Jones thriving with Colts as 3-0 start draws praise from Steichen

The Indianapolis Colts moved to 3-0 on the season after a 41-20 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Nashville on Sunday, a performance that has the franchise buzzing about Daniel Jones in his first season with the team. Colts coach Shane Steichen did not mince words in praising the veteran quarterback, calling him a player who studies tape relentlessly and uses it to drive the offense. "You’ve got a guy that’s the signal-caller back there that studies his tail off, looks at tape all day every day, grinding, looking at different things, knowing the checks, understanding what we’re trying to get done offensively, getting us in and out of the right plays. That stuff pays huge dividends in this league, because there’s a lot going on. Obviously, this is one of the toughest positions in all of sports to play, and he’s doing it right now as good as it gets." Steichen added that Jones is "seeing it really well" and delivering the ball with accuracy as the Colts maximize a fast-start campaign.

Jones completed 18 of 25 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown, while adding 27 yards on the ground in the win. Through three games this season, he has completed 71.6 percent of his passes for 816 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, and he has rushed for 55 yards with three more rushing scores. Entering Monday, his 111.7 passer rating was third-best in the NFL, a testament to his efficiency and command of Indianapolis’s system. The Colts have also been unusually clean and efficient in the kicking game, punting just once all season—the fewest by any team in the first three games dating back to at least 1940.

Jones, 28, signed a one-year, $14 million contract with the Colts in the offseason and beat out Anthony Richardson for the starting job. His departure from the Giants, who cut him midseason after benching him and relegating him to fourth-string because of contract guarantees, has framed his current stint with Indianapolis as a culmination of his perseverance. Jones had spent the remainder of last season with the Minnesota Vikings, though he did not appear in a game. The Giants, meanwhile, opened 0-3 and have faced questions about their own quarterback situation and long-term direction.

The Colts’ early success under Steichen has been built around Jones’s ability to manage the game, distribute the ball efficiently to a mix of playmakers, and keep multiple options available at the line of scrimmage. Indianapolis has leaned on a steady run-pass mix and timely play-action, leveraging Jones’s mobility to extend drives and keep defenses honest. After Sunday’s rout, Steichen highlighted how the quarterback’s preparation translates into in-game execution, noting that Jones’s habits—watching, studying, and communicating—have helped the entire operation operate with fewer miscommunications and more precision under pressure.

In addition to Jones’s improved on-field performance, the Colts’ supporting cast has risen to the occasion. The offense has shown stretch in the run game and the willingness to push the ball downfield when opportunities arise, all while staying efficient in critical situations. While the schedule has yet to present a fully tested environment, the early results have solidified Indianapolis as one of the season’s most surprising stories, contributing to a narrative that praise from the coaching staff is less about hype and more about repeatable, disciplined execution.

Jones is expected to continue presiding over an offense that is blending veteran poise with a call sheet that rewards quick decision-making and situational awareness. As the Colts push deeper into the schedule, his ability to keep protecting the football and exploiting favorable matchups will be a defining factor in whether Indianapolis can sustain this pace. For now, Steichen’s praise and Jones’s production have solidified a narrative of a quarterback thriving in a new environment, with a team rallying around a leader who appears to have found both the system and the trust of his coaches.