After eight weeks of the season the Indianapolis Colts are still setting the pace in the NFL.
They had their share of struggles in Shane Steichen’s first two years as head coach, but people thought they had a good roster coming into this season.
I don’t think anyone thought they would be playing like this, though.
Not only do they top the AFC South, but they are the only team in the NFL with a 7-1 record – and they won four of those games by at least 21 points.
The Colts could go all the way, which is crazy to think about. That is what makes this team so exciting.
They had the pieces of the puzzle. They have drafted well. They have brought in some good guys. They just needed a quarterback.
Daniel Jones arrived on a one-year deal and beat out Anthony Richardson for the starter’s job, but people were unsure how he would do. We had never seen him in a great environment.
His experience with the New York Giants was poor, at best. People felt Jones was not mobile; he was not making great decisions; he was overthrowing guys. How often was he stood there seeing ghosts?
The Giants released him last November and he ended the season sat behind Sam Darnold at the Minnesota Vikings.
But it is not like the Colts have a rookie at quarterback. Jones is a smart guy and now he is getting the ball out.
Among this season’s starting quarterbacks, he is fourth for pass completion (71%), fourth for passing yards (2,062), fourth for yards per attempt (8.5) and sixth for passer rating (109.5).
Jones has never reached those numbers before, and it is because he gets to just manage the game. The load is not just on him, so he does not have to be the superstar, whereas with the Giants he had to be the guy who made the plays.
He has talked about his relationship with Steichen. Jones said he has never felt like an overly positive guy, but Steichen oozes positivity and that gives him confidence and belief. That then trickles down to the rest of the players.
Steichen played quarterback in high school and college. He has always been an offensive mind but has never had the opportunity to live it out.
Now he is rejuvenated, he is enjoying coaching and Jones is executing what he wants them to do. It feels like Steichen is playing Madden out there.