The Indianapolis Colts’ Week 1 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens took a left turn on Sept. 13.
Baltimore clinched a 41-23 victory, leaving the Colts with a 0-1 record to start their season. This caused them to drop in The Athletic‘s Week 2 power rankings.
One player, in particular, is facing great pressure.
Colts’ Starting Quarterback Struggles To Build Momentum During Week 1
Heading into Week 1, Indianapolis was ranked No. 21 in The Athletic‘s power rankings.
Following their hideous loss, they’ve now dropped to No. 23.
As pointed out by Chad Graff and Josh Kendall of The Athletic, starting quarterback Daniel Jones was the primary point of concern — his recovery is expected to take longer than fans had hoped.
“It’s easy to forget that Jones was an MVP candidate last season before an Achilles tear ended his campaign,” the duo wrote. “His return from that injury suffered in December has been incredible and swift. But it’s also fair to wonder if it’s still lingering after he threw for just 166 yards on 31 attempts in a disappointing opener.”
Jones suffered an Achilles tear last season, and it’s become rather clear he’s not back to his prior form.
“Just not good enough,” Jones said after his Week 1 clash, per Stephen Holder of ESPN. “Obviously, didn’t play well enough on offense. Didn’t move the ball well. Didn’t score. Didn’t take care of it. A lot of things we set out to do every game, we didn’t accomplish.”
So far this season, granted it’s only Week 2, Jones has completed 19 of 31 passes (61.3%) for 166 yards and one touchdown. He’s rushed one time for four yards at 2.0 yards per carry
For reference, he wrapped up his 2025-26 campaign by completing 261 of 384 passes (68.0%) for 3,101 yards and 19 touchdowns, with eight interceptions.
He rushed 45 times for 164 yards, averaging 3.6 yards per carry. His recovery has been slow, but the Colts need him to step up soon.
Snapshot of What’s Ahead for the Colts
Now that Week 1 has passed, Indianapolis is gearing up to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2.
Kansas City’s matchup vs. the Colts is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 20, at 8:30 p.m. ET. This will be another road trip for the Colts, as they’ll play at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs are coming off a 31-10 victory over the Denver Broncos. They are a heavy favorite over Indianapolis.
Week 1 provided a much-needed baseline and exposed weaknesses. Jones may not be at his best, and the squad is left with no choice but to plug the gaps around him.
Red flags are already raised around the Colts, but it doesn’t have to stay that way long-term.
Colts’ Week 2 Ranking Drop Linked to One Struggling Player