It's almost impossible to remember that Daniel Jones was the sixth overall selection of the 2019 NFL Draft. It took him a while, but he's certainly playing up to those lofty expectations now.
I'll admit it, Blue Crew. I seriously doubted that the Daniel Jones Experience would pay off in anything but heartbreak for the Colts faithful. So far, head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard look like the smartest men in the league for picking up Danny Dimes on the cheap. If only the Giants had been smart enough to use him correctly. But that's why they're the Giants.
Believe me, $14 million for a starting quarterback is cheap, and for one that's 3-0, it's like finding a Van Gogh at the thrift shop for five bucks. I mean, sure, if you want to pay a guy like Dak Prescott $50 million and get a guy who's taken his team to a 1-2 record and played exactly as badly as that record shows, you could. So all praise to what coach Steichen and his prize pupil have done.
Daniel Jones has been exactly who the Colts needed
Daniel Jones got off to a great start in the game. He connected on three straight passes after an opening miss with Tyler Warren. The drive stalled, as so many have in the red zone this season. But Mr. Automatic, Spencer Shrader, nailed the 24-yard kick to stake the Colts to a 10-0 lead. Wait, a 10-0 lead?
Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention that Kenny Moore took his 21st career interception to the house. Congratulations to the long-time Colts veteran.
But this is about Danny Dimes. He finished the first half with 10 completions on 16 attempts for 141 yards. No, he didn't throw any touchdowns. The good news is that he didn't turn the ball over, either. He did direct a nine-play touchdown drive, keyed by a 17-yard scramble that kept the drive going.
In a sequence that must be seen to be believed, the Titans and Colts exchanged missed field goals. First, the Colts saw a scoring drive falter, as Shrader lost his Mr. Automatic title with a miss from 51 yards out.
The Titans then drove - I guess that's what you'd call it - 15 yards in over two and a half minutes. Tennessee and Indianapolis each called a timeout, then the former Oilers were pushed back five yards for a delay of the game. Of course, the Colts blocked the kick, and yes, Jones moved his team 30 yards in 37 seconds to get three more points on the board as the first half expired.
In the opening drive of the second half, Jones completed all four of his passes for 52 yards. Solid work, but it was far more important that he hit Michael Pittman with a 20-yard strike for the score and a 27-6 lead. That was just the beginning of Jones's heroics in the second half. He led the Colts on two more scoring drives, as the Titans simply couldn't keep up with the high-powered Colts offense.
When his team needed him most, Daniel Jones came through. He completed eight of nine passes in the second half for 87 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, he repeatedly put his teammates in position to win their battles and move the chains. It appears the formula was as simple as putting Jones in a system that fit his skill set. As it turns out, Daniel Jones is a first-round pick after all.