One Stat Suggests Colts Should Not Be Counted Out Just Yet

The Indianapolis Colts have begun the 2026 regular season with a 0-2 record after back-to-back losses to the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.

This was always a brutal way to kick off the new year, especially with the Houston Texans serving as the third opponent of the season, but the Colts have come out so flat and have played so uninspired to begin the year that it's hard to have confidence in a collective rebound moving forward.

We're used to seeing Chris Ballard's Colts collapse as opposed to turning things around, though there was the 2018-19 season. That season saw Andrew Luck and Co. rebound from a 1-5 start and win a playoff game, but that was nearly a decade ago at this point, and there's no savior on either side of the ball who could help jump-start a similar unforeseen comeback.

More often than not, the Colts under general manager Chris Ballard have failed to rise to the occasion, so there's little to no reason to believe they'll do so this time around.

However, there is one statistic that suggests that the 2026 Colts may not be dead in the water after all, and it has to do with fourth-year head coach Shane Steichen and starting quarterback Daniel Jones.

Secret Statistic Revealed

Shane Steichen Daniel Jones — Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, during the Colts Camp Kickoff at Grand Park in Westfield. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Indianapolis Colts have been trying to recapture their early-season magic from a season ago, particularly on offense.

The Colts began the year with an 8-2 record, and the biggest reason they were able to achieve such sustained success early on is because head coach Shane Steichen's offense was firing on all cylinders.

That's a phrase that's often overused in the art of sports analysis, but Steichen and Co.'s 2025 Colts offense was the epitome of it.

Not only were the Colts regularly scoring 30+ points out of the gate with newcomer starting quarterback Daniel Jones manning the charge, but they were doing so with historical efficiency.

Jones had quickly proven to be the ideal signal caller for Steichen's Colts offense, but a string of injuries prematurely ended the operation altogether.

The Colts would lose the rest of their games after starting out 8-2, finishing 8-9 on the season.

Jones was part of the first two losses of the Colts' seven-game losing streak in question, but even then, it's hard to place any blame on him.

Jones had played through a broken fibula against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12, a game the Colts lost in overtime. Then one week later, against the Houston Texans, Jones tore his Achilles and ended up missing the rest of the 2025 regular season.

Despite this major late-season injury, Jones has since returned to form. Week 1 showcased a version of Jones that looked mentally prepared but not physically, whereas last week gave us the closest we've seen to early-season Jones from a season ago.

Even with a brutal first-half interception, Jones played honorably against the Kansas City Chiefs, and now he's looking to continue his strong play against the Houston Texans as the Colts aim to rebound from their 0-2 start.

Quarterback Daniel Jones and Shane Steichen have averaged 28.6 points per game together, the most among any active quarterback/head coach duo (min. 10 games), according to Next Gen Stats.

The 49ers' Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan (27.9) rank second, followed by the Cowboys' Dak Prescott and Brian Schottenheimer (27.8) and the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid (27.8).

This statistic doesn't mean that Indianapolis is destined to win the remainder of their games in 2026, but it does shed some light as to how solid the offense has been with Daniel Jones manning Shane Steichen's offense, as well as shows just how pitiful the defense has been, particularly in 2026.

How This Raises the Floor

As alluded to, the Indianapolis Colts' 2026 defense has been downright atrocious.

Lou Anarumo's Colts defense has allowed 74 points and 1,029 yards of offense through the first two weeks (second-most in history), and has shown nothing that suggests it was an outlier of a poor start.

The defense ranks dead last or in the bottom three in just about every major defensive category through two games, and although they matched up against two of the league's most explosive threats, it's still not what you want to see from a team with playoff aspirations.

As of now, it's looking like Shane Steichen's offense will need to carry Lou Anarumo's defense, and so far, it seems like potential shootouts are on the menu, even if that's not necessarily the game you want to be playing.

Thankfully for the Colts, their offense is in good hands with Shane Steichen and Daniel Jones leading the way. Not to mention, the rest of the AFC South has opened the door for Indianapolis to rebound without blinking an eye.

Steichen no doubt has some playcalling mishaps to clean up, plus the offense is now without wide receiver Alec Pierce for the foreseeable future as he continues rehab on his left heel, but so long as Jones has running back Jonathan Taylor, wide receiver Josh Downs, and this offensive line, points will be scored.

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