The Colts head into Week 9 in a strange spot. They have no first-round pick, so there’s no real reason to lean into losing, but they also haven’t shown enough to feel like a true contender. Even with a run of maddening mistakes, they’ve still had chances to win in plenty of games.
Now they get a Dallas Cowboys team that has somehow slid backward from last season, and that makes this matchup feel like a chance for Indianapolis to reset. If the Colts are going to pull it off, it may come from a few players who don’t usually dominate the spotlight.
Jalen Farmer is one of them. He’s been handed the massive job of stepping into Quenton Nelson’s role, and that’s a brutal assignment for almost anyone.
His first career start didn’t go smoothly, but that could easily be chalked up to nerves. Farmer brings size, power, and a mauler’s mentality, and the Colts need to let him work through the rough patches.
The Cowboys’ defensive line can be attacked, which gives him a better shot at settling in this week.
Anthony Richardson Sr. is another name to watch, even though Daniel Jones remains the starter. Jones has been rough this season, and the leash can’t be all that long.
Richardson came in late in the last game, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he gets another look if Jones starts slowly again. He’s inconsistent, but the arm talent is real, and Dallas’ secondary has been a problem.
Josh Downs also feels like a player who could swing the night. He had a frustrating Week 8, and the criticism went beyond just what happened on the field.
With talk that he wants to be traded, this becomes a big chance for him to respond the right way. The November 10 trade deadline is coming, and this could be his final audition.
Expect him to try to get open early and often.
Then there’s CJ Allen, who has had a rocky rookie year but showed some life in the ugly loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Dallas’ offense has become vanilla and predictable, and Brian Schottenheimer’s group has struggled to adjust. That opens the door for Allen to make a real impact against the run and maybe turn one of the few bright spots of the season into something bigger.
In Other News...
Colts Just Made Their Daniel Jones Belief Impossible To Ignore
The Colts have made their stance on Daniel Jones unmistakably clear as the NFL trade deadline approaches. After a stretch of trade chatter and outside interest, Indianapolis informed Jones it will not move him, and the plan remains for him to stay in place as the starting quarterback.
It is a notable show of confidence for a player who has posted career-best numbers with the Colts, even as his production has dipped in recent weeks. For a team trying to settle its quarterback situation, the decision keeps the spotlight on Jones and leaves Indianapolis committed to riding out whatever comes next with him under center. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Face A Bigger Week 9 Decision Than Just Beating Dallas
The Colts head into Week 9 with more on their minds than just the Dallas Cowboys, because a rough start has pushed the conversation toward bigger-picture choices about how to handle the rest of the season. Indianapolis has to decide how much weight to give immediate wins versus player development, especially with the trade deadline approaching and the team still trying to sort out its direction.
Jonathan Taylor and Daniel Jones sit right in the middle of that discussion, which makes this matchup feel like more than a routine chance to clean things up against a Dallas defense that has its own issues. A win would help steady the mood, but the Colts are also staring at the possibility that how they manage this week could say as much about their long-term plan as the final score does. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Taylor Just Reopened The Colts Biggest Trade Deadline Question
Jonathan Taylors comments after the Colts loss to the Dallas Cowboys only added to the uncertainty hanging over Indianapolis as the NFL trade deadline approaches. The running back addressed the swirling speculation around his future, and while he made clear how much the city and the fan base mean to him, he also left the door open on what comes next for a team still trying to sort out its roster direction.
For the Colts, the timing makes this a particularly uncomfortable storyline to revisit. Taylor did not ask for a trade, but the fact that his future remains unresolved keeps one of Indianapolis biggest deadline questions alive, with the clock still ticking and no clear answer yet on whether he will be part of the team beyond this week. [Read more 🡒]