Tag: Daniel Jones

This might be the year to win the Super Bowl for these three teams

With parity as high as ever in the NFL, a few unlikely clubs could have their best chance to get rings

Coming into the NFL season, predictions were made on who could win the Super Bowl in February, and there’s still a good amount of time to see if those views play out. The majority of those views probably had what one could call the usual contenders: the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens topping the list in the AFC, while the Philadelphia Eagles (defending champs), Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions gathered the majority of votes from the NFC. After that’s determined, the next question centers around teams who can announce themselves as a threat in their own right. The Houston Texans (who went home after the divisional round each of the last two seasons) were a trendy pick, but have been underwhelming to this point. The Green Bay Packers, particularly after they acquired linebacker/defensive end Micah Parsons in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys, became the team everyone is supposedly chasing, but many questions remain if they can even win the NFC North (let alone make a championship run). One thing (and perhaps the only item) we have learned is there isn’t a stand out team playing right now. As a result, three squads who weren’t looked at as serious contenders may have as good a chance as ever to emerge as the top dog.

The first of this trio is the Indianapolis Colts. It would be interesting to see if even the biggest Colts fan living within the Indianapolis city limits had this on their bingo card, but this team is tied for the best record in the league at 5-1. Somewhere along the line, it was forgotten how good running back Jonathan Taylor was and is. Taylor is reminding everyone up to this point, as he leads the NFL in rushing yardage (603) and touchdowns (seven). Combine that with the efficient play of quarterback Daniel Jones (yes, that guy who flamed out with the New York Giants), and the offense is on a level that makes them hard to stop. The Colts defense has been good enough to bend, but not completely break, and they have forced nine turnovers in their six games. Complementary football has been a strength for Indy, and Shane Steichen has cooled off talk of being on the hot seat to lose his head coaching job. In other words, the Colts have the ingredients to stay in the fight for a while.

Second on the list is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who is the team tied with Indy for the league’s best record. The Buccaneers could be at least 2-4 if a play or two doesn’t go their way, but they have found a way to make those plays, and the scary thing with this squad is they can become much better as the season moves on. If there is one reason why Tampa Bay sits where they are, it probably starts and ends with QB Baker Mayfield, who would probably be the MVP if the season ended today. Mayfield has been the definition of clutch, as he has been the architect of a few game-winning drives. It’s even more remarkable when considering Mayfield is playing at this level without the team’s top-two receivers (Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr.). There was a little talk about the Bucs being a contender going into the season, but the combination of how good they can be and the league being up for grabs could see them become a favorite before too long.

Finally, the Denver Broncos find themselves on the list of teams who could walk up to a championship this season. With the Broncos coming off of a wild card appearance last year, the prevalent thinking was they could continue to ascend, and perhaps, knock the Chiefs off from the top of the AFC West. The main reason is their defense, led by cornerback Pat Surtain II (the defensive player of the year in 2024) and linebackers Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper. Most people would say Denver’s defense is at championship-level, but what could make or break their visions is whether or not quarterback Bo Nix can consistently stay on the same page with coach Sean Payton, and bring the offense close to par with the other side of the ball. Throughout the year, Nix has been hit or miss with the execution of plays. If he can provide more of the good version, the Broncos could be on the cusp of a high on the Rocky Mountains.

There are other teams that could have made this list (the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots among them), but at this time, the Colts, Buccaneers and Broncos seem to have more in their favor to continue the upward trend. Of course, things can escalate quickly in the NFL, and what looks good one week might not the next, and vice versa. Who knows? Those teams who were listed as favorites might ultimately end up there come January. The beautiful thing about sports is games will be played, and everyone will get to find out as it happens. What we know is the gap between contenders and pretenders doesn’t seem to be as wide, and if that continues to be the case, don’t be surprised if this year’s Super Bowl winner is someone not exactly on the radar from the beginning.

Richardson’s case is the latest in a troubling trend

His career is apparently “over” after losing the competition for the Colts’ starting quarterback

The preseason is officially over in the NFL, and a week from Thursday, the regular season will be upon us. As teams start their final preparations for Week 1, there are still some items on the list to check off. One of those items include getting rosters down to 53 players, with the deadline set for Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). Like the other squads, the Indianapolis Colts have some tough decisions to make, and one of them may involve the future of quarterback Anthony Richardson. Just two years ago, this scenario might have been seen as a far cry, but the situation Richardson is now in points to a trend that should be avoided by simple understanding and judgment of talent evaluations.

Before getting into the troubling pattern plaguing the league, let’s start with the origin story. Richardson was selected by the Colts with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft (third QB taken that year after Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud). As is the case with all of these selections, the goal is to find that franchise-altering player that can be the cornerstone for a bright future, and based on the raw talent Richardson possesses, there’s reason to believe why Indianapolis thought they found their guy. While the physical attributes stand out, actually playing the QB position well was always a question, as Richardson was inconsistent at best during his days at Florida, finishing 2022 with a completion percentage of 53.8. That stat alone should give the scouting department (along with the general manager and head coach) pause when considering whether or not a quarterback is ready for the next level, but with the thirst over the position at an all-time high, stats can be seen as minor details, secondary to the number of highlights seen from college days. What a player does in the NFL combine and pro day means more, and that was probably the case with Richardson.

Regardless of the red flags that stuck out, the Colts felt good about their choice, and with Richardson coming in the same year Shane Steichen was hired as the head coach, a nucleus was formed. If anyone was qualified to polish the rawness of the skillset Richardson has, it was thought to be Steichen. He was the offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles when they lost in the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs the year prior. Because of his role in helping Jalen Hurts develop into one of the better QBs, the thinking was he could do the same with Richardson, who has a similar body-type to Hurts. At the beginning of 2023, things looked rosy for the newly-formed partnership, as the rookie was putting up good numbers. Unfortunately, Richardson’s season was cut short, due to a shoulder injury suffered in early-October. Fast forward to 2024, and conditioning issues surfaced in a critical divisional showdown with the Houston Texans. Richardson “tapped out” of the game due to fatigue, a move that was seen by many as quitting on his teammates. Combine that with the season he was having up to that Week 8 contest (4 touchdowns and 7 interceptions with a 44.4 completion percentage), and losing faith in a guy who’s the supposed leader and franchise player becomes more than a possibility.

After Indianapolis saw the quarterback position alternate between Richardson and Joe Flacco (now back with the Cleveland Browns) last season, training camp presented a fresh opportunity for the maligned raw talent to seize the starting job. Instead, Steichen (with probable assistance from GM Chris Ballard) decided to name Daniel Jones, someone who was with the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings before coming to Indy, the starter for the foreseeable future. Now, questions of trust are floating around, and the team’s relationship with the player is on the rocks. Of course, the first thing the media and fans want to do is place blame on why things with the Colts and Richardson appear dark. It might be true Steichen and Ballard didn’t provide the best situation for Richardson to succeed, but ultimately (and probably the main reason), the player was most likely overrated in the first place, and not ready to play at a level where he could be considered a competent QB in the NFL. Another elephant in the room is Steichen and Ballard aren’t exactly secure in their respective positions. So they’re going to do what they feel gives them the best chance to keep their jobs and win football games. Apparently, they trust Jones more in that venture than Richardson.

In totality, this is just the latest in cases where quarterbacks are put up far too lofty, when a little bit of research (and simple eye testing) would tell a different story. Another troublesome trend is the rush to throw a BS hot take into the wind, calling Richardson a “bust” after just two seasons in the league. It’s true the career path hasn’t started off so well, but the man is only 23 years old, and the raw talent still jumps off the page (this is coming from someone who is very critical of his play). Let’s see if he can work on his craft and earn himself another chance to show he can become a franchise QB, whether it’s in Indianapolis or elsewhere. History says Jones won’t make it through a whole season without getting injured and/or benched. If and when that happens, Richardson has to be ready, because if not, there might be a little substance to that bust potential.