Going into their Week 8 game against the Tennessee Titans, the Colts were already playing at a high level, with the most efficient offense and the best record in the NFL.
They went into the game at Lucas Oil Stadium favored to win, and a lot of times when teams that have a record of something like 6-1 go up against a team that is 1-6, they might feel like it’s going to be an easy game or a game that they should win regardless.
The Colts did not go into Sunday’s game with that mentality.
Instead, they went into the game respecting the Titans as a division opponent and as a team that could be capable of beating the Colts if they didn’t play to their standard. They knew they had to take care of business on both sides of the ball and play their own game – and if they did that, then they should win.
The Colts did just that from the very beginning of the 38-14 win; from the first drive on, they handled business and put pressure on the Titans to keep up with them – and the Titans couldn’t.
That means that, once again, the Colts were well prepared not just physically, but mentally, entering the game. And in order to be a good team, that’s what you need to be: prepared every week to be able to face your opponent and respect them, understanding that if you don’t play up to your standard you can get beat on any given Sunday.
We’ve heard from head coach Shane Steichen countless times about the standard that Daniel Jones has set from the moment he stepped foot in the building, and we saw that in full force on Sunday.
From an offensive standpoint, the quarterback is the focal point of the offense; everything revolves around him. Jones’ preparation gives him confidence, and his teammates feed off of that confidence. They know he has a good understanding of the game plan, of the offense, and he’s prepared each and every week. They know that he can both get them in position for a good – and often great – play, and he can just as easily get them out of difficult situations.
As a teammate, you also see that he’s putting in the work. You see it in practice, in the weight room, in the meeting rooms. And with that, you feel a sense of responsibility to keep up with him.
Jones is leading by example, and he’s inspiring other people to step up their game. He doesn’t always say much, but his quiet leadership speaks volumes.
And Jones is all about doing what’s best for the team. He doesn’t feel the need to force anything; he’s just as happy to throw the ball one yard to Jonathan Taylor as he is to throw a 50-yard pass to Alec Pierce – whichever play is more likely to help the Colts. His individual statistics don’t matter.
We can see that translate to the rest of the offense, as well: the Colts still don’t have a wide receiver who has 100 receiving yards in a game this season, and no one is complaining about it.