As Daniel Jones prepares to make his first start behind center wearing a Colts uniform, the 28-year-old quarterback's focus remains the same as it has been since he arrived in Indianapolis: be consistent and continue building chemistry with his teammates.
And of course, win.
"Quarterbacks are judged by winning, teams are judged by winning games," Jones said Wednesday. "So that's what I'm focused on. And I think we have a group of guys who are all kind of focused the same way."
The Colts have gone 11 years without winning a season opener and are eager to start the 2025 season off on the right foot. So too is Jones, with an opportunity for a fresh start after spending the first six years of his NFL career with the New York Giants.
The Miami Dolphins will be the first team Jones faces as the Colts' starting quarterback, and as much as Jones has prepared specifically to face them, he's also simply ready to go play football for the first time since November.
"I'm just excited to get out there," Jones said. "A lot of work's gone into this as a group, dating back to the spring when we got together for OTAs, and I feel like we've come a long way."
Jones has put in the time and effort to build strong relationships with the rest of the Colts offense, ensuring he can work in tandem with his offensive line and his receivers. The Colts have a wealth of talent in players like Tyler Warren, Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and Alec Pierce, and Jones is excited to be able to help showcase how skilled the rest of his teammates are.
"Just how many different guys with different skillsets, different strengths, abilities we have and how hard that is for a defense to plan for and account for everybody," Jones said. "I'm excited to get out there and play with these guys, playing with the guys up front with how well they've played all camp and how strong that group is, I think it'll be a fun group to be a part of."
Jones knows how important it is to have a strong offensive line in front of him and how crucial it is to be able to communicate with them; the Dolphins in 2024 had one of the top defenses in the league, ranking 10th in the NFL in points allowed per game, ninth in yards per play, sixth in third down conversion rate and fourth in red zone touchdown rate. Heading into the 2025 preseason the defensive line was rated the 11th-best in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.
"There's a lot of impact players there," Jones said. "I think we have a strong front up front, so that is a good matchup for us. But a lot of good players, and we'll study them, be ready for it. Good players in the back end too, smart guys who can make plays."
Sunday will be the first real test for Jones in terms of his consistency and decision-making, two things head coach Shane Steichen has praised the experienced quarterback for. Jones prides himself on his ability to generate positive plays, sustain drives and keep the offense on the field, no matter what. And with six years of NFL experience under his belt, he knows how to balance playing with an edge while also staying smart about it.
"Understanding where the ball needs to go versus certain looks, certain coverages," Jones explained. "Staying on schedule, generating positive plays, keeping the offense moving forward, sustaining drives. I think all those things – obviously you want to be ready when the shot's there, and when you have the big play take advantage of it – but understand when it's not, not holding the ball, getting it out and letting guys catch and run when we have those chances too.
"...Just having an attacking mindset and playing at our tempo, our pace...playing with an edge but having an attacking mindset, being aggressive when we have chances to be aggressive."
