The Indianapolis Colts pulled off a stunning win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 1. It isn't so much that the Colts won; both teams were 8-9 last year. But it's how easily they won. And that comes down to one Colts coach, more than any single player.
I agree that Colts head coach Shane Steichen deserves a lot of credit for seeing something in quarterback Daniel Jones that many fans didn't see - mainly, talent. But I believe a different Indianapolis coach should see his stock go through the roof after their surprisingly easy Week 1 win over Miami.
Yes, Daniel Jones looked great in this game. At least he did in the first half. Danny Dimes connected on 17 of 22 passes for 197 yards, one touchdown, and a 20-0 lead at the half. He was just 5 of 7 for 75 yards in the second half, but he led the team on three more scoring drives to stretch their lead over Miami. Meanwhile, punter Rigoberto Sanchez got the afternoon off. Despite that, the hero of this game has to be a coach.
Indianapolis Colts DC Lou Anarumo should be a rising star after this game
I'll admit, I'm not sold on Daniel Jones just yet. For one thing, it appeared for all the world like the Dolphins drew up their defensive game plan assuming Anthony Richardson was starting. They apparently didn't get the memo, as they consistently took deep drops in coverage for most of the first half.
Jones would hit Jonathan Taylor in the flat, or a quick out to rookie tight end Tyler Warren, and Miami would watch it happen over and over.
Lou Aanarumo definitely got the memo on Miami. Two of three keys critical to beating the opening day curse were on defense. And man, did the Colts' new defensive coordinator ever deliver on them.
The Dolphins' offense is predicated on timing, and the Colts disrupted that timing throughout the game. They sacked Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa three times and put him on the turf on six more plays.
By the time the first half carnage was over, Miami had just 43 yards of offense. Tua played one of his worst games ever. He threw two picks, the first on an awful overthrow, and suffered a strip sack as well. He was badly rattled by the Colts' D and never found any rhythm to his game.
The QB who led the league in passing percentage last season at 72.9 percent completed just 60 percent on the day. More telling, his passer rating was just 51.7, and he had a QBR of 2.7. I think you get five points for drinking Gatorade during the pregame warmups.
And who made that happen? Yeah, it was Nick Cross and Sam Ebukam, Zaire Franklin and Charvarius Ward, and about 18 other guys. But the man who put it all together and made that plan sing - that was Lou Anarumo. A few more weeks like this, and the coaching carousel will come around in 2026.