The Indianapolis Colts certainly played a better game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 than they did in the opener against Baltimore. They were in excellent position to win in overtime, but some questionable Shane Steichen decisions resulted in yet another loss, the club’s ninth straight dating back to 2025. Nonetheless, it was encouraging to see several key players step up.
But several others regressed. And at least two suffered injuries, one of which has major implications for the season.
Last week, we rated 31 members of the current roster in terms of trust. The evaluations were based on how much confidence fans have in what those players can contribute on a weekly basis. Did anything happen to shake those ratings up after Week 2? Of course it did. This is the NFL … the ultimate week-to-week endeavor.
Let’s see who moved and who remained the same heading into a Week 3 showdown with the Houston Texans.
- How the Indianapolis Colts’ trust index works
- The alphas
- The mainstays
- Fast risers
- Proving ground
- Slipping Grip
- Afterthoughts
How the Indianapolis Colts’ trust index works
Of those 31 players mentioned last week, more than a dozen of them moved either up or down on this week’s index. Three others make their debut this week. And many remained the same, even if their performance in Week 2 differed from Week 1.
In many cases, it takes more than one week to significantly alter the fanbase’s trust in a player, especially if he has been around a while and has a track record.
Rookies, or players new to the team, may rise or fall more quickly. Here’s how it all shakes out this week:
The alphas
Jonathan Taylor, RB
Taylor remains the best player on the team. He accounted for 132 of the team's 329 total yards. This actually remains a problem for the Colts. It’s not merely that Taylor had three times as many carries as the rest of the roster combined (24 to 8). I have been very concerned about how that will affect his season-long production. On Sunday, we saw another problematic component of this over-reliance.
With the team in position to win in overtime, everyone at Arrowhead knew where the ball was going. The Chiefs' defense certainly knew. Shane Steichen force-fed Taylor the ball against a stacked front on two straight plays, and he lost yards. That essentially cost them the game. JT remains the primary alpha on the team, but they desperately need to find other options to share the load.
Quenton Nelson, G
Nelson turned in his typical rock solid performance, He was effective on both pass plays and running plays.
Bernhard Raimann, OT
I seriously considered dropping Raimann out of the top group this week. His pass protection was not as good as usual against the Chiefs, allowing three pressures in 35 pass sets. That’s not terrible by any means, but it’s not elite.
I ultimately decided to leave him in the top group for at least one more week. We will get a better picture of where he stands in Week 3, when he takes on the Texans’ formidable edge rushers.
DeForest Buckner, DT
The Colts' defense was not good on Sunday. It wasn’t good in Week 1. This is such an obvious problem that it gets boring to repeat it. But Lou Anarumo still has several players to lean on, and Buckner is at the top of that list.
Laiatu Latu, Edge
Latu remains the only consistent edge rusher on the team. That is true even when he has a relatively quiet night, as was the case on Sunday.
Sauce Gardner, CB
Sauce very nearly had his first interception against Patrick Mahomes. He also gave up one big against Rashee Rice. The announcers on Sunday noted that Anarumo’s defense requires Gardner to play more zone concepts, which would seem to run counter to his superior skills as a lockdown man-coverage defender.
This is one of the things that fans like me will never understand. It’s fine for a team's coaching staff to implement a scheme they think will work best. But why would that team give up major assets for a player whose skill set may not fit with that scheme?
The world may never know.
Josh Downs, WR
Downs moves up from the second tier after his standout performance in Week 2. He was required to be special after WR1 Alec Pierce went down with what appears to be a serious injury. And he delivered. He will be vital moving forward.
The mainstays
Daniel Jones, QB
Apart from moving Downs up to the alpha tier, the mainstays remain the same. Jones was heroic on Sunday, standing in against the blitz-happy Steve Spagnuolo defense and generally getting the job done. The interception was what it was. QBs will throw picks.
The one thing that concerns me most – the thing that keeps DJ in the second tier instead of the first – is his inability to run the way he did before his injury. Time will tell whether this is simply caution until he is fully confident in his ankle, or whether this is the new normal.
Tanor Bortolini. C
Bortolini had a solid bounce-back game after struggling a bit against the Ravens’ massive defensive interior in Week 1. He is back where we assumed he would be.
Matt Goncalves, G
Goncalves had another very solid game. He and Jalen Travis have made the right side of the line just about as reliable as the left.
Tyler Warren, TE
Warren did nothing in Week 2 to cause serious alarm. It was nice to see him carry the ball on a standard running play. And he was targeted seven times, catching six of the passes. Still, his inability to get downfield and make splash plays in this offense is becoming an increasing concern.
That will become even more important as long as Alec Pierce is out. There is no reason to panic or move him down on the trust index … yet.
Cam Bynum, S
We are again faced with the difficult task of evaluating a free safety playing behind a very poor pass coverage unit. Bynum was not especially noticeable on Sunday. True, he was second on the team in tackles, but he seems to have his hands full trying to fill in where coverage in the middle of the field is lacking.
Fast risers
Jalen Travis, OT
Travis continues his ascent. It would be foolish to project great things ahead based on such a limited sample size, but I admit I have been very impressed with how well he has adapted. We will know a lot more about whether he is a mainstay or a developing project after he battles Houston this week.
Spencer Shrader, K
Shrader bounced back from a shaky Week 1. He looked like the kicker who seized the job in the preseason.
Proving ground
Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB
Quick heads up here – more than half the team falls into the next two categories. Just an indication of how up in the air things are right now. Davis-Gaither is the only linebacker on the squad who is anywhere near reliable.
If he could improve his performance in pass coverage, it would make a big difference to the defense overall. But right now, he is simply part of a unit that seems unable to defend the middle of the field against the pass.
Caden Curry, Edge
Curry got seven snaps against the Chiefs. He should be on the field more. Period.
Laquon Treadwell, WR
Can Treadwell play a bigger role in the offense with other receivers falling by the wayside? It’s hard to have a ton of confidence right now, but he did make a play that very nearly won the game on Sunday. Until new arrival Darius Salyton gets up to speed, Treadwell will be on the field with a chance to show what he can do.
Deion Burks, WR
Burks debuts on the list this week. He wasn’t involved in the passing attack, but he looked dangerous on a couple of jet sweeps. On an offense in need of firepower, the rookie sees his role increase. He should also get a look as a returner.
Charvarius Ward, CB
I had Ward in a lower tier last week. That may have been a harsh assessment, but there must be concerns about his health. When he was on the field in Week 2, he was the solid veteran we expect. But he played 36 snaps, compared to Sauce Gardner’s 76. How often he can actually play bears watching as the season goes on.
Cam Taylor-Britt, CB
Taylor-Britt returned from a one-game suspension to help improve the back end. He wasn’t a standout by any means, but he was an active presence. Hopefully, he can build on that in the weeks ahead.
JT Tuimoloau, Edge
This is a promotion for the second-year edge. I admit I have been down on him up til now. And I still think he has a way to go before fans can really trust him. But as he gets more playing time, he does seem more active, which is a good sign.
Hunter Wohler, S
Wohler debuts this week. The fact that he saw so many snaps on defense in Week 2 is evidence of several things. AJ Haulcy is struggling. And the linebacking unit is in shambles. Wohler can help with both of those problems.
Tim Smith, DT
I had higher hopes for Smith after Week 1. But he was invisible against the Chiefs, playing just three snaps. Another week like this and he will drop into the lowest tier … or off the list altogether.
Slipping Grip
Justin Walley, CB
Walley is clearly going through growing pains early in what is effectively his rookie year. The coaches have not lost confidence yet. I don’t see a lot of encouraging signals yet, but as long as he stays on the field, there is hope he will improve.
Jaylon Carlies, LB
Carlies is a major problem right now. He may not have been responsible for Tyquan Thornton’s 45-yard catch as it appeared on TV. And if he was, more fault lies with a defensive scheme that would ask a linebacker to run with a sub-4.3 receiver 40 yards downfield. But Carlies is supposed to be the Colts best cover linebacker, and the middle of the field has been an open freeway for opposing receivers.
Grover Stewart, DT
Stewart was not bad on Sunday, and it may be unfair to include him in this tier. But I do worry that his days of being a major force in the middle of the field are in the past. In a way, he is suffering from how good he has been. And though I am not optimistic, I would certainly love to see him prove me wrong in this opinion.
Keenan Allen, WR
Allen was essentially a liability on Sunday. He was outfought for the ball on a short slant, resulting in Daniel Jones’ interception. And he caught one pass on five targets. This is a major looming problem.
Seth McGowan, RB
Well, at least he got to carry the ball this week. Two carries … zero yards. It seems clear that the rookie is viewed as a kickoff returner and nothing more right now. If and when DJ Giddens returns to action, perhaps he will take over as an actual RB2.
Arden Key, Edge
Key looked good in Week 1. In Week 2, he reverted to what he has been throughout his career. A decent pass rusher who is not very reliable against the run. On a team with more depth on the edge, he could be a quality specialist. But the Colts need him to do more, and it remains an open question if he can deliver.
Bryce Boettcher, LB
Quite frankly, Boettcher has performed pretty much as expected over the past two weeks. He is in this category this week because I had him in the “proving ground” last week. He didn’t really prove anything against the Chiefs. Hence, the demotion.
AJ Haulcy, S
This is another potential problem. Haulcy is way too young to grow overly worried right now. But like fellow rookie CJ Allen, he looks overmatched after two weeks. I expect he will fight through this and develop into a more reliable safety. But he has a long way to go.
Afterthoughts
CJ Allen. LB
He played. He recorded a tackle. That is a step in the right direction. But on a team desperate for improved linebacker play, their top pick in the 2026 draft was on the field for a total of six defensive snaps. That tells you all you need to know.
Michael Clemons, DT
Clemons went to the injured list after Sunday’s game. The listed cause is a toe problem. The team needed to clear space for new receiver Darius Slayton, and they were not prepared to move Alec Pierce to the IR. Clemons was the only incoming free agent signed to a three-year deal this offseason, but it seems as if his future in Indy is very much in question.
Alec Pierce, WR
This is the most painful ranking of the week. I would have rather seen Pierce play a poor game and move him into the slipping grip tier. But he is injured now, and though we don’t yet have a definitive answer, no one would be surprised if he misses multiple weeks.
There are plenty of questions to be asked about why he was even playing so early in the season. But for now, we just shake our heads sadly and hope for a speedy return.
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