Colts emphasize early‑down efficiency as offense prepares to face Kansas City
After a Week 1 first‑half slide, Colts coaches and quarterback Daniel Jones said improving early‑down success is a top offensive focus as Indianapolis heads into its game in Kansas City. The team noted past first‑down strengths from 2025 as a foundation to rebuild efficiency.
Colts coaches Shane Steichen and Jim Bob Cooter, and quarterback Daniel Jones, identified early‑down efficiency as a primary concern after Indianapolis fell into a 31‑13 halftime deficit following Week 1. The club detailed that after its opening scoring drive, the offense ran nine plays on first down in the rest of the second half: four lost yardage (three tackles for loss on Jonathan Taylor runs and one sack of Jones), one turnover when Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey knocked the ball loose on a screen, one two‑yard gain, one incompletion and a 10‑yard gain following Arden Key’s strip‑sack of Lamar Jackson.
The Colts pointed to their prior first‑down performance as evidence the unit can regain its form: between Weeks 1–13 of the 2025 season Indianapolis led the NFL in first‑down yards per play (7.0) and EPA per play (+0.182) and ranked second in first‑down success rate (55.2 percent). Coaches said staying ahead of the chains on early downs will be especially important in upcoming games against strong defenses, including Kansas City.
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