The Colts have steadied themselves over the last two weeks, but the comfort level should stay limited. A 30-13 win over Washington in London gave Shane Steichen’s team its second straight victory and moved Indianapolis into second place in the AFC South, one game behind Jacksonville and two ahead of both Houston and Tennessee. That looks a whole lot better than the picture two weeks ago, when the Colts were buried in a nine-game losing streak.
Even with that turnaround, there are still real trouble spots hanging over this team as it heads toward Week 5 against the Steelers. The defense has improved under Lou Anarumo, but the offense still has not found a reliable way to threaten teams down the field, and Daniel Jones has not looked like the version of himself that showed up last year.
The encouraging part of Sunday was the defense. After allowing 74 points in Weeks 1 and 2, the Colts have given up only 30 across their last two wins over Washington and Houston.
But that progress comes with a big asterisk. Both opponents were missing their top receivers, and neither offense is exactly built to scare anybody even at full strength.
The next stretch should tell a much clearer story about whether the defense has truly turned a corner.
One problem that still showed up in London was the lack of discipline against explosive plays. The Colts held Washington to 13 points, but they also gave up several chunk gains.
Marcus Mariota burned Arden Key on a read option early for 35 yards, and it would have gone longer if not for DeForest Buckner’s effort and athleticism. The pass defense also surrendered gains of 35, 47, and 48 yards, and it nearly allowed an 87-yard catch-and-run to Commanders rookie Antonio Williams before an illegal shift penalty wiped it out.
Those breakdowns came from players who were not exactly household names, either. A rookie QB, Athan Kaliakmanis, in his first NFL action, completed long balls to Treylon Burks and Dyami Brown.
That is the kind of thing that should make Indianapolis nervous with Aaron Rodgers on deck and D.K. Metcalf and the recently dangerous Roman Wilson waiting to test the secondary deep.
The Colts’ own passing game is not giving them much margin for error. Until Alec Pierce returns, there is no obvious deep threat in the offense.
Against Washington, the longest completion was a 23-yarder to Ashton Dulin, and it was the only offensive play that gained more than 20 yards. Indianapolis still won, but that kind of output will not hold up forever.
That lack of downfield punch affects everything else. If defenses do not fear Jones throwing over the top, safeties will creep toward the line and make Jonathan Taylor’s life tougher.
Taylor may still pop the occasional longer run against a crowded front, but sustaining drives gets a lot harder when the entire field is not a concern for the defense. Steichen may need to find ways to change that quickly.
Darius Slayton could be part of the answer against Pittsburgh.
Jones himself is also part of the problem. He has returned quickly from his Achilles injury and appears healthy, but he does not look like the player the Colts had last year.
The numbers are way down: a 73.9 quarterback rating after posting 100.2 in 2025, and a 37.4 QBR after reaching a career-best 63.0 last season. Both marks rank 24th in the league.
His Pro Football Focus grade is even uglier. Before this season, his lowest career grade was 63.0.
Right now he sits at 54.8, which is 33rd in the NFL.
It is still early, and Pierce has not been fully available. Jones could still rebound. But if he does not, the Colts are staring at a much bigger issue than a couple of uneven September games.
For now, Steichen may have to lean harder into the personnel that best fits what this roster can do. The Colts already use three tight ends on just under 10% of their snaps, which lands them around the middle of the league, and they use 12 personnel more than most teams. With the current wide receiver situation, that setup may need to become even more central.
Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, and Andrew Ogletree could all see more time on the field until Pierce is back to full strength. If Will Mallory can return from his thumb injury soon, that would give the offense another layer. For a team that wants to run the ball and is short on explosive receiving options, 13 personnel looks like the cleanest path forward.
In Other News...
Colts Fans Can Finally Cross One Trade Rumor Off The List
Marvin Harrison Jr. trade chatter had been floating around the Colts orbit for a while, but the latest update is enough to take Indianapolis out of the center of the conversation. Adam Schefter reported that the Cardinals are finalizing a deal for the wide receiver, with the move expected after this weeks games, and the buzz has only grown louder as teams around the league wait to see where he lands.
For Colts fans, the important part is the name that no longer needs to be attached to the rumor. ESPNs Stephen Holder said Indianapolis is not the team getting Harrison, even after the speculation and interest that had made the idea feel plausible. With Houston also being mentioned as a possible destination, the story now turns from whether the Colts might be involved to where Harrison ends up once Arizona actually completes the trade. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Get A Huge Chance To Change The Pittsburgh Narrative
Both the Colts and Steelers come into this matchup at 2-2, which gives Sundays meeting more weight than a typical early-season game. It is the kind of October test that can start shaping the playoff conversation, especially for Indianapolis, which has spent too much of recent history watching Pittsburgh control the tone of the matchup. The Steelers won the previous meeting, and the backdrop includes the same kind of physical, defense-heavy football that has defined so many games between these teams.
Indianapolis has reasons to believe this is a better chance than most to flip the script. The Colts have been efficient when drives get near the goal line and have held up well on key defensive downs, while their overall defensive rankings suggest they can make this a tougher game than Pittsburgh might expect. The Steelers still lean on their rushing game and have shown enough defensive bite to keep opponents uncomfortable, so this does not look like a clean path for the Colts. Even so, with the standings tight and the history in the building working against them, this feels like the sort of game Indianapolis needs to seize if it wants the conversation around this rivalry to change. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Taylor Could Be At Center Of A Huge Colts Test
Rain is in the forecast for the Colts trip to Pittsburgh, and that alone changes the feel of a game that already figures to lean physical at Acrisure Stadium. Shane Steichen has been adjusting practice for wet conditions, and with center Tanor Bortolini expected to play through a recent ankle issue, Indianapolis is trying to make sure its offensive front is ready for a sloppy afternoon.
Jonathan Taylor sits at the center of that equation. The weather could push the Colts toward a heavier dose of the run game, which puts even more pressure on Taylor to carry the offense and steady things if the passing game gets harder to trust. He has already found the end zone plenty this season, but the bigger question now is whether this is the kind of game where Indianapolis can finally keep feeding him enough to tilt the matchup. [Read more 🡒]