Injuries can ruin a season, as the Indianapolis Colts learned a year ago when Daniel Jones missed the stretch run and Indy collapsed all the way out of the playoffs.
But injuries, for the most part, are unpredictable. The Colts’ 2026 season outlook depended on much more than health. It depends on whether Jones looks like he did in the first 10 games last year, or if he looks like he has for the rest of his NFL career.
On Sunday, the contrast was painful and stark. Jones was opposed by the Ravens‘ two-time NFL MVP, Lamar Jackson.
Jackson looked like a two-time MVP. Jones looked like, well, Jones.
Daniel Jones’ Week 1 Stats
Jones was pedestrian, even once the game was mostly out of hand and the Ravens weren’t being as aggressive defensively.
He finished the day 19-for-31 for 166 yards. He threw one touchdown, a short completion to Tyler Warren that found the end zone. He was also picked off once.
In ESPN’s QBR that goes up to 100, Jones had a 28.7. In the traditional quarterback rating stat, Jones was a 72.8.
He also only ran once for four yards, which is probably logical given the injuries he’s returning from, but which also is clearly something that can be a limiting factor for Jones’ overall offensive upside.
The Colts got a standard day out of Jonathan Taylor on the ground — 19 runs for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
They also weren’t at entirely full strength, because Alec Pierce didn’t play every snap as he returned from extended injury recovery after offseason surgery. Pierce still led the receiving game with four catches for 61 yards.
In truth, though, this offense just looked normal. They didn’t look like the group that was somehow as efficient as the “Greatest Show on Turf” Rams in the first half of last season. They looked like a group quarterbacked by Jones, the one-time Giants draft bust.
A Big Contrast
On the other side was Jackson, who the Colts couldn’t stop. He completed 17-of-25 passes for 324 yards and a touchdown. He also ran seven times for 40 yards and a TD.
Jackson has a star running back, too, and Derrick Henry went 24 times for 144 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday, so that combination in the backfield worked well.
And it’s not a criticism of the Colts to say they don’t have Jackson. Only one team does (although he was once the No. 32 overall pick, so he was available to everyone else first).
It’s just a reality check for the Colts. Their season could look more like Sunday and less like the opening to last year. That might be what life is really like with Jones at QB.
Colts’ Daniel Jones Contrast Painfully Obvious vs. Ravens