Many wondered if the Indianapolis Colts were a true superpower after entering Week 9 with a 7-1 record to top the league. Those questions intensified after the Colts fell 27-20 in Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon as the Steelers' defense delivered a vintage effort to smother Indianapolis' red-hot offense.
A huge reason the Colts fell flat on Sunday was an ill-timed bad game from Daniel Jones, who showcased the form that got him booted from New York for the first time as a Colt. After committing just three turnovers in Indianapolis' first eight games, Jones was extremely sloppy with the football at Acrisure Stadium, throwing three interceptions and losing two fumbles as he was harassed all day by a swarming Steelers' defensive front.
Pittsburgh's defense may have exposed Daniel Jones' biggest flaw
Pittsburgh's veteran defense, which hadn't lived up to its hefty price tag early in the season, showed up in a big way by putting the clamps on Jonathan Taylor and the Colts' running game to put the heat back on Jones. Pressure has never been a good thing for Jones, who was sacked five times and rushed heavily on numerous occasions, forcing him out of rhythm and leading to a slew of mistakes as he heroically tried to keep Indianapolis in the ball game.
The Colts have been so successful with Jones because they haven't asked him to do too, often relying on him to make simple throws and execute the offense with the passing attack serving as a supporting piece to Taylor's heavy lifting on the ground. Taking Taylor out of the mix put the onus back on Jones to carry the load and Giants' fans are well-accustomed to the bad things that can happen when he is asked to throw the ball 50 times.
If the Steelers can get after Daniel Jones, they aren't alone
While Indianapolis' offensive line had a rough day, what the Steelers did may have exposed a fatal flaw in the Colts' attack that other teams can exploit. The Steelers entered Week 9 with one of the weakest defenses in football, and that included their pass rush. Pittsburgh didn't force a turnover in the month of October. On Sunday, they had six, and much of that is thanks to Jones. While having the 2005 Steelers Super Bowl-winning team in the house surely added some much-needed motivation, there's no excuse for the Colts offense to drop off a cliff, and for Jones to play like a rookie all over again.
Teams with an elite pass rush can get after Jones and force him into mistakes, like the Los Angeles Rams did in Indianapolis' other loss back in Week 4 when Jones was sacked twice and threw a pair of interceptions in another 27-20 defeat.
The sledding is set to get tougher for Jones in the coming weeks as a slew of great defenses lie ahead on Indianapolis' schedule, including Kansas City, Houston, Seattle and San Francisco. The Colts may need to adjust their game plans to provide more protection for Jones against these strong defensive units if they want to maintain their grip on the top seed in the AFC, which appears to be more tenuous than we thought entering action in Week 9.