Daniel Jones Might Fit Colts Better Than Anthony Richardson

However, just because Richardson received positive news on his shoulder soreness, Jones appears to be taking grand steps in the right direction to potentially become the Colts' next leader of Shane Steichen's offense.

Mina Kimes of ESPN on the Mina Kimes Show broke down how the Colts' offense will look if Jones secures the starting position, stating the following regarding Jones' conservative, shorter throws that are less risky than Richardson's bombs, which make up far more yards.

"In some ways, you could also argue, the receiving group works better with an offense that's a little bit more efficient working underneath."

She continued with another description: "It's probably going less 'wow' and hopefully a little bit more, just, efficient."

Jones takes fewer chances than Richardson as a passer, and while it's not sexy and entertaining, it might help Indy's offense move the ball more efficiently and limit the chances of a turnover. Jones hasn't had a great past two seasons, falling to a 3-13 record in his final years with the New York Giants.

Kimes also had this to say about Jones' dynamic as the starter: "They brought Daniel Jones in to say like, 'here's a guy who can run the football, so we don't have to lose that. Who can at least be accurate throwing underneath.' "

Jones' numbers through six years are indicative of a QB who is safer as a passer and can run the football, which is good for Steichen's offense with its run-centric focus, having a running back like Jonathan Taylor in the backfield. It also takes pressure off Jones to run the entire offense, and he has more weapons than ever to throw to.

Jones has totaled 14,582 passing yards on 1,437/2,241 completions (64.1 percent) for 70 touchdown tosses to 47 picks thrown. Jones also has a solid 2,179 rushing yards for an average of 5.5 yards per carry and another 15 scores (85 all-purpose).

Jones wasn't given much with the Giants, minus a 2022 campaign where the former sixth-overall pick secured a playoff spot and defeated the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card. In short, it's hard to forecast what kind of Jones that Steichen can morph, but the brightness might be present; Jones might have needed a change of scenery for it to surface.

Richardson and Jones each must win this competition, or their respective NFL futures start to get murky. This QB battle is critical to Indianapolis' success, and finally putting to bed their never-ending search for a consistent leader under center.

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