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Jonathan Taylor
Even though Daniel “Indiana” Jones has been enjoying a career resurgence in Indianapolis (more on him later), this offense runs through Jonathan Taylor. Leading the league in touches, touchdowns, and yards, Taylor has been on a tear to start the season. JT is the main cog on a well-oiled wheel that has been humming along brilliantly. The improvements to pass-blocking and receiving also established him as a three-down running back, with him only missing snaps because games were already decided.
Daniel Jones
Is three games a large enough sample size to say that Jones is in the midst of a revival? His numbers against the Titans were not spectacular by any means; it was the way he played. Again, he just seems so comfortable within the offense. He is showing impeccable touch on the short throws, which opens up a ton of things for the Colts’ offense. He is extremely hard to bring down in the pocket, showing great presence and escapability, and his deep ball has been surprisingly accurate. What probably has been the biggest shock is that he has not turned the ball over yet, and according to PFF.com he has just one turnover worthy play on the year.
Shane Steichen
Steichen’s seat was among the hottest starting the year. With the quarterback controversy, the failure to develop Anthony Richardson, and no playoffs in his first two seasons, it was do-or-die time for the head coach. So far, he has responded brilliantly. Daniel Jones looks like a franchise quarterback, the offense is producing, and new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has vastly improved the defense. There have been some minor problems with the playcalling, and I do not like how conservative he gets in the red zone.
Michael Pittman Jr.
Clearly not a fit with Anthony Richardson, Michael Pittman Jr. is quietly having one of the best starts in his career. Against the Titans he led the team in targets for the second time in three games, got himself another touchdown, and is clearly Jones’ favourite weapon on the outside. He also has by far the highest catch rate (84.2%) in his entire career.
Laiatu Latu / Tyquan Lewis
The sack numbers are not there yet, but Latu’s pressure numbers are encouraging. He is winning reps, but his struggles finishing are what is costing him translating that to sacks. He racked up five pressures against a backup right tackle, and has by far the highest pass-rush win rate on the team. Lewis got six pressures, but he also managed to get two sacks on the day. His story has been a joy to watch, fighting injuries, he is a great asset to have on the defensive line.
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Zaire Franklin
This defensive scheme is not favorable for a slow player like Franklin, who took advantage of Bradley’s conservative run defense approach that translated into 6-8 easy tackles a game. Franklin gets exposed way too much in coverage, a step too slow every single time he is in zone, and his tackling numbers have gone way down, with just 16 so far. Once Carlies is back in the mix, it is probable that Franklin will not be a full time starter.
Josh Downs
While Jones likes to spread the ball around to everyone in the Colts’ offense, Downs seems to have fallen behind a bit in the pecking order. Against the Titans, Downs finished the game with just three targets. If Alec Pierce misses next week with a concussion, then Downs could see increased targets, but it has been a slow start for what many expected to be a breakout year.
Samson Ebukam
Ebukam has struggled on his way back after his Achilles tear last season, and his game against the Titans was not encouraging. He has been the Colts’ worst run defender, which was always his strong suit, and has been a subpar pass-rusher. With how Ebukam has been playing, I would not be surprised if sooner or later Anarumo is forced to go with J.T. Tuimoloau at edge.
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