The Colts are out of the danger zone for now, but the first month of the 2026 season still left a clear split between the players helping this team climb back and the ones dragging it down.
At 2-2, Indianapolis looks a lot better than it did after that 0-2 start. The schedule has a chance to open up a bit, starting with a trip to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers, a place that has never been easy for the Colts.
A win there would push Shane Steichen’s group another step closer to a playoff push. But if this team is going to keep moving forward, the quarterback play has to sharpen, and some of the roster’s biggest names have to keep delivering.
One of the biggest reasons for the turnaround has been DeForest Buckner. He had real reason to wonder whether he wanted to keep playing after last season’s neck injury, which cost him seven games and marked the second straight year he missed at least five.
None of that has slowed him down this fall. Buckner has three sacks and three tackles for loss in four games, and he has looked like an All-Pro even while the defense was stumbling early.
Another player making a major difference is Akeem Davis-Gaither. He didn’t start much with the Bengals, but that connection mattered because it gave him a history with defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.
Once Cam Bynum started as the green dot in Week 1, Davis-Gaither took over that responsibility in Week 2, and the defense has communicated far better since then. The play has followed.
At kicker, Spencer Shrader has turned what looked like a battle into a steal. In camp, he was fighting Blake Grupe for the job, and Grupe seemed to have the edge.
Then Shrader outplayed him in the preseason and won the role. He has justified that decision in the regular season by hitting all 11 of his field goal attempts, including all four from beyond 50 yards.
His long is 58.
The secondary has also gotten a major lift from Xavien Ward. He had enough health concerns after three concussions last season that retirement would have made sense, but instead he has been the Colts’ best cornerback - even better than Sauce Gardner.
Ward has broken up four passes, allowed just five completions on 16 targets for 87 yards, and hasn’t given up a touchdown. His current quarterback rating allowed sits at a career-low 50.8.
Not everything has gone smoothly on defense, though, and CJ Allen has been one of the early disappointments. Chris Ballard said after drafting him in the second round that Allen could step in right away as a leader and likely the green dot on the defense, but that hasn’t happened. Allen has been a healthy scratch in two games and barely played in the other two, leaving it looking like the team is trying to send him a message.
Tyler Warren has produced, but not in the way the Colts probably need. He has two touchdown catches and 23 receptions overall, yet his longest grab is only 15 yards and he is averaging 5.7 yards per catch.
Just eight of those catches have turned into either a first down or a touchdown. With Alec Pierce out for much of the season, Warren has been forced into more of a check-down role against defenses crowding the line.
Then there is Daniel Jones, and the numbers are hard to ignore. He is healthy again and still able to run when needed, but the Achilles tendon tear from last season may still be affecting him.
He has seven turnovers in four games and 15 in his last nine dating back to last year, while also looking far less accurate than he did a season ago. If that doesn’t change, the Colts are unlikely to make the playoffs, and Jones’ future in Indianapolis could be in doubt.
In Other News...
DK Metcalf Just Gave Colts Fans A Reason To Watch Sauce Gardner
A Colts-Steelers matchup already had enough edge to it, but DK Metcalf added a little more with his pregame posture toward Sauce Gardner. The Pittsburgh receiver brushed off the Indianapolis defensive backs game, saying he does not worry about what a defensive back does well, turning a routine opponent preview into a small piece of bulletin-board material for a defense that has already spent plenty of time studying how to handle him.
There is a little history here for Colts fans to keep in mind, too. Gardner has already shown he can disrupt Metcalf when their paths cross, even if his season so far has not matched his best work, which makes this one of those matchups worth watching closely for Indianapolis. When a receiver sounds this unconcerned and a corner has something to prove, the first few snaps can tell you a lot about where the day is headed. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Let Another Winnable Game Slip Away Late Against Steelers
The Colts had enough offense to hang around with Pittsburgh for most of the afternoon, but the game kept tilting back the other way every time Indianapolis seemed ready to grab hold of it. Spencer Shrader was steady enough to keep the scoreboard moving, Tyler Warren added a rushing touchdown, and the Colts stayed within striking distance before the Steelers finally pulled away in a 34-22 finish.
Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes to keep Pittsburgh on schedule, and the decisive plays came from Jaylen Warren, who repeatedly turned routine opportunities into damaging gains. Indianapolis will be left sorting through another one of those games it had a real chance to win, with the late breakdowns overshadowing the positives and leaving the Colts with more frustration than answers. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Suddenly Have A Big Defensive Void Before Steelers Game
The Colts are heading into Sundays matchup with Pittsburgh already having to patch together their depth chart on both sides of the ball. Arden Keys absence leaves a noticeable hole on the edge, while Darius Slayton was downgraded to out and Indianapolis brought Nick Westbrook-Ikhine up from the practice squad to help at receiver. It is the kind of late-week shuffle that can quietly change how a game is approached, especially for a team still trying to manage other injuries.
Jaylon Carlies and Ashton Dulin are also out, and Keenan Allen along with Charvarius Ward Sr. are both listed as questionable, so the Colts will have to navigate the game with several moving parts. Pittsburgh has its own injury concerns as well, which may make availability as important as matchup plans when the teams kick off. [Read more 🡒]