Former Colts Coach Backs Daniel Jones and Tyler Warren

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones and tight end Tyler Warren received praise from a former Colts head coach.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) ruses up the field Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, during the game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Miami Dolphins, 33-8. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The first game of the Daniel Jones era for the Indianapolis Colts surpassed all expectations. The offense scored on all seven drives they had, and the defense forced three turnovers against an explosive Miami Dolphins group.

Following Sunday's action, former Colts interim head coach Bruce Arians joined the crew on The Pat McAfee Show to dissect all of Week 1. Of course, one of the main topics was Jones and the Colts' unbridled success against the Dolphins.

"Danny Dimes is gonna win the MVP, is that BS or no BS, [Bruce Arians]?" McAfee half-jokingly asked.

"I think it's BS, baby, cause I think Josh Allen's already got it," Arians responded. "But man, I'm so happy for Danny. He won his first game against us in Tampa, and he was a talent. He is a talent. I'm really happy to see him get a shot. I think he fits this [Shane Steichen] offense really, really well because he's athletic and he can spin it."

"Daniel Jones is a talent and I'm really happy to see him get a shot here in Indianapolis..

He fits this Steichen offense really really well"@BruceArians #PMSLive https://t.co/l1pGdye6nb pic.twitter.com/pGAWga4OWc

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 9, 2025

By the end of the day, Jones had completed 22 of his 29 passing attempts for 272 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, he converted two goal-line rushes for touchdowns, tacking on 12 more points.

One of his favorite targets was rookie tight end Tyler Warren, whom the Colts made sure to get involved early. With three catches on the first drive of his NFL debut, Arians said that Warren looked like a stud.

"You got a guy like Warren, who's gonna be an absolute stud, just like Brock Bowers," Arians continued. "Put him in the check down area, put him in the middle of the field, look at that side, and there he is. And this kid knows how to get open."

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"Tyler Warren is an absolute stud..

He knows how to get open" ~ @BruceArians #PMSLive https://t.co/A4CIXPhLfQ pic.twitter.com/VVIMgFQIqJ

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 9, 2025

Former Colts safety Darius Butler agreed with that sentiment. "[Warren's] like Gronk," Butler said. "He's always open... Just throw it up to him and he's gonna make something good happen."

Warren finished the game with seven catches for 76 yards and one three-yard rush. He demonstrated not only his knowledge of the offense but his versatility, catch radius, and ability to make big-time plays. He made a statement against the Dolphins' defense, a group that Arians dubbed "really poor."

"There's gotta be some internal problems [in Miami] there somewhere," Arians speculated. "They do have talent, and Mike [McDaniel] is a damn good coach. He's very, very smart, very innovative, especially offensively. Defensively, they looked poor. They looked really poor."

It's easy to have high hopes after a season-opening victory, but the Colts face a much tougher Week 2 opponent in the Denver Broncos. The Broncos' defense alone is regarded as a top-five group, and they gave the Colts plenty of issues last season.

It'll be interesting to see how Jones and Warren fare against Denver's secondary, but it's nice to know that they each have a vote of confidence from a former member of the Colts' brass.