INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Quarterback Daniel Jones started his Indianapolis Colts career with an almost flawless first half in 2025.
He’s been far from it so far this season.
The Colts overcame three turnovers from Jones, two fumbles and one interception, to snap a nine-game losing streak by beating AFC South rival Houston 19-17 last weekend. So Jones is spending this week making corrections before facing Washington in London on Sunday.
“I think just protecting the ball, doing a good job in the pocket, making sure it’s secure when there’s pressure, getting the ball out on time,” Jones said Wednesday when asked what needs to improve. “Those are things I’m always focused on, and I’ve got to do a better job handling those situations and making sure I’m protecting the ball.”
So far, Jones and Indy’s offense have struggled to find the consistency they had early last season.
Though he’s completing nearly two-thirds of his throws, Jones has interceptions in each of the Colts’ first three games and only two NFL players have more giveaways than Jones — New England quarterback Drake Maye has seven, New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough has six and Jones, Atlanta quarterback Cooper Rush and Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield are tied at five.
Indy (1-2) also has matched its loss total through the first 10 games last season — before Jones suffered two injuries that derailed his promising start as well as the Colts’.
Jones tried to play through a broken bone in his lower left leg before suffering a season-ending torn right Achilles tendon in early December.
Ten months later, he started the Colts season opener, returning in almost half the time Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton needed to fully recover from the same injury.
But Jones doesn’t blame the giveaways on his health.
“I feel really good right now, I’ve felt good through the first three weeks,” he said. “But with an injury like that, you’ll continue to improve and progress for a longer period of time. That being said, I do feel really good and am continuing to work on parts of my rehab and things to stay up on everything as far as my strength or ankle mobility or things related to my Achilles.”
There could be other factors, too.
Indy’s top receiver, Alec Pierce, spent the offseason rehabbing from heel and ankle surgery. He missed all of training camp, the entire preseason and played limited snaps in the opener before hurting the heel in Week 2. He was placed on injured reserve Saturday and will miss at least three more games though the Colts remain hopeful Pierce will not need another surgery.
The tandem worked well together last season as Pierce led all qualified receivers in yards per catch for the second straight season. Both signed lucrative contract extensions in March.
“Losing Alec for the time being obviously hurts because he has big-play ability,” coach Shane Steichen said. “So you’ve got to do a great job as coaches of trying to create those chunk plays as much as you possibly can schematically, and making sure you’re getting the right looks and the advantageous looks to get those big plays.”
Without Pierce, Jones has looked increasingly more toward veteran receiver Josh Downs and second-year tight end Tyler Warren as he tries to get in sync with two newcomers — six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen and veteran Darius Slayton.
Allen signed with Indy in August and caught six passes against Houston, including his first TD catch with Indy and a 5-yard pass that set up Spencer Shrader’s winning field goal.
And though Jones and Slayton were teammates for 5 1/2 seasons with the New York Giants, Slayton was inactive last week after signing last Tuesday.
Still, Jones and Steichen aren’t making any excuses for what’s happened the first three weeks.
“I think it’s showing him clips in the meetings, just two hands on the football. It’s got to be a point of emphasis every week,” Steichen said. “When there are bodies around, you’ve got to have two hands on the ball, and playing the quarterback position is obviously a little different.
“You’re going to throw the ball sometimes. Sometimes you do have one hand on the ball, but when you’re about to get sacked or something, you’ve got to make sure ball security is at a premium and having two hands on the football in the pocket.”
It’s a lesson Jones knows well. Now, he’s just got to execute the plan better.
“Obviously, you can’t turn the ball over like that,” Jones said. “They’re costly for the team, can’t put the team in that position, and I certainly understand how important that is as a quarterback. But the game goes on, and you’ve got to be able to play the next play and execute.”
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Michael Marot, The Associated Press
