Colts

After an unimpressive summer, expectations were low for the Colts and new starting QB Daniel Jones, who edged out former top pick Anthony Richardson for the gig. Richardson is more talented, but Colts HC Shane Steichen zeroed in on Jones as a stabilizing presence for the offense. It’s early, but a 33-8 win over the Dolphins in which Jones led scoring drives on every possession, is a big step toward vindicating Steichen. 

“He did a great job of finding completions his whole career,” Steichen said via Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “Then, hearing around the league how smart he is and how he sees the game, that was a big part of bringing him in.”

“Little plays like that go under the radar,” he added. “Everyone wants to see the big plays, but those small plays move the needle and get us down the field.”

Steichen added that while there may have been a quarterback controversy at one point this summer, it feels like the building and locker room are coalescing around Jones. 

“He’s been through it, and, to be in a new environment with new guys, the biggest thing is that he did a great job connecting with the players,” Steichen said. “He’s been with the defensive backs and the defensive linemen, chopping it up with them. Guys bought into him and his work ethic. … They have his back, and a new environment will help.”

• Colts CB Charvarius Ward displayed delayed concussion symptoms on Monday and was placed into the concussion protocol, per Steichen. (Stephen Holder)

Texans

Texans QB C.J. Stroud didn’t think the team deserved to win in Week 1 against the Rams because of their lackadaisical attitude to start the game. 

“We didn’t deserve to win that game because we didn’t do the right things,” Stroud said, via Greg Beacham of the Associated Press. “When you come out in the NFL lollygagging and going through the motions, that kind of happens. I think we’ll be all right, but I think it’s a good wakeup call for us.”

Titans

The Titans lost first-round QB Cam Ward‘s debut 20-12 after a flurry of missed opportunities. Ward wants the offense to finish drives and avoid setbacks going forward. 

“We didn’t score touchdowns, that’s really the biggest frustration,” Ward said, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s website. “Shooting ourselves in the foot, getting in long (down and distance) situations. At the end of the day, we have to continue to get better. It’s only game one, and we have 16 more ahead of us.”

Tennessee DT Jeffery Simmons committed a critical penalty late that gave Denver a first down and essentially put the game away. Simmons took all the blame and talked about how they have to clean up the penalties if they want to win games. 

“Penalties, man,” Simmons said. “Myself, dumb (expletive) that hurts the team. There’s no excuse for that, and I take full responsibility for (mine). But even with all the freakin’ penalties we still had a chance, we were still in the game.

“But when you have that many penalties, that’s terrible. You’ll never win a game like that, especially against a good football team on the road. We have to clean that up.”