Daniel Jones has to feel good about getting the win for the Indianapolis Colts, who lost their first two games of the season in brutal fashion. Their win over AFC South rival the Houston Texans was no route or masterclass of football, but it was a much-needed win despite the quarterback's bad turnovers.
That said, even in wins, nothing is perfect, and the Colts did nothing perfect against the Texans, especially on offense. One major element has plagued Jones so far this season: turnovers. In three games, Jones has committed five turnovers (three interceptions, two fumbles lost), amid many other missed opportunities on offense.
Furthermore, Jones has thrown just one touchdown per game, so the Colts' passing attack hasn't been very successful yet. After Sunday's win, Jones was his harshest critic, but it's also important to note that the Texans' defense didn't make it easy for him, which played a significant role in keeping him from being better than he was.
Daniel Jones laments his turnovers in the Indianapolis Colts' win over the Houston Texans
One key thing happened on Sunday in the Colts vs. Texans game that both teams needed: both defenses played better, and they did. For the Colts, it was a significant contrast from their first two games, and they held C.J. Stroud to under 200 passing yards and the Texans' offense to under 20 points.
If you can hold any team to under 20 points, it's a winnable game. Fortunately, the Colts did achieve both, but it didn't come easy, especially for their quarterback. Jones wasn't great in the win and added to his season turnover total. It didn't help that he was under constant pressure (46.3% of his dropbacks), dealing with the heat all afternoon.
Setting aside his turnovers, Jones still managed to be efficient when he did throw the football under that pressure, completing 9 of 15 passes for 115 yards. He passed the pressure test, at least, but after the game he focused on his mistakes, and he knows he can't keep putting his team in those bad spots.
"Obviously you can't turn the ball over like that," Jones said. "Costly for the team. Can't put the team in that position and certainly understand how important that is as a quarterback, but the game goes on, and you gotta be able to play the next play and execute, and certainly try to do that."
Jones should also be thankful the Colts' defense showed up the way it did; otherwise, the turnovers could have cost them the win. Despite Indianapolis losing the turnover battle 3-0, those takeaways translated into only seven points for the Texans. Houston's failure to capitalize helped secure the Colts' victory in the end.
Jones might be one of the Colts' biggest areas of concern right now, and that's not good. No matter how good a performance the defense gives you, if the quarterback can't protect the football, it causes a ton of problems. This is an area of improvement for Jones, who'd better clean it up quickly.
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