Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts take the same problem to Minneapolis that sank them against the Titans. Jones has thrown six interceptions and lost three fumbles in six starts, and his 15 turnover-worthy plays are the most among 35 qualified quarterbacks, according to PFF.
Next up is a 5-0 Minnesota Vikings team coming off its bye with a defense that allows a league-low 12.8 points per game. “Extremely disappointing,” Shane Steichen said after Sunday’s 26-20 loss, per the team’s website. “We got a lot to fix, and we gotta fix it in a hurry.” A day later, the 2-4 Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard. Three fixes stand between Indianapolis and an upset at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Daniel Jones has to stop giving the ball away
Jones threw two interceptions against Tennessee, one that ended a first-quarter drive in the red zone. He admitted afterward that he has been forcing throws into tight coverage, and this has been a theme all season. “I’ve definitely got to do a better job taking care of the ball,” Jones said after the Week 4 win over Washington. He went without a turnover in the Week 5 loss to Pittsburgh, then gave it away twice more Sunday.
Minnesota cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. is built to punish those throws. He leads all corners with three interceptions, per PFF, and quarterbacks have a 58.2 passer rating when throwing his way. Two of those picks came in the Vikings’ 23-13 win in New Orleans, where Minnesota allowed 142 total yards. The Vikings have 10 takeaways in five games, and Jones can’t afford to give them more short fields.
The protection has to find Dallas Turner
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Jeffery Simmons and Jermaine Johnson II had two sacks each Sunday, and Jones went down six times. That pushed his season total to 15. Left tackle Bernhard Raimann still posted an 89.2 PFF pass-blocking grade in the loss, while center Tanor Bortolini graded at 23.3, which we covered in our Week 6 stock report. Jones holds the ball an average of 2.77 seconds, and 16.9% of his pressures have ended in sacks, per PFF.
Minnesota brings a better edge rusher in Dallas Turner. The third-year pro has 32 pressures, fourth among edge defenders, along with six sacks and a 77.1 pass-rush grade, according to PFF. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores also blitzed on 71% of dropbacks over the first three weeks, well ahead of second-place Tampa Bay at 46%.
That pressure is a big reason opponents convert just 22.2% of their third downs against the Vikings, the best mark in the NFL. Indianapolis has to stay out of third-and-long, and Jonathan Taylor’s 94 rushing yards on 21 carries Sunday showed how.
DeForest Buckner needs help against the run
DeForest Buckner is doing his part as a pass rusher. The veteran defensive tackle has six sacks, the most among interior linemen, and 19 pressures, per PFF. His run-defense grade is 45.3, though, which ranks 95th of 129 interior defenders, and the rest of the front hasn’t covered for it. The Colts allow 122.5 rushing yards per game and rank last in EPA per rush under Lou Anarumo. They also didn’t sack Cam Ward once Sunday.
Minnesota wants to run the ball. The Vikings had a 50.9% run rate through three weeks, third-highest in the NFL, according to the team, and they average 116.0 rushing yards per game. Their passing game ranks 29th at 167.0 yards per game. If Aaron Jones Sr. and the run game can stay on schedule, Minnesota never has to ask much of its quarterback.
“It’s on us. No one’s coming to save us,” Taylor said after the Titans loss. Indianapolis may also be without Sauce Gardner, who is week to week with a mild calf strain. A loss would drop the Colts to 2-5 with a trip to first-place Jacksonville next, and the questions about Anthony Richardson would only get louder.
