The Indianapolis Colts entered Week 5 as slight underdogs vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers with a real chance to earn their first winning record of the 2026 season. After a rough start to the season, quarterback Daniel Jones needed to play significantly better if the Colts wanted to upset the Steelers at home.
Ultimately, Jones’ performance fell somewhere between the ugly seven-turnover stretch we’ve seen through the first four weeks and the stellar first half of last year that earned Jones $88 million in the offseason.
In other words, Jones didn’t make too many mistakes and also wasn’t the playmaker Indianapolis needed at the QB position, as the Colts lost 34-22. It’s a low bar, but this was likely still Jones’ best game of the year.
3 quick-fire Daniel Jones takeaways after Indianapolis Colts fall short in Week 5
Takeaway No. 1: Daniel Jones was flawless against pressure
Facing one of the best pass rushes in the NFL, all eyes were on how Jones would handle the pocket pressure in Pittsburgh. Just last week, Jones turned the ball over twice — one interception while backpedaling and one strip-sack — due to the pressure created by the Washington front seven.
It was a totally different story against Pittsburgh. All game, Jones was calm and collected, even when under duress. Whenever he felt pressure, Jones navigated the pocket with ease, got the ball out of his hands quickly with accuracy, and even used his legs to extend plays when needed.
This season, the Steelers’ defense has excelled at getting to the QB and forcing turnovers. Jones picked the perfect time to turn a corner and look much more composed under center. That was a welcome change from the first four weeks and gave the Indianapolis offense a massive boost.
Takeaway No. 2: Daniel Jones needs to keep looking deep
Throughout his career, Jones has been criticized for overindexing on short passes. Paired with deep-ball specialist Alec Pierce, Jones finally started to uncork more explosive throws last season. Once Pierce was placed on Injured Reserve after Week 2, Jones reverted to bad habits and rarely tested opposing defenses downfield.
In Week 5, we saw flashes of just how dangerous the Colts can be when Jones isn’t afraid of going deep. Pass-catchers Josh Downs and Tyler Warren may not be known as vertical threats, but they certainly can play that role if Jones is willing to take shots. Both Downs and Warren caught passes of 20+ yards against Pittsburgh, giving Indianapolis much-needed jolts of energy.
Takeaway No. 3: Daniel Jones is not the reason the Colts lost
Yes, Indianapolis lost in Week 5. No, Jones did not have a perfect game. But Jones did not lose this game for the Colts. This was one of Jones’ cleanest stat lines of the season. He notched a season-best 267 passing yards, while not throwing any interceptions for the first time this year.
Although Jones failed to create the game-winning plays he’s paid to make, he delivered a mostly mistake-free performance. Instead, Indianapolis can blame Jonathan Taylor’s measly 45 rushing yards and a defense that allowed the Steelers to score a season-high 34 points.
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