Coming into the season, no one outside of the most die-hard Indianapolis Colts fans could have imagined a storybook season of this magnitude was possible. The Daniel Jones-led Indianapolis Colts, standing at an imposing 6-1 record, now have sole possession of the title of best record in the NFL, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffering their second loss at the hands of the Detroit Lions.
Even Jones himself said it when asked about the media's predictions for the team entering the season. "Sounds like y'all didn't know much", he said after the team beat the previously 4-2 Los Angeles Chargers.
This may be the NFL season with the most parity across the board in recent memory. There are no bona fide juggernaut Super Bowl favorites this year. Sure, there are some definite quality teams, but every one of them has real issues.
The Detroit Lions got blown out by the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay then lost to the lowly Cleveland Browns. Really, the NFL landscape is more wide open than ever for an ascendant team to take the next step forward.
The Indianapolis Colts now stand alone at the top of the NFL
In hindsight, it seems insane that the national consensus was so low on this team. Sure, no one could have expected Daniel Jones to be the MVP candidate he has been this year, but this was still going to be a ridiculously deep offense.
Even teams with poor quarterback play could succeed in an offense with Tyler Warren, Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman, a top-five offensive line unit, and one of the deepest wide receiver rooms in the league.
To be fair, that's exactly what quarterback Anthony Richardson had last year (sans Tyler Warren), and the Colts offense was nowhere near as dominant as it is this season. That's a true testament to how amazing of a signing Daniel Jones has been for this team. Not only has he embodied the culture of Indianapolis to a tee, but he's played like a top-five quarterback.
It's no stretch to say that Daniel Jones' current contract has a very good case to be one of the best values in the league. Unfortunately, it is a one-year deal, so Indy might be forced to ante up and fork over the big dollars to Jones next year if he keeps performing at the level he has been.
It's a situation very reminiscent of the Vikings and Sam Darnold last year, and just look how awesome Darnold has been for the red-hot Seattle Seahawks.
Still, Jones' contract is talk for next year. Right now, it's all in on the 2025 Indianapolis Colts, the lone team with the best record in the league. Indy is blazing through the league at record pace, and shattering offensive efficiency records as they do it. Who knows what the end of the season may bring, but this team is a true contender, and the entire league now knows it.