Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) passes during the first half of a game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Colts' Daniel Jones May Be Hitting Career Stride

Originally posted on Indianapolis Colts on SI
By Drake Wally | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 7:03 AM ET

The Indianapolis Colts concluded their first game of the 2025 season by systematically destroying the Miami Dolphins by a score of 33-8.

While several things stood out in the dominant performance, the biggest was the performance of quarterback Daniel Jones, who put up arguably one of the best games of his career on Sunday.

ESPN broke down the Colts' victory in a piece highlighting the biggest takeaways and questions from every NFL game.

For the Colts, the biggest question is all about the one they call 'Indiana Jones,' and what the win says about his potential.

"This game went exactly according to plan for Jones and the Colts. All along, coach Shane Steichen had predicted Jones would be a quick decision-maker and not force bad throws. He showed that by delivering on-time, quick throws but also utilizing timely aggressive downfield targets to Michael Pittman Jr., Tyler Warren and Alec Pierce."

Jones dished out his 22 completions to seven different receivers, with Michael Pittman Jr. (six catches for 80 yards and a score) and rookie Tyler Warren (seven catches for 76 yards) leading the way.

"Jones finished 22-of-29 for 272 yards and a touchdown pass. He also added two rushing scores on goal-line sneaks, becoming the first Colts quarterback with two rushing touchdowns in a season opener."

Jones was a statistical beast in his first career game with the Colts, executing Steichen's offensive game plan surgically against a waning Dolphins defense.

#Colts Top 5 Graded Players on Offense & Defense vs MIA (@PFF)

Offense -
Tyler Warren (91)
Daniel Jones (80.9)
Braden Smith (80.4)
Bernhard Raimann (71.3)
MPJ (70.1)

Defense -
Laiatu Latu (90.1)
Neville Gallimore (89.5)
Cam Bynum (87.1)
Grover Stewart (83.5)
Kenny Moore (81.5) pic.twitter.com/IpKaWl8EIZ
— SleeperColts (@SleeperColts) September 8, 2025

There was real skepticism around whether or not Jones would be able to lead Indy's offense to victory, but that has been set aside, for now.

It was believed the Colts would lean heavily on the ground game and two-time Pro Bowler, Jonathan Taylor. However, Steichen started the game by pressing Miami's defense with a steady, rhythmical passing attack.

Jones started the first drive 4/6 for 57 passing yards, leading to a field goal from Spencer Shrader. After this, Jones continued to operate Steichen's offensive game plan beautifully, which set up the rest of the play calls.

It wasn't Taylor, but Jones, who was the X-Factor behind Indy putting up 33 points. Taylor wasn't underwhelming, but he only averaged 3.9 yards per carry. On the day, the team ran for 156 rushing yards on 40 attempts, paired with two scores (Daniel Jones).

Daniel Jones' second rushing TD today! @Colts lead 30-0

MIAvsIND on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/PcovE4O122
— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025

The Colts already have to look ahead to Week 2 and the visiting Denver Broncos, a team that will present a bigger test for Jones and Steichen. However, there's incredible optimism given what Jones put on the field in Week 1.

We'll see how the Colts' offense deals with names like cornerback Pat Surtain II, linebacker Nik Bonitto, and defensive lineman Zach Allen when they defend home turf against the Broncos.