There's no denying that Daniel Jones looked much better in the Indianapolis Colts' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last weekend than in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens. His completion percentage, quarterback rating, and yards thrown all improved in Week 2, while his 1-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio stayed the same.
Still, Jones looked better—more mobile and quicker on his feet —and that's a good sign for the Colts, who need that element of Jones's game to have the best offense they can. Scrambling and running with the ball after escaping the pocket was part of Jones's best games in New York, and last season with the Colts before his injury.
Against the Ravens, Jones looked like he had no intention of running with the ball, and it hampered the Colts' offense. His mobility with the football can make him dangerous, but is he Joe Burrow-dangerous? When you compare one quarterback to another, a Jones-to-Burrow comparison usually isn't in the deck, but Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson believes it is.
Houston Texans' DE Will Anderson compares Indianapolis Colts' QB Daniel Jones to one of the best
Surely Anderson wasn't saying Jones is as good as Burrow, because he isn't. When healthy, Burrow is electric and a top-five quarterback in the NFL today; Jones isn't a top-five, top-10, or even top-15 quarterback right now.
What Anderson recently said about Jones's likeness to Burrow had more to do with one particular skill set, which makes sense because it is one of Jones's more dangerous skill sets. When he initiates it, he can do a lot of damage to opposing teams' defenses.
Leading up to the Texans' road game against the Colts this Sunday, Anderson was asked about Jones, and his response was praiseworthy and more than true.
“He's tough. He's really tough. He kind of reminds me of Joe Burrow in a sense," Anderson said. "If you disrespect the pocket, he'll take off on you. He wants to stand in the pocket, and he wants to show that he's a quarterback. I think he's been doing a really good job of that. We have a ton of respect for him. It's going to be a great challenge for us. Him and Joe Burrow really remind me a lot of each other. It's going to be good for us.”
Again, what makes Jones a threat in the pocket is his size and deceptive speed, making him a dangerous open-field runner and effective scrambler on broken plays. Since joining the Colts, Jones has operated efficiently within Shane Steichen’s scheme, getting the ball out quickly—ranking among the fastest in average time-to-throw.
But when he has nowhere to throw, Jones' IQ comes into play, and that's when he takes off. Once he sees an open field, he doesn't hesitate; he goes for it, and Colts fans got to see more of it against the Chiefs.
His lack of desire to run against the Ravens likely stemmed from the comfort of his injury, which he spent the offseason recovering from. It may take him a few games to regain that confidence. In Kansas City, it came back to life a little. Against Houston, Jones may be even more confident, which could cause serious problems for a Texans defense that is struggling to contain offenses.
Jones is no Burrow; he never will be. That said, Anderson is right: both quarterbacks have similar skill sets that make each dangerous in their own right. The Texans just saw it against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2, and they may see it again against Jones and the Colts this week.
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