INDIANAPOLIS -- Skepticism and Daniel Jones have been a package deal for most of his NFL career.
The 2019 New York Giants first-round pick and current Indianapolis Colts quarterback has spent much of his career being judged harshly based on his draft status. And when he signed with the Colts this spring, there was significant doubt he could provide the quarterback solution the Colts have been seeking.
Then, he took the league by storm, becoming one of the NFL's top passers in several major categories and helping to position the Colts (8-3) as one of the AFC's top teams.
But now, with the Colts trying to rebound from two losses in three games during which their vaunted offense struggled, and with a brutal stretch run ahead to close the season, Jones is facing skepticism once again.
How he fares in this moment will likely determine where he goes from here.
The questions are understandable. There was a five-turnover performance in Pittsburgh earlier this month. Then there was Sunday's 23-20 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, with the Colts' offense stalling late, allowing Kansas City to rally from a 20-9 fourth quarter deficit.
"I've got to do a better job," Jones said.
But he'll have to do that against a closing slate of opponents that includes two games against both the Houston Texans (6-5) and Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4), plus matchups with the San Francisco 49ers (8-4) and Seattle Seahawks (8-3).
How Jones responds will be key.
"I think everything I've seen out of Daniel Jones, he's a man that handles adversity well," offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. "He's very consistent. He's very dependable. That nature of this business is adversity, getting through it, coming out the other side."
Jones is enjoying the best season of his career. He's currently posting career highs in completion rate (69.1%), yards per attempt (8.1), yards per game (258.2) and QBR (65.9).
But with the AFC South standings tightening -- the Colts now have just a one-game lead over the Jaguars -- and given the recent rough patches on offense, questions are inevitable.
As an example, Jones' and the Colts' performance against blitzes of late has been notable.
Whereas they consistently had great answers to blitzes early on, with Jones dominating defenses when they sent extra pass rushers, things have been decidedly different lately. In Weeks 1-8, when the Colts started 7-1, Jones had the NFL's second-highest QBR when facing blitzes (93.4). In the weeks since, he ranked 22nd (31.0).
This was a key factor in the Colts' inability to achieve a first down in the final 18 minutes of regulation time against the Chiefs. The Colts finished the game with four consecutive three-and-out possessions, including one in overtime. Jones completed 3 of 8 passes for 17 yards after the third quarter.
It was hardly all his fault. There was a dropped pass by receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and instances when the Chiefs' blitzes overwhelmed Jones. But he didn't do his part, either.
"I think you have to be accurate," Jones said. "They're bringing pressure and trying to heat you up. Sometimes that happens a bit quicker than you'd expect. You still have to be accurate and find a way to make the play work. I have to do a better job of that."
Now, Jones and the Colts find themselves needing to fix it all with the NFL's No. 1 defense coming to Indianapolis on Sunday. The first of two upcoming meetings with the Texans will be a difficult task for the Colts as Houston is allowing just 16.5 points per game.
"They got a really freaking good pass rush," Colts coach Shane Steichen said. "Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. are as good as they get right now on the edge. ... So, it'll be a hell of a challenge for us."
There will be plenty of eyeballs on Jones as he attempts to finish the season in similar fashion to the way he started it. Much depends on the outcome here, too. Besides the Colts' fortunes, there's Jones' anticipated contract negotiations with the Colts, who have indicated they'd like to retain him after his current one-year contract. Jones' performance down the stretch will most certainly impact those talks.
It only takes a couple of underwhelming performances to fuel skepticism in the NFL. But the Colts are holding on to their belief that the real Jones is the one they saw for the first eight weeks of the season.
"Daniel's going to handle it just fine," Cooter said.