The Denver Broncos are on pace for 82 sacks this season, a total which would shatter the Chicago Bears' record of 72 sacks set back in 1984.
If the Broncos – whose 34 sacks through seven games are eight more than any other team has entering Week 8 – do set a new NFL record, they'll do so despite managing just one sack against Daniel Jones and the Colts in Week 2.
Another way to put it: The Broncos are averaging 5.5 sacks against everyone else this season. Again, they had one against the Colts in Week 2.
But it's not just the Broncos' cadre of pass rushing goblins that've struggled to bring down Jones this season. It's every Colts opponent.
Jones, entering the Colts' Week 8 matchup against the Tennessee Titans, has been sacked an NFL-low six times on 232 dropbacks. He's the only quarterback in the NFL to not take a sack on third or fourth down; league-wide, offenses have allowed an average of six sacks on third/fourth down entering Week 8.
And it's not just that Jones is avoiding sacks at a remarkable rate. When Jones has been pressured – on a total of 82 dropbacks – he's the only quarterback in the NFL without a play graded as "turnover-worthy" by Pro Football Focus. On those 82 dropbacks, Jones has completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 500 yards with five touchdowns and a league-high 110.3 passer rating.
Digging deeper, when Jones has been pressured on third or fourth down (33 dropbacks), he's thrown for 14 first downs – second behind only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield (17 first downs) – and is the only quarterback in the NFL with multiple touchdowns on those incredibly difficult dropbacks.
Both those touchdowns came in Week 7 against the Los Angeles Chargers. The second of them was a fitting example of how Jones has handled pressure this year: Facing a third-and-goal at the five-yard line, Jones was pressured by blitzing safety Derwin James. He didn't panic and kept his feet calm in the pocket, allowing him the platform to throw accurately to tight end Tyler Warren over the middle for a touchdown.
"It's understanding what's coming and where the ball needs to be out on time," head coach Shane Steichen said. "And if we don't get the right looks – like we had a few last week where pre-snap I'm on the sidelines and I'm like, 'This might not be great versus this look,' and he gets the ball down to the check down as quick as possible and keeps the chains moving. And so, I think that comes with experience and playing and knowing what the defense is doing, and he's doing that at the ultimate high level right now."
One last stat here. Jones, when pressured, is averaging .092 EPA per dropback. For some context: That's higher than 23 teams are averaging on all dropbacks, pressure or not, this season.
"The guys up front have done a tremendous job protecting and creating good pockets, and try to take advantage of that when you have them," Jones said. "So, I think that's first, a big credit to those guys. Then just trying to know where the ball is supposed to go and get it out on time. That's my job, and try to prepare for that."
