The Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs have a long history of battles both during the regular season and the playoffs. Many of the best came during Peyton Manning's era, but Daniel Jones's history with the Chiefs is very limited.
The former New York Giants quarterback has faced Kansas City just twice in his career, once with the Giants and last year with the Colts. Jones's teams lost both games, and he's hoping to steal a win on Sunday in the third meeting.
In Week 1, Jones and the Colts' offense struggled to move the football after the first drive, and one key element from Jones's game was completely missing. This element has made Jones the most successful on the field, and it's part of why Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo believes his defense cannot overlook it.
Kansas City Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo warns against Indianapolis Colts' QB Daniel Jones's running abilities
Jones didn't find much success early in his NFL career in New York, but no one can argue that one of his best quarterback skills is escaping the pocket and running with the ball. When the Giants were winning and, unfortunately, losing, Jones was using his legs more often than not, and it made him a dual threat.
Jones's legs weren't visible in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens, likely because of the Achilles tear he suffered last season. Against the Ravens' defense, Jones didn't look comfortable running, and it may have hurt the Colts more than many realized.
For the Colts' sake, Jones better find the confidence to trust his legs, as scrambling for yards is the best decision to help his offense. It's his running mobility that the long-time Chiefs defensive coordinator believes can't be overlooked, even though it didn’t show up against the Ravens.
“We can’t be deceived by this quarterback, thinking he’s a statue,” Spagnuolo said of Jones,per KMBC News. “He’s a really good athlete, too. And they have option football in their game; their coaches do a really good job of it.
“When Daniel Jones and [Jonathan] Taylor are playing together, Taylor plays really well because you have the threat of the quarterback throwing it, so they’re dual threat in that regard,” Spagnuolo said. “I’m not deceived by the fact that they didn’t have a great game last week.”
Now, comments like these right before a matchup should sometimes be taken with a grain of salt; an opposing coach or player might be divvying out praise to get into the opposing team's heads. Spagnuolo has never come off as that type of coach, but in any case, what he said is true.
Maybe it was just one game Jones needed to get comfortable playing football again, and that alone will boost his confidence to lean heavier on his mobility a week later. Jones is much more than a statue; there are seven years of evidence to prove it. For a quarterback with no physical appearance of athleticism, Jones is quite athletic, as Spagnuolo stated.
Then, of course, the Chiefs can't let one of the NFL's best running backs go up and down the field either; Jonathan Taylor was the one bright spot in Week 1, totaling over 120 yards of offense. Taylor could be a problem, but if Spagnuolo is focusing on Jones as the Colts' main factor, there may be something to it.
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