tyler Warren
82.4 / 75.5 / 79.1 / 49.6%

Elijah Arroyo
64.4 / 76.8 / n/a / 31%

4. Harold Fannin Jr
59.2 / 58.3 / 66.3 / 30.7% https://t.co/FkLfSesnPl pic.twitter.com/cHs4nPHeq9

— Jay Robins (@TheJayRobins) September 15, 2025

The only thing he is missing is his first NFL Touchdown, and he was already close to getting it Week 1 if not for a potential missed Defensive Pass Interference call. It feels only a matter of time with the volume of targets he gets paired with his large catch radius and strength at the catch point.

The @pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week is…@Colts TE Tyler Warren pic.twitter.com/K0foS4ka8H

— NFL (@NFL) September 18, 2025

Missing TD aside, you’d be hard pressed to find a Tight End in the NFL who can impact the game at a such an elite level at so many crucial areas of this multifaceted position in 2025. If you tried to name the best Tight End in football before the season, Warren has out-blocked and out-received them so far in 2025.

So is Warren truly the best Tight End in the NFL?

The biggest knock on him: it’s just too soon. 2 games is too small of a sample size to crown anyone at any position the best. But make no mistake, with the way Warren is playing this question will be answered sooner than people think.

Tyler Warren has just 2 games in his career, facing the 4th best coverage LB & a Top 3 Defense vs TEs of 2024…

And he is on pace to finish with more Receiving Yards than any Rookie TE ever (1,317.5, breaking Bowers’ 1,194), & 7th most yards by a TE in a season ever. https://t.co/WUyEoc5ZmV pic.twitter.com/SFjiWFdYaX

— Jay Robins (@TheJayRobins) September 14, 2025

George Kittle, Brock Bowers, Trey McBride… watch out. There is a new kid on the block, and he is coming for the crown.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/analysis/115012/is-tyler-warren-the-best-te-in-football-already

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Colts have surprisingly good early playoffs chances

According to ESPN Analytics, the Indianapolis Colts (2-0) currently have a 73% chance to make the postseason, which is the 4th highest percentage in the entire AFC:

The Colts now have the 4th-best playoff chances in the AFC per ESPN Analytics (73%) pic.twitter.com/HDt3J5Oa9i

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) September 19, 2025

Under new and improved starting quarterback Daniel Jones, the Colts are 2-0 for the first time since 2009, which is also the year of the franchise’s most recent Super Bowl appearance.

The Colts currently rank 4th in points for (31.0 points per game), and 11th in points against (18.o ppg).

Obviously, the Colts still have a lot of work to do with 15 regular season games still left on their schedule, including playing each divisional rival twice—starting this weekend on the road against the Tennessee Titans.

Still, the fact that the Colts have this high of early season playoff odds is pretty encouraging for the Horseshoe Faithful who have been starved for postseason football—as Indianapolis’s last playoff game was back in 2020.

Winning this weekend against the winless Titans would only continue that strong momentum for the early season Colts, who haven’t actually won the AFC South and hosted a home playoff game since 2014.

The Colts have a pretty favorable initial schedule, as while it’s the NFL, there are a lot of potentially winnable games on their schedule until things get a little bit dicier in Week 7 on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers and Week 9 also traveling to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Things pick up later on in this year’s schedule. The Colts then travel to Arrowhead in Week 12, host the Houston Texans in Week 13, travel to their personal ‘House of Horrors’ Jacksonville in Week 14, have back-to-back NFC West foes @Seattle Seahawks in Week 15 and hosting the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16, before finishing by traveling to Houston (i.e., ‘the House that T.Y. Hilton Built’) for the regular season finale in Week 18.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...have-surprisingly-good-early-playoffs-chances

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Should Colts fans, players, coaches and executives welcome Pat McAfee?

I see the image of Daniel Jones being hugged by Pat McAfee and wonder out loud if that was the Colts accepting him back to The Shoe, or just Jones acknowledging an over-served, high profile talking head? This is the same guy that on his nationally televised show, went scorched earth, calling for dismissals anywhere he could point a finger. There are enough tweets and soundbites to confirm this, so let me paraphrase his dialogue since calling for mass changes in the building.

He started by jumping on the running narrative that the building was responsible for all of AR’s negative actions. It was a pretty easy leap based on national media and fan responses, so he hopped on the bandwagon and went public with his own view, which was a popular view at the time. Then he was somehow caught off-guard that some players were at minimum, unappreciative. This was followed by being booed at the stadium, which also somehow took him by surprise, even though the attending crowd is made up of folks that keep coming and supporting, rather than bashing.

He responded to the players and fans by saying how he’d been a champion for the team and wasn’t saying anything that others were not saying. Then he got a little wishy washy on whether he had any affiliation with the team. First, it was that he wasn’t speaking for the players as he really didn’t know many of them, but then went on to say he had a lot of friends in the building. When he went on to address his earlier rant, he said that Ballard was a great guy, great hair, great accent, but needed to go. I’d say that many to most of you agree(d). Then he sarcastically added that he was just a punter who shared a locker room with the all-time great Colts.

I’m not here to say that anyone who felt that way is/was wrong. I still do support Ballard and always have, but I had no qualms with the “Division title or else” mantra, entering this season. For me, the problem here is that McAfee wants it both ways. He want’s a platform that sees him discuss football with players, execs, and other media types (dang, is that me now?) as though he is in the know about NFL workings. On the other hand, he want’s a scroll across the bottom of his screen, saying “Don’t sue us, we’re idiots.” He went for clicks and got them.

It is not often that you get to burn bridges and rebuild them this quickly, or is he just trying to project that things are cool. He’s not been bashful about singing the praises of Daniel Jones, even if it was just for DJ’s ability to throw back a few cold ones in a downtown bar. That is not his only praise, but it was his first on air praise. He’s still playing both sides and if Jones falls flat, he will revert to his scorched earth diatribe.

I seldom turn on his show and can turn him off at my discretion, so I couldn’t consider myself a fan. I wouldn’t walk to the next room to watch wrestling and don’t find College Gameday, must-see-TV. I am basically reacting to the photo for this article. I’m not a fan of the look, but it does appear that DJ has his left hand on his hat and is not returning the hug.

What is your stance on McAfee?

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...ers-coaches-and-executives-welcome-pat-mcafee

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Week 3 Colts vs. Titans Game Thread

The Indianapolis Colts are on the road to take on the Tennessee Titans in week 3 of the 2025 season, kickoff is at 1:00 p.m. EST.

The 2025 Indianapolis Colts, led by Daniel Jones at quarterback, have accomplished something the Andrew Luck Colts never did: they have started their season 2-0. And they’ve done so on the back of an offense that is unbelievably efficient. Through two games the team has yet to punt. The NFL Twitter account posted this video to mark the accomplishment:

2025 @Colts punter highlights @Rigojio88 | @PatMcafeeShow pic.twitter.com/XBMBb9W0Dp

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) September 16, 2025

While the Colts offense is reaching Manning-level heights (in a very different way) the defense came back to Earth a bit after a dominant week one performance. Last week I said this about the defense going into their matchup with the Denver Broncos:

… they’re without Charvarius Ward (concussion) and Laiatu Latu (hamstring). They also lost cornerback Jaylon Jones (hamstring) who is now on injured reserve. While the Broncos don’t have the receiving corps of the Dolphins the Indy secondary is seriously depleted. It will be interesting to see if Lou Anarumo can do enough to confuse second year quarterback, Bo Nix, who looked bad in week one.

Nix played well and moved the ball consistently against the Indy defense. Xavien Howard had a rough day in coverage, though he was fine most of the day on a single drive he was targeted and flagged repeatedly. Howard will likely be fine as the teams second cornerback but things will probably be rocky if Charvarius Ward misses more time this year. The pass rush was almost completely non-existent in week two.

This week, if we don’t see the pass-rush improve, greatly, against an awful and beat up Titans offensive line, it is absolutely time to worry. If Indy wins this week without a good pass-rush (they should win) and splits their next four games (Rams, Raiders, Cardinals, Chargers) they will be sitting at 5-2 and at that point Chris Ballard should feel confident in exploring the trade market for teams who might be looking to offload talent for draft pick assets before the November 4th deadline. For the first time in 9 years of Chris Ballard’s tenure, it might make sense for the Colts to be buyers at the deadline. But they have to make it though this weeks game before they can even think about the future.

Rookie quarterback Cam Ward has been up and down to start his career. In week one he completed just under 42% of his passes for 112 yards, 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. In week two he completed just under 58% of his passes for 175 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions. He has been sacked 11 times. He has rushed 4 times, gaining 8 yards and has fumbled once in each game he’s played. To be fair to Ward he doesn’t have much help around him, the Titans receivers aren’t great, their running back is Tony Pollard and their tight ends are Chig Okonkwo and rookie Gunnar Helm. I won’t even get into their offensive line, which is bad when healthy and will be down two starters today.

Defensively the Titans are solid. I won’t say that they’re good on defense but it is absolutely the strength of their team, even though they’re giving up 150 rushing yards per game. The last time I looked Jonathan Taylor’s rushing yardage over/under was around 90.5 yards and the only way I don’t see him going over that mark is if the Colts break this game open and they hand the ball to DJ Giddens a lot to save Taylor in a blowout. If I were a betting man I would sprinkle a little cash on both Giddens and Taylor to go over their yardage mark today.

Prediction:

Titans: 17

Colts: 33

As always, go Colts.

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RELATED

Where to Watch Colts vs. Titans for week 3

Week 3 Injury Report

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This is your week three open thread so hang out here, chat, celebrate, commiserate, and argue in the comments! Go wild (within reason)!

Go Colts!

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/gameth...ard-jonathan-taylor-tyler-warren-defo-buckner

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Colts steamroll over Titans 41-20 to continue impressive start

The Indianapolis Colts are singing in cadence.

“I’m a steam roller baby.”

“And I’m rolling down the line”

“I’m a steam roller baby”

“And I’m rolling down the line”

“So you better get out of my way now”

“Before I roll all over you.”

The Colts never trailed from the opening snap and left no doubt with a dominant 41-20 road win over the Tennessee Titans in Sunday’s AFC South clash at Nissan Stadium.

Indianapolis is one of six teams that improved to 3-0 and its offense is a well-oiled machine that just steamrolled over another AFC opponent for the second time in three games this season. Indy is clicking on all three phases, nearly doubling its first three opponents in scoring, 103-56, while becoming the first team since 1967 to score at least 29 points in each of their first three games.

Cornerback Kenny Moore II sniffed out a check down on the third play from scrimmage while Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward intended to find running back Tony Pollard, but Moore jumped the route and returned it 32 yards to the house for his franchise-record (breaking and tying) pick six in the opening minute. It’s the fastest pick six for a Colts player to start a game and Moore tied the franchise record with his fourth career pick six.

Colts Pick-6 on the 3rd play of the game!

INDvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/jzHNsXNojs

— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025

Running back Jonathan Taylor powered the charge with 102 rushing yards on 17 carries and delivered a hat trick with three rushing touchdowns. Taylor capped off a 77-yard march on the second offensive drive with a one-yard plunge to give the Colts a 17-3 lead. Late in the third quarter, as soon as the Colts breached Titans territory, Taylor was fed on an iso run behind rookie Tyler Warren as his lead blocker and the sixth-year veteran raced for the longest run of the game through the heart of the Titans defense. Taylor cut right to shake Titans’ Xavier Woods, spun around to dismiss Amani Hooker, then broke free from the grasp of Kyzir White and L’Jarius Sneed for an astonishing 46-yard touchdown to seal the win.

i mean. what can't he do. TOUCHDOWN JT

CBS pic.twitter.com/qht4ESGI2r

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 21, 2025

In his last two meetings against the Titans, Taylor has collected 320 rushing yards and six TDs. Taylor joined Arian Foster, Adrian Peterson and Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDanian Tomlinson as the fourth player in the last quarter-century with 7,500 scrimmage yards and 60 touchdowns through his first 70 career games.

Quarterback Daniel Jones continues to play sharp, efficient football with the ability to spread the wealth around. Jones completed 18-of-25 passes for 228 passing yards, connecting with receiver Michael Pittman Jr. six times for 73 yards and one TD. Out of the break, Jones delivered the dagger to Pittman on a quick slant and the veteran receiver made the extra effort to reach across the goal line for a 20-yard TD to stretch the lead to 27-6.

Michael Pittman Jr. has a touchdown!

INDvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/0VG9dQ8vMa

— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025

The Colts took advantage of terrible clock management to seize possession inside Titans territory. Defensive tackle Grover Stewart blocked a 62-yard field goal attempt to set up kicker Spencer Shrader to deliver a 36-yard field goal for a 20-6 cushion at halftime.

Indy’s unstoppable force engineered 10 explosive plays of at least 15 yards, while its defense allowed just five. The Colts dominated the trenches, limiting the Titans to 86 rushing yards on 23 carries and 5-for-14 on third down. Tyquan Lewis secured two sacks, while Kwity Paye and Neville Gallimore both added another sack to take down rookie QB Cam Ward a combined four times.

The Colts continue their road trip with a Week 4 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...ver-titans-41-20-to-continue-impressive-start

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Colts kick the tires on backfield depth by working out 3 running backs

According to KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, the Indianapolis Colts worked out three running backs: Israel Abanikanda, Raheem Blackshear, and Damien Martinez:

#Colts worked out Israel Abanikanda, Raheem Blackshear, Damien Martinez

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 22, 2025

Originally a 2023 5th round pick of the New York Jets, Abanikanda, a 5’10”, 217 pound former First-Team All-American for Pitt is the biggest name on this short list. During his rookie season in 2023 with the Jets, he had 22 carries for 70 total rushing yards (3.2 ypc. avg.) in 6 games.

He was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco in late 2024 and spent this offseason with the Green Bay Packers, having recently been re-signed to their practice squad and then subsequently waived.

Coming out off Pitt, the former First-Team All-ACC member had a 9.88 RAS out of a maximum 10.0.

Blackshear is a 5,’9”, 190 pound running back, who spent 3 seasons with the Carolina Panthers. He has 52 carries for 203 total rushing yards, as well as 16 receptions for 138 total receiving yards (8.6 ypr. avg.) during 41 career games (2 starts). He also has special teams experience as a kickoff returnman.

At 6’0”, 217 pounds, Martinez was recently a 2025 7th round pick of the Seattle Seahawks. He was waived as part of their final 53-man roster cuts before being re-signed to their practice squad and freshly waived again. He was 2x First-Team All-Pac 12 with Oregon State (2022-23), as well as Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year (2022).

He had a RAS of 8.52 out of a maximum of 10.0, coming out of Oregon State.

While no recent injuries have been reported from Sunday’s road win, the Colts currently have three running backs: Jonathan Taylor, rookie DJ Giddens, and third down back Tyler Goodson on their active roster. They also have veteran Ameer Abdullah and undrafted rookie Ulysses Bentley IV on their practice squad right now.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...ackfield-depth-by-working-out-3-running-backs

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Colts’ Week 3 QB Analysis: Another Banger

Thanks to the nflFastR project, Pro Football Focus and NFL NextGen Stats for the timely sources of data.

For those of you new to this, I will publish key QB stats each week judging how well the Colts’ QB performed. Yes, O-Line, receivers, and play-calling impact these numbers but they are primarily QB measures. I will probably modify the charts throughout the season. Commentary will be brief but feel free to let me know in the comments that stats aren’t everything. (click charts for larger view)

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HOW WELL?​

For the 3rd consecutive week, Daniel Jones was one of the NFL’s most efficient passers, placing 2nd in EPA efficiency and 2nd in success rate — continuing a hot start that few saw coming. We’ve seen poorly performing quarterbacks change teams and catch fire before — Sam Darnold, Ryan Tannehill — but it’s an extremely rare phenomenon. Here’s to hoping Jones can sustain it all season.

Jones wasn’t just consistent throughout the game — he also limited his mistakes. His good plays were very good, and his bad plays weren’t all that costly. That kind of steady performance beats the occasional highlight reel every time.

For the trailing week comparison, I switched the view to only Daniel Jones rather than the Colts, so you can see how his first 3 games in an Indy uniform stack up against where he was on the Giants. As you can see, its night and day.

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HOW FAR?​

He’s posted a ridiculous completion rate this year, and it’s translating into big yards per attempt. Week 3 was no exception, as he piled up first downs all game long.

The high completion rate is that much more impressive because it is NOT coming off of checkdowns.

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TO WHO?​

He continues to spread the ball around well.

Warren and Pittman are neck in neck in total yards, but the tight end wins the target count.

This is pretty much what you want to see — receivers with good EPA stretched across various depths.

On the season, all the receivers except Mitchell are adding positive EPA per target.

HOW ACCURATE?​

His completion percentage remains high, although his CPOE dipped a bit in Week 3 due to the slightly shorter average pass length.

Jones was never known as a strong deep passer before joining the Colts, but now he’s actually performing better on longer throws than on the shorter ones.

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HOW FAST?​

His time to throw ticked up this week while his passing depth dropped a bit — usually the opposite of what you want to see. But with good protection and minimal pressure, it’s not a major concern… at least for now.

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TO WHERE?​

He attacked the right side of the field this week, and it paid off for him.

On the season, his throws are now fairly balanced across the field, though the short passes over the middle haven’t really paid off.

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DASHBOARD​

mouseover definitions: epa/d, median EPA gain in similar game situation (down, distance, etc.)”>arsr, 3 yards to gain in game-neutral situations”>edp, opd, pr%, tip, ttt, adot, ay/c, yac, yacoe, yd/c, ac%, cpoe, aypa, scr%, ta%, sck%, aa%, aay, ny/d, ny/p, 1st%, td%, to%, 0″>qbsr epa/p, adj/p

• In Week 3, the Colts leaned on the passing game even though Jonathan Taylor was highly efficient all day (2nd edp, 2nd arsr).
• Jones was not pressured much at all and considering he stayed in the pocket longer than most QBs, that points to great O-line protection (30th pr%, 9th tip).
• Good passing depth + good YAC + good completion rate = great yards per attempt (5th ay/c, 6th yac, 11th ac%, 5th aypa)
• Jones didn’t take a sack or throw the ball away, instead choosing to scramble to escape the minimal pressure he faced (29th sck%, 28th ta%, 9th scr%). That led to the 6th lowest abandoned attempt rate and that makes me very happy (27th aa%). I want my QBs attempting passes, not opting out of them.
• The net result of all of that was strong yardage per play, which consistently translated into first downs (3rd ny/p, 3rd 1st%).
• He only had 1 passing TD, but again did not turn the ball over (14th td%, 27th to%). One of the key drivers of Jones’ impressive 2022 season was his extremely low turnover rate.

It’s an understatement to say Daniel Jones is off to an excellent start. On the season, he owns the 2nd-highest EPA efficiency in the league, and he’s doing it by ranking near the top in nearly every efficiency metric I track.

mouseover definitions: ay<, dp%, ay/c, yac, yd/c, ac%, aypa, drp%, aypa, ta%, ypa, sck%, ny/a, scr%, ny/d, car%, ny/p, 1st%, any/p, td%, any/p, to%, any/p, epa/p, opd, adj/p

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/nfl-analysis-play-breakdowns/115208/colts-week-3-qb-analysis

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Colts’ Stock Up/Down: Week 3 @Titans

Stock Up​

Jonathan Taylor​

Even though Daniel “Indiana” Jones has been enjoying a career resurgence in Indianapolis (more on him later), this offense runs through Jonathan Taylor. Leading the league in touches, touchdowns, and yards, Taylor has been on a tear to start the season. JT is the main cog on a well-oiled wheel that has been humming along brilliantly. The improvements to pass-blocking and receiving also established him as a three-down running back, with him only missing snaps because games were already decided.

Daniel Jones​

Is three games a large enough sample size to say that Jones is in the midst of a revival? His numbers against the Titans were not spectacular by any means; it was the way he played. Again, he just seems so comfortable within the offense. He is showing impeccable touch on the short throws, which opens up a ton of things for the Colts’ offense. He is extremely hard to bring down in the pocket, showing great presence and escapability, and his deep ball has been surprisingly accurate. What probably has been the biggest shock is that he has not turned the ball over yet, and according to PFF.com he has just one turnover worthy play on the year.

Shane Steichen​

Steichen’s seat was among the hottest starting the year. With the quarterback controversy, the failure to develop Anthony Richardson, and no playoffs in his first two seasons, it was do-or-die time for the head coach. So far, he has responded brilliantly. Daniel Jones looks like a franchise quarterback, the offense is producing, and new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has vastly improved the defense. There have been some minor problems with the playcalling, and I do not like how conservative he gets in the red zone.

Michael Pittman Jr.​

Clearly not a fit with Anthony Richardson, Michael Pittman Jr. is quietly having one of the best starts in his career. Against the Titans he led the team in targets for the second time in three games, got himself another touchdown, and is clearly Jones’ favourite weapon on the outside. He also has by far the highest catch rate (84.2%) in his entire career.

Laiatu Latu / Tyquan Lewis​

The sack numbers are not there yet, but Latu’s pressure numbers are encouraging. He is winning reps, but his struggles finishing are what is costing him translating that to sacks. He racked up five pressures against a backup right tackle, and has by far the highest pass-rush win rate on the team. Lewis got six pressures, but he also managed to get two sacks on the day. His story has been a joy to watch, fighting injuries, he is a great asset to have on the defensive line.

Stock Down​

Zaire Franklin​

This defensive scheme is not favorable for a slow player like Franklin, who took advantage of Bradley’s conservative run defense approach that translated into 6-8 easy tackles a game. Franklin gets exposed way too much in coverage, a step too slow every single time he is in zone, and his tackling numbers have gone way down, with just 16 so far. Once Carlies is back in the mix, it is probable that Franklin will not be a full time starter.

Josh Downs​

While Jones likes to spread the ball around to everyone in the Colts’ offense, Downs seems to have fallen behind a bit in the pecking order. Against the Titans, Downs finished the game with just three targets. If Alec Pierce misses next week with a concussion, then Downs could see increased targets, but it has been a slow start for what many expected to be a breakout year.

Samson Ebukam​

Ebukam has struggled on his way back after his Achilles tear last season, and his game against the Titans was not encouraging. He has been the Colts’ worst run defender, which was always his strong suit, and has been a subpar pass-rusher. With how Ebukam has been playing, I would not be surprised if sooner or later Anarumo is forced to go with J.T. Tuimoloau at edge.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/analysis/115169/colts-stock-up-down-week-3-titans

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Did the Colts know that Daniel Jones was about to break out?

I’ve got a tough question that I need some help with to answer. All through training camp we heard from Steichen that the QB competition was “close” and that both players were doing good things. Players usually had the same things to say, and those fans and media members who were allowed into practice sessions, also basically contributed the completions per attempts of each, along with the good and bad as to what they had witnessed.

Did anyone come out and say “Damn, that Jones dude showed out today!”? There was player support for him after he was named the starter and anyone who spoke said he was deserving, but there certainly wasn’t someone telling us to “get our popcorn ready”. Nothing in the preseason suggested that the code had been cracked and that the Colts now had their guy. I’d say more fans kept the lasting image of an overthrow past an open Warren, as the single most memorable Jones play of the preseason.

We know that no coach wants to show too much of the playbook during the preseason, or expose the first string players to injury, so looking like a well oiled machine should not have been expected. But, wouldn’t you think that there would have been something that got our juices flowing a little? Heck, we had some fans thinking that Leonard was the best option to start. It certainly didn’t inspire any awe in the prognostications, as we were hit hard when it came to expectations for the season.

I wouldn’t expect to see or hear Ballard come out with some outlandish statement, telling the world how good Daniel Jones was going to be. I guess that dialogue was saved for his 2nd round draft choice. This sends me to another thought for another post concerning how little actually comes out of 56th street, compared to how much the outside world thinks they know about the team and it’s inner circle. I digress, so I might dig into that at another time.

If we didn’t actually realize that we might be on to something to get excited about, how could that happen? Could it have been that the open competition actually split the reps enough that it was hard to get a good gauge on what we had from either guy? Could it be that Jones didn’t really turn it on until he was named the starter and got all the 1st team snaps? There is one other semi-exciting explanation. What if our defense was/is just that good? That possibility makes me a bit giddy.

So, getting back to the original question, did those in the building expect what we are seeing? Was it the intent for most of the summer to hold back and let the world think we sucked, only to unleash what to this point has been “historic” in some facets? Can Steichen continue to stay ahead of defenses, once the league gets more film on us? I guess that’s three questions, so I will shut up and await your answers.

Olde, if you are just taking a break, I hope things are well with you and yours. Check in and let us know that you are okay.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/analys...know-that-daniel-jones-was-about-to-break-out

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Historic start from Jonathan Taylor is fueling Colts best start in 16 years

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor became the first player in franchise history to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week in consecutive weeks after another dominant performance that featured three touchdowns in Sunday’s Week 3 rout over the Tennessee Titans.

Taylor carried the Colts with 102 rushing yards on 17 attempts, averaging 6.0 yards per carry. It marked Taylor’s third career outing with three rushing TDs to earn the fifth weekly honor of his six-year career in Indianapolis.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen praised the run game after the 42-21 win against the Titans, highlighting the work of the offensive line, plus the usage of rookie Tyler Warren as the lead blocker on an iso run that Taylor broke for a 46-yard score to essentially seal the win. Steichen described the play design as “old-school smashmouth football,” the kind of play that showcased perfect execution up front to rely on Taylor’s ability to break tackles in the open field.

absolute cinema #INDvsLAR 9/28 on FOX pic.twitter.com/HosS4c3dlc

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 22, 2025

Through three games, Taylor leads the NFL with 338 rushing yards and 431 scrimmage yards, which is the best start to any season for a Colts player in the Indianapolis-era. The All-Pro workhorse has a lethal combination of acceleration and vision that has fueled the Colts hot start and also reaffirmed Taylor’s status as one of the league’s most elite offensive weapons. The Colts lead the NFL averaging 6.6 yards per play, while heavily relying on their 25-year-old tailback. Indy ranks tied for second in scoring, averaging 34.3 points and third in the league with 153.3 rushing yards per game.

Despite being snubbed out of the top 100, what further cements Taylor as one of the league’s best players is his 90.7 career rushing yards per game, which is fifth all-time and the most among active NFL players since Taylor was drafted in 2020.

among the greats pic.twitter.com/6o3bEmd4on

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 24, 2025

Taylor’s latest milestone is another reminder that the Colts path to returning to playoff contention is powered by their run game. With two weekly awards in three games, it serves more than just recognizing the individual talent of a two-time pro bowler. It reflects an offense that has steamrolled opponents through its identity behind the run game and a star who continues to deliver historic results.

Indianapolis is in sole possession of first place in the AFC South for the first time in two years, since Weeks 3 and 4 of Steichen’s first year as head coach in 2023. The Colts visit SoFi Stadium for the first time in a Week 4 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams (2-1) on Sunday at 4:05 p.m.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...aylor-is-fueling-colts-best-start-in-16-years

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Week 3 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, Pro Football Focus and the nflFastR project for being awesome sources of weekly data.

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The Colts’ offense kept rolling in Week 3, racking up 26 first downs and posting an 84.6% Drive Success Rate, which highlights just how easily they’ve been able to move the ball down the field. They also improved in the red zone, converting 3 touchdowns on 4 trips.

One drive ended with something called a punt, and apparently there’s a player on the team whose sole job is to handle that kind of play. Weird.

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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%

There isn’t much to analyze here—there’s no hidden secret behind a 41-point performance. The Colts led the league in Points per Drive, ranked 2nd in Drive Success Rate, 2nd in yards per play, 1st in EPA per play, and 3rd in play success rate. They simply executed well. I know — right?!

Three highly efficient games have vaulted the Colts to #1 in Points per Drive so far this year. However, when adjusting for opponent defenses, they slip to #4. With only three weeks of data, that adjustment is still a small sample, but it will grow more meaningful as the season progresses.

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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

Daniel Jones delivered another stellar performance, driving the passing offense to the 3rd-best EPA efficiency and the 2nd-best Passing Success Rate. He did it without taking a single sack, which helped elevate his yards per dropback to 3rd best. The big gains translated directly into first downs, giving the Colts the 3rd-highest pass play conversion rate.

There’s really not much to complain about. While his red-zone performance has been poor overall, Week 3 was a step in the right direction. He currently ranks #1 in deep passing efficiency, #3 under pressure, and #1 outside the red zone. That combination has produced the league’s most efficient passing offense—though it’s worth noting that this doesn’t account for strength of opponent. On an adjusted basis, the team drops to #6.

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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,

The Colts’ ground game grabbed the #1 spot in rushing success this week. Jonathan Taylor scored three touchdowns and added three more first downs on just 17 carries. Third downs were a weakness, as the team went 0-for-3, but overall they still finished with the 5th-best run play conversion rate.

On the season, I have them as the 8th-best rushing team when adjusting for opponent defenses, even though they rank 2nd on an unadjusted basis.

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CONCLUSION​

Both the passing and rushing attacks executed at a high level, producing a balanced performance and the most efficient offense of the week.

The next graph does not yet include opponent adjustments, but it’s still encouraging to see the Colts performing alongside the league’s best.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/nfl-an.../week-3-colts-offensive-rankings-and-analysis

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Indianapolis Colts Injury Report: DT Buckner Returns But Limited

The Indianapolis Colts today released their Thursday injury report for Week 4 of the NFL season ahead of their Sunday game against the Los Angeles Rams.

thursday's practice report for #INDvsLAR. pic.twitter.com/5rSJVMHpyF

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 25, 2025

Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner returned to practice today on a limited basis after missing practice yesterday with a back injury. Buckner being limited today almost guarantees he will play Sunday as he rarely misses game time when he misses practice altogether.

Right Guard Matt Goncalves missed practice again today with a toe injury. Back-to-back missed practices for Goncalves are putting his availability for Sunday in serious question unless he can practice tomorrow. If he is unable to play, then expect to see Dalton Tucker replace him in the starting lineup.

Wide receiver Alec Pierce missed practice again today due to a concussion. Pierce missing both of this weeks’ practices due to a concussion almost certainly rules him out this week. With Pierce likely out, expect AD Mitchell to step up into his starting spot on Sunday.

Cornerback Kenny Moore also missed practice today with an Achilles injury. Moore will be out this week and likely the next few games, too, with the injury. Expect to see recently signed cornerback Mike Hilton be elevated from the practice squad to help fill the void at nickel.

Right tackle Braden Smith was limited at practice today with a heel injury. Smith was not on yesterday’s injury report, so it would appear Smith’s injury occurred at practice. With the Colts likely down Goncalves this week, they can’t afford to lose the rest of the right side of the offensive line.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...-injury-report-dt-buckner-returns-but-limited

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Week 3 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, Pro Football Focus and the nflFastR project for being awesome sources of weekly data.

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The Colts’ defense kept the Titans out of the red zone in the first half, forcing Tennessee into four field goal attempts and only 6 points. The Titans’ offense was far more effective in the 2nd half, though playing from a 21-point deficit may have had something to do with that. They managed two touchdowns, but it took them nearly 14 minutes to do it.

A 75% defensive Drive Success Rate is about average (58th percentile), but again some of that was garbage time.

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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 13th-ranked defensive points per drive is in line with their 14th-ranked DSR, but the 4.3 yards per play allowed was the 9th lowest of any offense, and the pick-six boosted the Colts’ defensive EPA per play to 5th highest on the week.

On the season, the Colts’ 1.96 points per drive ranks 15th among all defenses. However, when adjusting for opponents—who so far haven’t been scoring much—that rank drops to 23rd. Take that with a grain of salt though because after removing the Colts games, that leaves just 2 games to judge each opponent by.

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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

The Colts’ defense held Cam Ward to the 4th-worst EPA per play of the week, fueled by a pick-six, the 6th-lowest yards per dropback, and the 8th-lowest play conversion rate. Ward struggled to complete passes (9th-worst completion rate) and even had trouble getting attempts off, with the 12th-highest sack rate, 9th-highest scramble rate, and 2nd-highest throw-away rate.

On a raw EPA per play basis, the Colts’ pass defense ranks 3rd best on the season, but when adjusting for opponent quality, that rank falls to 14th.

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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,

The Colts’ run defense struggled against a Tennessee rushing offense that I had ranked 27th coming into the game. Game script kept the Titans from rushing often, but on their 20 carries they still produced 8 first downs and a touchdown, giving them the 2nd-highest run play conversion rate in Week 3. Indianapolis surrendered two explosive runs for 37 yards, but held the rest in check, finishing 15th in opponent yards per carry.

However, much of that rushing damage came with the Colts up by 21, when they were content to concede runs in exchange for draining the clock.

On the season, the Colts have allowed the 12th-highest weighted Rush Success Rate, and when adjusting for opponent strength, that rank falls to 27th.

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CONCLUSION​

The first half was a brilliant showing by the defense, and I’m willing to give them some slack for a loose 2nd half after taking a 3-score lead.

In general, they look stronger against the pass than the run, and if I had to pick one strength, that’s the one I’d choose. Of course, there’s no rule against being good at both.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/nfl-an.../week-3-colts-defensive-rankings-and-analysis

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Colts @Rams Week 4: Players to watch

This is a new series where I will pick a few underrated Colts’ players that could end up being key contributors to the outcome of the game. Keep in mind that this is not going to be the typical Colts’ players to watch, we all know that you always have to keep an eye on Jonathan Taylor, and that Daniel Jones’ play will be important for the offense. It does not take an expert to realize that DeForest Buckner is the driving force of the defense, and that almost every opposing big play comes when targeting No. 44, so we will try and be a bit more original here.

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Neville Gallimore, defensive tackle​

Gallimore has been a pleasant surprise this year as a rotational pass-rusher from the inside, as Anarumo is deploying him mostly on passing downs, hiding his deficiencies as a run defender. The Colts interior defensive line is still anchored by Buckner and Stewart, but both are in their thirties, and minor injuries tend to pile up more at this stage in their career. Anarumo and the Colts coaching staff are well aware of this, so Gallimore could end up seeing the field more and more as the season goes on. He will have a favorable matchup on his hands, facing a Rams’ interior offensive line that has struggled in pass protection, and a quarterback like Matt Stafford that has lost some of his mobility.

Dalton Tucker, right guard​

If starting right guard Matt Goncalves is forced to miss the game with a toe injury, that leaves Dalton Tucker as the next man up. Tucker played close to 300 pass blocking snaps last year, allowed 24 total pressures, and was the lowest graded offensive linemen by PFF.com. The Colts did not like what they had in him and chose to play Mark Glowinski coming off the street, who was more consistent. With another offseason under his belt, Tucker will probably be much further along his development, but it is still worth keeping an eye out on him. Jones’ success at quarterback has been built on proper offensive line play, and it is a known truth in the NFL that an offensive line is only as strong as its weakest link. Tucker being at least serviceable is going to be really important on game day.

Adonai Mitchell, wide receiver​

Mitchell has been awfully quiet this season, with just four receptions on eight targets. That is never something you want to see out of your second round pick, that was expected to have a bigger role on the team this season. With Alec Pierce possibly out of the game with a concussion, there is a decent chance that Mitchell will see more playing time. Cobie Durant and Ahkello Witherspoon are two really good cornerbacks, that will make life complicated for the Colts0 receivers, but even more this is the perfect chance for Mitchell to show what he has, and perhaps force Steichen to play him more.

Mekhi Blackmon, cornerback​

Charvarius Ward will shadow Puka Nacua most of the game, as has been the case this season with him following the opposing team’s No.1 receiver around. That leaves the other outside cornerback spot for either Howard or Blackmon. Against the Titans, Howard played on 81% of the snaps, compared to Blackmon’s 49%, but don’t think that is set in stone going forward. Anarumo seems to favour Howard so far, but the veteran cornerback has had his fair share of struggles. Blackmon could easily end up seeing the field more against the Rams.

Jordan Whittington, wide receiver (Rams)​

Davante Adams did not practice on Wednesday, and has struggled a bit to kick off the season, catching just 13 of the 29 passes thrown his way. Whittington is the next man up on the Rams’ depth chart, and has just 5 targets this season. With the Colts focusing all of their attention on Nacua (as they should), and with the No.2 cornerback spot in doubt for Sunday, Whittington could be in line for a breakout game.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/analysis/115342/colts-rams-week-4-players-to-watch