Week 1 was a good time to be an Indianapolis Colts fan. The team destroyed the Miami Dolphins and looked good enough to make a serious playoff push. Is Miami a bad team? Yeah, but the difference between one NFL team and another shouldn't be as wide as it was for Indy and the Dolphins.
It might also be far too early to get too excited about any NFL team after just one game. The New Orleans Saints scored 40-plus points in both of their first two games in 2024, and the Saints finished 5-12. It only takes a key injury or five to ruin a team's season.
But we seemingly learned a lot about the Colts in Week 1. Those might not change much because what we saw in the 33-8 victory was fairly clear. How could any Colt be a loser from Week 1? Well, one was.
Winners and a loser from the Indianapolis Colts smashing of the Miami Dolphins in Week 1
Winner: Quarterback Daniel Jones
One could not ask for a better start from Daniel Jones. He had no interceptions, three touchdowns, and led his offense to points on every drive. He wasn't perfect, but he was great.
Now, expecting this every week is expecting too much because of his own personal history and the history of the NFL. Jones does have the opportunity to look pretty good in the coming weeks. Indy plays the Denver Broncos in Week 2, and they have a good D, but in a couple of the next few week's the Colts will play the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans. Not teams with elite defenses.
Loser: Quarterback Anthony Richardson
No athlete is going to doubt themselves if they want to have future success. Richardson likely watched Danny Dimes work his magic against the Dolphins and thought, "I can do that." Only, he can't. He never has, and if Jones plays anywhere near as good as he did in Week 1, AR5 won't have the chance to prove whatever he can with Indy again.
Winner: Head coach Shane Steichen
Hey, what do you know? The guy can coach after all. Indianapolis fans kept hearing that all Steichen needed was a decent quarterback, and the offense would look good. Maybe that was correct. It was for one week, at least.
To be fair, while Steichen mixed up the plays well enough, he was also coaching against an awful Dolphins defense. The real test with the Jones and Steichen connection will come next week versus Denver.
Winner: Kicker Spencer Shrader
Maybe kicker isn't the sexiest position to most fans, but the position still matters. Indy's recent kicking struggles seem done, too. Shrader had never been any team's choice of Kicker 1 in his short career, but Indianapolis chose him in training camp and the preseason, and he paid off.
He made all of his seven kicks (four field goals with a long of 48, and three extra points). He appeared closer to a Pro Bowler than a player trying to make a roster a month ago.
Winner: Safety Cam Bynum
This one is really a win for the Indianapolis Colts. The free agent acquisition had an interception, two passes defended, and roamed the deep middle in a way that Indy's defense will need for success this season. Even if Daniel Jones slumps, the defense can steal some wins, and Bynum is going to help with that.