The clock strikes midnight for the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday at 4:05 pm. Fans will find out whether their team is a Cinderella or a contender. The Denver Broncos are coming to town, and they figure to provide a much sterner test than Indy got from the Miami Dolphins in Week 1.
One of the most encouraging parts of the opening day beatdown Indianapolis laid on Miami was the play of the offensive line. They pounded the ball at the Dolphins' beleaguered defense all day long and were extremely effective in the passing game.
Daniel Jones, long crucified by fans in New York, was, for at least one day, sensational. He completed more than three quarters of his throws and had an outstanding 9.4 yards-per-attempt. He accounted for three touchdowns – two with his legs – and best of all, took just one sack. Jones entered his first game with the Colts, having been sacked more than 200 times in his 70-game career.
Will the Indianapolis Colts be able to protect Daniel Jones against Denver
That sack number is important because nobody pressure opposing QBs better than the Denver Broncos.
Indy’s offensive line was brilliant against Miami. Matthew Judon, Chop Robinson, Bradley Chubb, and Jaelan Phillips were not able to harass Jones. Miami’s secondary was very suspect coming into the game and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver chose to address the issue by blitzing.
Miami blitzed on more than half of the Colts’ passing plays – by far the highest percentage in the entire league in Week 1. But their pressure rate was in the middle of the pack. That suggests the Colts' blocking schemes remained solid, allowing Jones to pick apart that secondary.
Denver is a different story. They also tend to blitz a lot, but they don’t really need to in order to generate pressure. In Week 1, they blitzed on 27% of all passing downs, which is just about the same rate they had in 2024.
But their pressure rate? Through the roof. A tick under 60%. That means more than half the time rookie QB Cam Ward dropped back to throw for Tennessee in Week 1, he was either sacked, had to scramble, or had to throw the ball early. I don’t remember ever seeing a pressure number that high.
What makes Denver so formidable is the wave of pass rushers they can throw at an offense. Nik Bonitto is the most decorated, finishing third in the league last season with 13.5 sacks. But they have a bunch of other players who can get to the QB. As a result, they don’t really have to blitz. But an offense has to account for every possible pass rusher on each play because all of them bring quality.
And this is where Shane Steichen, Jim Bob Cooter, Tony Sparano, and Alex Tanney need to come up with a sound plan to protect Jones. They will also need to rely on running backs coach DeAndre Smith and tight ends coach Tom Manning, because against Denver, it’s all-hands-on-deck.
The need to help the offensive line in pass protection might lead to some interesting personnel decisions. Tyler Warren obviously isn’t coming off the field unless he has two broken legs, but you don’t want him pinned down, having to chip edge rushers on every play. So look for both Mo Alie-Cox and Andrew Ogletree to be on the field a lot.
That might come at the expense of Josh Downs and even Alec Pierce. We may have to wait another week for an AD Mitchell breakout performance.
Even more intriguing is how Steichen chooses to employ his running backs. Jonathan Taylor is a very good pass protector when he needs to be. That’s one reason he is among the best every-down backs in the league. But he will need some breaks.
As promising as rookie DJ Giddens looked in Week 1, it will be interesting to see if the coaching staff trusts him to pick up free runners intent on clobbering Daniel Jones.
Ameer Abdullah seemed like an off-kilter pickup this week. The 11-year veteran has been a quality receiving back in his career, but his best days appear to be behind him. However, despite his relatively small frame, Abdullah is a seasoned back who blocks surprisingly well for a 5’9”, 203-pound player.
Don’t be shocked if he isn’t elevated from the practice squad before the game to provide both pass protection and quick screen options when Taylor needs a rest.
Much of the success or failure of Indy’s offense on Sunday will depend on how well the five men on the offensive line perform. But the coaches can help the situation by using an assortment of other players to chip in against the league’s best pass rush.