Daniel Jones’ stat line against the Houston Texans was still messy, but the Indianapolis Colts got something they hadn’t really seen through the first two weeks: a passing game that actually looked awake.
Jones finished the Colts’ 19-17 win with 235 passing yards, his best total of the season. He had already cleared 200 yards by 10 yards in Week 2, but Sunday was a clear step forward in volume. And once the ball started moving, the wide receivers finally had room to matter.
That’s the part that makes this game interesting. Josh Downs, Keenan Allen and Tyler Warren all put up their best numbers of the year against Houston, and the Colts needed every bit of it with Alec Pierce out of the lineup. The bigger question now is whether that performance was a real turning point or just a one-game spike in an offense that has looked shaky all season.
Through the first two games, the numbers from Indianapolis’ top targets were thin. Downs had 109 yards on nine catches and 13 targets.
Allen managed 37 yards on seven receptions and 11 targets. Warren had 34 yards on nine catches on 12 targets.
That production left the Colts leaning heavily on Jonathan Taylor and little else.
Sunday looked different. Downs caught five passes for 77 yards, Allen had six grabs for 63 yards, and Warren finished with nine receptions for 55 yards.
Allen was the only one of the group to score a touchdown against the Texans, while Downs is still waiting for his first of the season. Warren already has two.
The Colts’ receivers are also being asked to carry more now because Pierce is officially on injured reserve, with no timetable for his return. That puts Downs and Allen right at the front of the passing game, with Warren in the mix as well.
For Downs, the job now is bigger than being a secondary option. He needs to grow into the Colts’ No. 1 receiver.
Allen, meanwhile, has not looked like the player the offseason chatter made him out to be. He also hasn’t resembled the version he showed for the Los Angeles Chargers last season, when he went over 700 yards.
A repeat of that kind of production this year does not look likely.
So the Colts are left with a simple but important question: was this the version of their passing attack fans should expect from here, or was Sunday just the one game where everything finally clicked? The offense still needs work, and the win over Houston was far from clean. But if Jones’ main pass-catchers can keep producing at that level, the Colts at least have a chance to stay in the fight.
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Keenan Allen was right in the middle of it, too, making an immediate mark with his first touchdown as a Colt while also moving past Andre Johnson for 12th place on the NFL's all-time receptions list. For a team that had gone far too long without a win, it was the kind of night that could matter beyond the standings, giving Indianapolis a little momentum and a reminder that there is still enough talent here to change the tone of a season. [Read more 🡒]