Quarterback Daniel Jones is off to an excellent start in his first season with the Indianapolis Colts.
Indianapolis is 3-0, and Jones is the league leader in Total QBR (85.8). He's the only player in the past 90 years with at least three rushing touchdowns, three passing touchdowns and no turnovers over the first three games of a season, per the Elias Sports Bureau. And Jones is completing 71.6% of his throws for 816 passing yards.
Why the sudden breakout? After all, this is the same quarterback who was benched and released from the New York Giants last season after an uneven six-year tenure as their primary starter. So how has Indy coach Shane Steichen leveraged Jones' strengths in the Colts' offense? How has the quarterback leveled up in some areas of his game? Can he really keep this up for the rest of the season?
Let's look at the tape from Jones' 2025 season for answers. I picked out five reasons he is excelling through three games -- along with one reason we could see regression at some point.
He's playing on time as a point guard
Jones' improvements have been influenced by one of the league's top run games, led by the NFL's current rushing leader Jonathan Taylor (338 yards). That means Jones gets to play the role of facilitator in Steichen's offense, distributing the ball to an underrated group of pass catchers at multiple levels of the field. He has completed eight or more passes to five different receivers this season.
More importantly, Jones has been on time this year -- something that's critical in any offensive scheme. His average time to throw (2.96 seconds) is tied with Panthers QB Bryce Young for the seventh fastest in the league. He's getting the ball out quick with efficiency, and he has taken only two sacks.
Jones doesn't hesitate to make a quick read and deliver the ball to receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs. Other times, Steichen will dial up schemed throws to rookie tight end Tyler Warren, a versatile target with a rugged play demeanor. Plus, Alec Pierce has continued to be a true vertical target on the boundary this season when Steichen calls shot plays.
His pocket movement and eye level have improved
During his time with the Giants, Jones tended to move frenetically and drop his eyes in the pocket. However, the 2025 tape in Indianapolis shows improvement in that regard. Jones is now much more willing to climb or move in the pocket, all while keeping his eyes up and looking downfield. That allows him to reset his throwing window.
On throws from inside the pocket this season, Jones has a league-leading QBR of 87.7, along with a completion percentage of 69.6%. He is also averaging 8.8 yard per attempt on pocket throws, which ranks third overall.
The ball location is on point
Jones has the third-highest completion percentage in the league (71.6%) and the sixth-lowest off-target rate (10.3%). Though the sample size is still small from this season, both of those statistics would be career-highs. For context, he had a 63.3% completion rate and a 15.7% off-target rate in 10 starts last season.
The tape says he is delivering the ball with location, especially on in-breakers and crossers. This creates a "runner's ball" opportunity, when it's thrown to the upfield shoulder so receivers can easily tack on numbers after the catch. And the Colts have totaled 364 yards after the catch this season, the fifth-most in the NFL. Jones has been much more precise with his ball location under Steichen.
Steichen is dialing up zone beaters
Let's preface this by saying Jones has been very good against man coverage, averaging 9.8 yard per attempt with an 87.5 QBR. However, when throwing the ball against zone coverage, he is the best in the league. He's completing 81.4% of his passes (35-of-43) with a 89.4 QBR.
Steichen is giving Jones answers against zone through schemed concepts that create open voids or leveled throws. He has shown the ability to drive throws or use pace and touch to drop it over second-level defenders. Jones has completed 12 of 14 passes here off play-action this season, too.
All three AFC South division-mates are in the top half of the league in zone defense rate this season, so Jones will have opportunities here.
Daniel Dopp, Field Yates, and Stephania Bell break down Daniel Jones' excellent start to the fantasy season.
His mobility is coming out in other ways
We already know that Jones has the mobility to be schemed as a runner; we saw that in New York. But Jones' three touchdown rushes this season came on QB sneaks, and his legs haven't yet needed to be a major part of the Colts' game plan.
Instead, we are seeing Steichen use Jones' mobility on boot concepts, getting him to the edges of the formation with a leveled or flood read. He has completed 92.9% of passes on designed rollouts, averaging 11.7 yards per attempt. Against the Titans in Week 3, Jones went 7-for-7 with a career-high 98 passing yards on designed rollouts.
Plus, when Jones does have to escape or extend plays, he has produced 45 rushing yards on eight scramble attempts. The dual-threat element he showcased with the Giants is still very much there.
The red flag: Pressure still gives him problems
Jones has been very good against the blitz, completing 66% of his throws for 9.9 yards per attempt, and he has been sacked only once when the defense sends five or more rushers. But my concern for Jones moving forward is his ability to make smart decisions and throw with accuracy when he is truly pressured.
His completion percentage against pressure drops to 50%, and his off-target rate jumps to 17.4%. Plus, Jones' average yards per attempt also falls to 5.7. Can he still play at a high level when his internal clock is sped up due to edge or interior pressure?
That's going to be the real telling sign of whether Jones can reach his first Pro Bowl with sustained high-level play or is just an elevated game manager off to a fast start. And the first big test could come as early as this Sunday against the Rams, who have the 11th-highest pressure rate in the league (33%).