Despite Being NFL's Best, Colts Have Glaring Flaw

The Indianapolis Colts have been exposed over the last two weeks and hope to recover quickly before a brutal schedule.

Nov 9, 2025; Berlin, Germany; Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen in action against the Atlanta Falcons during the NFL Berlin Game at Olympic Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Week 11 bye week is here for the 8-2 Indianapolis Colts, and after a tough, gritty 31-25 victory against the Atlanta Falcons.

While it was excellent to secure the win in Berlin in overtime, it was a messy performance that showed more weaknesses in the game of QB Daniel Jones.

After three fumbles, seven sacks sustained, and more turnovers, Jones is officially under the eye of the NFL world for all the wrong reasons.

This is why The Athletic's Saad Yousuf places Indy in his piece covering concerns for contenders. For the Colts, Jones falls in.

"I’ve been hesitant to jump on the Colts’ bandwagon this season, primarily because of my doubts about Jones. For most of the season, Jones has defied the odds and performed well. However, after two fumbles in the first eight games, Jones has six fumbles in his last two.

Jonathan Taylor is a beast, so as long as he’s healthy, the Colts don’t need a ton from Jones. We’ll see if he can clean up the miscues and make the big throws in the big moments."

Nov 9, 2025; Berlin, Germany; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) throws a pass against the Atlanta Falcons during the NFL Berlin Game at Olympic Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Ahead of the bye week, Jones has solid numbers. However, one area stick out, and not in a good way.

Below are what Jones has put up in 10 games through the passing and running sides.

Passing

• 223/319 completions
• 2,659 passing yards (leads NFL)
• 15 touchdowns
• 7 interceptions
• 130 first down passes

Rushing

• 143 rushing yards
• 5 touchdowns
• 17 first down runs
• 8 fumbles (leads NFL)

It's easy to see the sore thumb: Jones' issues with fumbles.

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Nov 2, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) runs the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

For the first eight games of 2025, Jones was electric, with just three picks, two fumbles, and nine sacks sustained.

But, over the last two games (Pittsburgh Steelers and Falcons), Jones has four picks, six fumbles, and 12 sacks sustained.

It's not all on Jones, as the Colts' offensive line hasn't looked the best. Over the last two games, the O-Line has looked underwhelming, especially off the edge with tackles Bernhard Raimann and Braden Smith.

Colts safety Nick Cross "would go to war" for his QB Daniel Jones 😤@Nick_Cross26 | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/NaCxHLcITh

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) November 13, 2025

The Colts' offense appears to have hit somewhat of a snag, but they can't afford these struggles when they return from the bye.

Below is Indy's remaining schedule, starting with their Week 12 tilt at Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs.

• Week 12 | @ Kansas City Chiefs
• Week 13 | Houston Texans
• Week 14 | @ Jacksonville Jaguars
• Week 15 | @ Seattle Seahawks
• Week 16 | San Francisco 49ers
• Week 17 | Jacksonville Jaguars
• Week 18 | @ Houston Texans

The Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers are always tough teams, and will press Indianapolis as much as possible into mistakes to remove Jonathan Taylor.

However, the four AFC South contests against the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars can't be denied or forgotten, as divisional matchups can be closer than expected regardless of records.

This is a critical seven-game stretch to finish the 2025 NFL season for Shane Steichen and his Colts, and while Taylor's performances will be key to victory, Jones' are the true X-factor.

If Indy can get back the Jones from Weeks 1-8, the Colts, and Taylor, will be on fire again with a humming offense that forces opponents to put their gameplan into NASCAR-type speed.

However, if Jones doesn't recover, and keeps coughing up the football, the Colts' magical start might gas out quickly and kill momentum they've worked hard to build.

Luckily, Indy has the bye week to reset. Jones will look to use this rest week to get back to his winning ways to lead Indianapolis into what will be a war of a stretch to finish the year.

📈 Daniel Jones has more ratings boosts than any other QB in #Madden26.

Is Indiana Jones making an MVP case? 👀 pic.twitter.com/bTSrmfovCS

— Madden NFL 26 (@EAMaddenNFL) November 7, 2025