The Indianapolis Colts started the season off strong, but unfortunately, they seem to be getting a little bit worse each week. Their Week 12 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs is just the latest example, and while the season isn't destroyed, it does raise some serious concerns.
Was the hot streak at the beginning just because of the easy schedule? That's what the doubters have been saying all season, and after this performance, those claims will only get louder. Head coach Shane Steichen made a lot of questionable decisions, including ignoring Jonathan Taylor — far and away the Colts' best player — and instead relying on a quasi-injured Daniel Jones.
Unfortunately, that gamble didn't pay off at all. Jones looked all right in the first half, but completely collapsed (along with the rest of the offense) in the second, with Jones specifically making bad throws and poor decisions constantly.
Colts fans are right to start questioning Daniel Jones’ recent play
Jones started off the season performing better than anyone expected him to. He was playing like an elite-level quarterback, not someone who struggled through most of his career. But in the past few games have not shown the great QB Colts fans have come to know and love. Instead, it's been a quarterback that Giants fans have been saying "I told you so" about.
Lately, Jones has been throwing interceptions left and right, fumbling the ball, and generally playing poorly. The Chiefs' game wasn't quite as bad, but it wasn't good, either. Of course, to be fair, he was playing through a leg injury, but it still won't help reassure fans that his recent struggles aren't a problem, especially considering the Colts' offense was at its worst today.
During the Chiefs' game, Jones started out throwing 10 of 17 passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. But then in the second half, he was just eight for 18 and 30 yards. Ouch. Overall, it could be a sign of what many expected from Jones when he initially won the starting QB job: that Jones would be a serviceable, yet mediocre, quarterback capable of executing plays but not much else.
And therein lies the ultimate problem: when the offense isn't running on all cylinders, can Jones be a good enough quarterback to elevate that offense and bring home the win? This is especially concerning as the Colts begin to consider where Jones fits into the long-term picture for Indianapolis.
The fault doesn't entirely fall on Daniel Jones, of course; Shane Steichen seemingly decided to take a little vacation during the game, and Jones just isn't good enough to make up for Steichen's lack of offensive playmaking.
This — and the loss in general — isn't the worst thing in the world for the Colts; they'll still likely be in the playoffs, and Jones is still, despite struggling recently, one of the better QBs in the league. But the concerns over his abilities are growing louder each week. This game was a chance to silence them, but instead, he may have just made them louder.