Takeaways from Colts' Nail-Biting Win Over Cardinals

– While Daniel Jones was nearly flawless a week ago against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Colts' quarterback had an up-and-down performance in this one. A fantastic opening drive, which ended in a touchdown to Tyler Warren , was followed by two three-and-outs and a poor throw resulting in an interception by Mack Wilson Sr. But Jones settled in after the interception and was mostly accurate the rest of the way, making good decisions with the football and leaving the Cardinals with very few answers.

Jones and the Colts' offense scored on four of their next five possessions as the quarterback finished 22-of-30 (73%) for 212 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Jones was particularly sharp under pressure, going 9-of-9 for 93 yards and a touchdown. It was not a perfect game from Jones by any stretch, but he made multiple big-time throws in the second half that were crucial to Indy's 14-point fourth quarter.

– When the Colts' offense was struggling in the first half, Steichen turned to Jonathan Taylor to get things back on track. Taylor continued his fast start to 2025, racking up 123 yards on 21 carries (5.9 avg.) and the game-winning touchdown. Taylor was at his best between the tackles on Sunday, making something out of nothing on multiple occasions and picking up yards when none seemed available. The All-Pro running back was the spark Indy desperately needed to get the offense rolling again.

– Warren and Josh Downs continued to be the favorite targets of Jones throughout the afternoon, with each catching six catches and a touchdown. Both did most of their damage over the middle of the field, where Jones was able to get the ball out to them in space and let them pick up extra yards. The Colts had success using Downs on options routes, matching him against linebackers to create an easy mismatch. It's likely this will continue to be a staple of the Colts' passing attack until defenses prove they can stop it.

– The offensive line of the Colts continues to be a major strength of the team. The unit paved the way for Taylor and Jones on the ground as Indy averaged 5.6 yards/carry. They also held up well in pass protection, giving up just one sack and giving Jones plenty of time despite the Cardinals bringing pressure on numerous occasions. This group continues to get better each game and is performing like one of the best in the league.

– The Colts picked up where they left off a week ago with their red zone efficiency, going a perfect 4-for-4 against the Cardinals. Indy is 10-for-10 on red zone opportunities the last two weeks after struggling in this area over the first month of the season. It has been an area of emphasis for Steichen in recent weeks, and his offense is delivering.

DEFENSE

– The Colts' defense put forth easily their worst performance of the season on Sunday. Going against backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett, the Colts surrendered 27 points and 400 yards as the Cardinals moved up and down the field with ease.

Third downs plagued Lou Anarumo's group all afternoon, allowing the Cardinals to convert 9-of-14, including a third-and-17, third-and-15, and third-and-10. While injuries played a role, the defense has a lot to clean up before next week's matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.

– The pass rush continues to leave much to be desired, as Brissett had plenty of time to scan the field and find his open receivers for much of the afternoon. When the Colts were able to pressure Brissett, they allowed him to escape the pocket and make a play on too many occasions. Laiatu Latu had a couple of chances at sacks, but could not finish yet again. Unfortunately, this is becoming a recurring problem for the pass rusher.

– One pass rusher who had his best game of the season was Kwity Paye. Paye recorded the only two sacks of Brissett and was involved in multiple run stops. Paye has had a fairly quiet year up to this point, but if he can produce like this more often, it would be a huge boost to a pass rush that is desperate for players to step up.

– The Colts signed Germaine Pratt this week to help solidify the linebacker spot next to Zaire Franklin. Unfortunately, the early results were not promising. Both Franklin and Pratt struggled in coverage as Brissett picked apart the Colts over the middle of the field. Tight end Trey McBride was on the receiving end of many of those passes, bringing in eight catches for 72 yards and a touchdown. While Franklin and Pratt were solid against the run, teams will continue to exploit them in coverage until they prove otherwise.

– While the linebacker group did not have a banner day, the Colts' secondary struggled more than any other unit. With the Colts down two starting cornerbacks, Johnathan Edwards and Chris Lammons started next to Mehki Blackmon, who was only in his second start since the retirement of Xavien Howard.

The results were predictably bad, as the Cardinals' wide receivers regularly created separation and converted for first downs. Brissett finished the day with 320 yards and two touchdowns through the air. While Blackmon had an interception for the second week in a row, there were very few highlights of note.

Injuries have decimated this group since training camp. Five cornerbacks on Indy's roster have had to miss time due to injury this season, which is hard for any group to withstand. It is definitely an area of concern moving forward, and the Colts may want to gauge the trade market for outside help.

INJURIES

– The Colts suffered two injuries today, but neither occurred during the game. Anthony Richardson Sr. was made inactive after suffering an orbital fracture during pregame warmups when an exercise band hit him in the eye. Richardson spent the duration of the game in the hospital as his injuries were attended to.

Steichen did not have an update on Richardson after the game, nor did he give a timeline for the quarterback's return. Riley Leonard will serve as the backup quarterback until Richardson can return from yet another freak injury.

– Believe it or not, Richardson was not the only Colt injured during pregame warmups. Charvarius Ward suffered a concussion during warmups after colliding with Drew Ogletree. Ward was down for several minutes before being helped to the locker room by trainers. It's the second concussion for Ward already this season.

The injuries to Ward and Kenny Moore II (Achilles) were a big factor in the struggles of the Colts' secondary on Sunday. Playing without your top two cornerbacks will have that impact on any team. If neither is able to return next week, it will be very tough to slow down Justin Herbert and the Chargers' offense.