Daniel Jones gave the Colts another day full of reasons to look in a different direction.
Sunday’s 1-5 Tennessee Titans matchup was supposed to be one Indianapolis handled, but instead it turned into another reminder that the Colts keep getting in their own way. Jones never really grabbed control of the game through the air, and the result only sharpened the debate about where Shane Steichen should be leaning.
The easiest answer may be the one sitting in the backfield. Jonathan Taylor once again looked like the Colts’ most dependable offensive weapon, even if he still hasn’t cracked 100 rushing yards in a game this season.
He came close again against Tennessee, finishing with 94 yards and a touchdown, his seventh score of the year. That keeps him in the same pattern he’s been living in all season: 98, 92, 95, and 94 yards in four of six games, with his two lowest outputs coming in at 62 and 45.
The Colts’ ground game as a whole was the cleaner, more effective operation. Indianapolis ran for 165 yards on 30 carries and averaged 5.5 yards per attempt, with Taylor handling 21 of those runs and Seth McGowan adding four. That stood in sharp contrast to the passing attack, where Jones went 22-for-42 for 259 yards, a 52.4% completion rate, and a 60.5% overall quarterback rating.
The gaps weren’t just in efficiency. Jones was also sacked six times and threw two interceptions that hurt Indianapolis badly. After the game, he put part of the blame on his own decision-making.
"I think there's some times of forcing some stuff that's not there and I got to be smart about that," Jones said.
That’s the issue in a nutshell. Jones sees the mistakes.
The Colts are seeing them too. And with the running game producing more consistently than the passing game, the path forward seems pretty clear.
The more Indianapolis can stay on the ground, the more it can slow down pass rushes, keep the chains moving, and take the ball out of Jones’s hands.
For now, the Colts’ best chance looks a lot more like Jonathan Taylor leading the way than Daniel Jones trying to carry them through the air.
In Other News...
Colts Fans Are Starting To Believe But Steichen Faces Real Pressure
Even after a disappointing loss, there is still a surprising pocket of optimism around the Colts. Nearly half of the fan base, 47 percent, say they believe the team is headed in the right direction, a sign that the mood in Indianapolis is not entirely defined by one bad result or the upheaval that followed it.
Shane Steichen, though, is not getting the same benefit of the doubt from everyone. In fan voting, the Colts coach landed tied for second among the first head coach expected to be fired this season, and his security now feels tied directly to what happens next on the field. With the front office already in flux, the pressure on Steichen is only going to sharpen if the team's play does not turn quickly enough. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Taylor Is Back In A Colts Debate Fans Dread
Jonathan Taylor is suddenly back in the middle of a familiar Colts conversation, and it has less to do with what he has done on the field than with what has changed around him. The firing of general manager Chris Ballard has reopened speculation about nearly everything in Indianapolis, and Taylors name has surfaced again as a player who could draw interest if the franchise decides to reset further. For now, though, the Colts have not shown any appetite for moving one of their most recognizable offensive pieces.
Still, the chatter is hard to ignore because it fits the kind of autumn debate fans hate to hear around a key player. Around the league, the Giants and Vikings have been mentioned as possible landing spots, but Indianapolis is not entertaining trade talks at this point. If the Colts season goes sideways, though, that stance could become a lot more complicated before the deadline arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Slide Is Putting Shane Steichen In A Tougher AFC South Fight
The AFC South has a way of tightening quickly, and the Colts are feeling it after back-to-back losses have left Shane Steichen managing a much tougher division race than it looked like not long ago. Indianapolis and Houston both sit at 2-4, but the Texans have started to look like the club with the cleaner playoff path, which adds more pressure on the Colts to steady themselves before the gap in the standings becomes harder to close.
Houstons recent surge has changed the tone of this battle, especially with the schedule giving the Texans a chance to keep moving while the Colts try to stop the slide. If Indianapolis cannot answer soon, the division picture could tilt even further in Houstons favor before the next meeting between the two teams, turning what was already a challenging AFC South chase into a far tougher one for Steichen and his roster. [Read more 🡒]