The Indianapolis Colts' decision to name Daniel Jones as their Week 1 starter was met with broad skepticism. Anthony Richardson hasn't exactly proven himself at the NFL level, but the 23-year-old oozes upside. Jones, 27, is coming off a much-maligned stint with the New York Giants, which ended with him taking reps as a practice squad defender.
It felt like the Colts were undercutting Richardson (again) in favor of a proven negative commodity. The idea that Jones, with more interceptions than touchdowns over the last two seasons, was somehow a superior game manager, a stabilizing force, sounded ludicrous.
And yet here we are. The Colts rolled to victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, led by an impressive debut performance from Jones. He completed 21-of-28 passes for 257 yards and one touchdown in a 33-8 victory, avoiding the turnover column. He also ran seven times for an additional 26 yards and two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Russell Wilson made his debut for the Giants and ... well, it was bad. Russ looked overmatched from the jump against a flawed Washington Commanders defense. After flaming out in Pittsburgh, it feels like only a matter of time until Wilson is booted from New York, too.
This is pretty much the nightmare Week 1 outcome for Giants fans: Russell Wilson stinking it up and Daniel Jones miraculously unearthing that 2022 "he's actually good now!" glow. Here's what is real — and what we should reserve judgement on.
Daniel Jones' Colts debut comes with an asterisk
Jones was undeniably impressive on Sunday afternoon. Credit where it's due for Shane Steichen: The Colts' offense looked to be in perfect lockstep, executing crisply and picking apart a Dolphins defense with major holes.
But the real question from Week 1 probably isn't "did we all underrate Daniel Jones?" It should be more along the lines of, "can we take anything that happens against the Dolphins seriously?"
Please point me in the direction of a single positive report that came out of Dolphins training camp, joint practice or preseason this summer. You won't find one. The vibes in South Beach are rancid. Tyreek Hill made the least convincing trade request apology tour of all time. Every Mike McDaniel press conference has the energy of a dad trying to get his children to stop wrestling before bed. Tua Tagovailoa might finally be cooked all the way. This Dolphins team has talent and precedence, but none of that matters if nobody wants to be there.
Miami's defense was little more than an 11-man seive on Sunday afternoon. Conversely, the Dolphins' once-vaunted offense couldn't find a lick of success against a Colts defense that probably isn't very good. The feels a bit like a Mickey Mouse performance for Daniel Jones — a Week 1 aberation that will lead swiftly into a sobering reality check in Week 2 and beyond.
Still ... Giants fans can't feel great about Week 1 QB disparity
If you are a Giants fan, godspeed. There's actually plenty to like about this roster, but the defense looked overmatched against the (admittedly dominant) Washington offense. Meanwhile, Russ' heyday is but a distant memory. Whatever New York expected upon signing Russ and promising him the QB1 slot, it's not going to happen. He finished his Steelers tenure with five straight losses for a reason. He has been run out of two cities in two straight summers for a reason.
Is Daniel Jones better than Russell Wilson? Does it really matter? Jones clearly was not good enough to overcome the god-awful circumstances in East Rutherford. Neither is Wilson. That is the plain and simple truth. Even if Jones falls apart in the coming weeks, which is still wholly possible, it won't change the fact that New York needed to move on. And it needs to move on from Russ a whole lot quicker than it did with Jones.
Jaxson Dart is right there. Whatever your opinions on Dart as a prospect, he was the best quarterback in the SEC, which is not nothing. He was also electric in preseason. He can deliver throws and create opportunities with his legs that Wilson couldn't dream of at this stage of his career. It won't be completely smooth sailing, but the Giants need to pull the plug on Russ now and invest in their QB of the future. There's no point in wasting time.