NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Shane Steichen is finally realizing the vision he laid out for the Colts offense when he first got hired in Indianapolis.
Throw to score. Run to win.
With a quarterback nobody thought would be able to play that kind of football.
A quarterback who just might fit perfectly with Shane Steichen, a mad scientist whose genius lies in his ability to find a defense’s tells, tendencies and weaknesses, then build a game plan that has a counter for everything a defensive coordinator might throw at him.
Maybe all he needed was a quarterback who sees the game the same way, who can win the chess match at the line of scrimmage that Steichen’s already won in the film room.
“You’ve got a guy that’s the signal-caller back there that studies his tail off, looks at tape all day every day, grinding, looking at different things, knowing the checks, understanding what we’re trying to get done offensively, getting us in and out of the right plays,” Steichen said. “That stuff pays huge dividends in this league, because there’s a lot going on. Obviously, this is one of the toughest positions in all of sports to play, and he’s doing it right now as good as it gets.”
The numbers are staggering.
A streaking Indianapolis offense blew past the Titans for a 41-20 win on Sunday, flying out of Tennessee with an undefeated record and a string of staggering offensive numbers.
Indianapolis has now scored at least 29 points in every game, the first time the franchise has opened a season at such a prolific clip since 1969. The Colts have scored 103 points, more than any team has scored in the first three games in the Indianapolis era, and they haven’t turned the ball over this season, the first time in franchise history a Colts offense has opened the season with three straight games without a blemish.
“Every game can be different, but our guys are protecting up front, our wideouts are making plays, everyone is getting involved,” Steichen said. “Take it one week at a time, but excited about where we’re at right now as a football team.”
The formula might be the most surprising part.
Before the season, the conventional wisdom was the Colts would have to win by running the ball as much as possible, pairing the mobility of whichever quarterback they chose with the otherworldly abilities of Jonathan Taylor, leaving the passing game as an afterthought.
Taylor has been as good as advertised. The Indianapolis superstar rushed for 102 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday’s win, bringing his league-leading rushing total to 338 rushing yards.
But anybody who’s watched the three games knows that Taylor is putting teams away, rather than racing out to a fast start. The Indianapolis running game has started slowly in three consecutive weeks, hammering away at fronts designed to stop the offense defenses thought the Colts would run this season.
Indianapolis is initially beating them through the air instead.
“I think, just trying to take advantage of what the defense is doing,” Jones said. “It helps to have a lead, when you have a lead, and especially in the second half, then you can run the ball and hit some explosive runs.”
Jones has been handing the Colts the lead, bucking everything said about him when the Giants benched him midway through the 2024 season and granted his request for release a few days later.
New York believed Jones was best as a runner, turning in his best season with the Giants by teaming with Saquon Barkley to give the Giants one of the NFL’s best rushing attacks.
Steichen has rarely asked Jones to carry the ball on designed runs in Indianapolis.
“I’m certainly willing, and feel like I’m capable in the run game when it’s needed; I think that’s still part of this system,” Jones said. “But, I mean, when you’ve got JT running like he’s running it, let him run it. I don’t need to get in the way of that.”
The Colts like the way Jones is operating from the pocket.
And it’s hard to argue with Steichen’s assessment. Known for taking sacks in New York, Jones has taken just two in the first three games with Indianapolis, dodging pressure by making the right decision almost every time. When he has an available receiver, Jones has gotten the ball out of his hands before the rush can get home, and he’s thrown it away a handful of times instead of taking a sack.
On Sunday, Jones beat the pass rush with his legs, darting through the pocket for a 17-yard run on a key third down to keep the Colts’ first touchdown drive alive.
“For him to get out of there and scramble for the first down was a huge play for us,” Steichen said. “He’s seeing it really well, getting us in and out of the right plays, delivering the ball with accuracy.”
Accuracy was a key talking point this offseason.
Former starter Anthony Richardson completed 47.7% of his throws last year, the worst mark for an NFL starter since Tim Tebow in 2011, and the belief was that Jones would at least be able to raise that number, allowing the Colts to move the chains.
The veteran quarterback has done much more than move the chains. Jones has completed 71.6% of his passes without dinking and dunking, excelling in the middle of the field at intermediate range to produce 9.3 yards per attempt.
Few would have believed Jones could play like this for any three-game stretch after the way things ended in New York.
But Jones has always been accurate, and Steichen’s relentless pursuit of answers to a defense’s problems fits the way Jones sees the game. Both coach and quarterback are known for watching film at all hours of the day, constantly thinking about potential solutions to problems the defense might present.
“You’re always working to find something that could help you,” Jones said. “Shane’s very similar. I think something that’s impressed me here, I think we’ve got a smart football team and a lot of guys who can handle information, and kind of know what to expect going out there and then execute.”
Steichen’s hands were tied a little bit the last two seasons.
Richardson’s mobility and inexperience forced Steichen to focus on the run. Gardner Minshew sometimes didn’t take advantage of the plays that were open down the field. Joe Flacco was limited by age and inconsistency.
Jones is letting Steichen play the way he wants to play.
Joel A. Erickson covers the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.