NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Shane Steichen needed a little help Sunday. The Indianapolis Colts coach was trying to make it to his postgame news conference in the bowels of Nissan Stadium, but the door leading from the locker room to the adjacent media room wouldn’t open. For a few seconds, the handle repeatedly shook until someone in the media room, realizing the door was locked from the inside, stood up and let Steichen in.
“You guys tried to lock me out!” a grinning Steichen said to the waiting media members as he took the podium.
That was about the only thing that went wrong for the Colts following a 41-20 victory in which so much went right — just like Steichen envisioned. Two days ago, after formally meeting with the Colts media following Friday’s practice, Steichen kept talking after the cameras stopped rolling. He openly theorized about a play for running back Jonathan Taylor that he’d implemented into this week’s game plan. If Indianapolis got the right look from Tennessee’s defense, Taylor would break one. Steichen then swore every reporter to secrecy.
On Sunday, the coach came clean, this time in front of all the mics. The play he designed for Taylor worked to perfection, resulting in a highlight-reel 46-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
“That big-time run there at the end, that was the old-school iso play,” Steichen said. “I know I talked to you guys a little bit about that during the week. … It was like old-school smashmouth football.”
Rookie tight end Tyler Warren, lined up at fullback, got the play started with a big block on linebacker Cody Barton. That collision opened up a lane for Taylor to run off Warren’s backside, and Taylor did the rest. He juked safety Quandre Diggis, spun past safety Amani Hooker, high-stepped through an arm tackle by linebacker Kyzir White and outran cornerback L’Jarius Sneed.
“He’s special, man,” backup running back Tyler Goodson said. “… He’s insane.”
Taylor hardly acknowledged his Herculean effort on the play, simply saying, “We always try to see what looks are advantageous for us.” Linebacker Zaire Franklin, who’s the self-proclaimed hype man for Taylor, was more direct.
“I think he’s the best back in the league,” Franklin said of Taylor. “Just his combination of power, speed, change of direction. … There’s nobody else playing like him right now.”
In some ways, Taylor’s run, and the fact that Steichen had so much conviction in it before the Colts even took the field Sunday, serves as a microcosm of Indianapolis’ 3-0 start. Few outside of the building believed it would look this good this fast, but the Colts’ internal belief during the offseason was that with a steady QB and revamped defense, they could be a real threat in the AFC. Most of the pieces were already in place.
Sunday was the latest example, with Taylor leading the way. A first-team All-Pro in 2021, Taylor reminded everyone that he’s still one of the best playmakers in the league. He tallied 17 carries for 102 yards and three touchdowns. His 338 rushing yards through three weeks lead the NFL (entering Sunday Night Football) and are the most by a Colts player since at least 1970.
What feels different this year, though, is the quarterback. The Colts bet big that with Steichen calling the shots, Daniel Jones could take this offense to a new level. Three weeks in, he continues to check every box. Jones no longer looks like the skittish QB who was jettisoned from New York. Instead, he’s playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The 28-year-old finished Sunday 18-of-25 passing for 228 yards, punctuated by a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in the third quarter. Through three weeks, Jones has tallied six total touchdowns (three passing and three rushing), while helping the Colts score a staggering 103 points. No Colts team has scored more in its first three games during the Indianapolis era.
Oh, and the Colts have only punted once this season.
#Colts Week 3 recap! pic.twitter.com/43wyOJZeFP
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) September 21, 2025
“I think we certainly expect to play at a high level,” said Jones when asked if he expects the offense to come back down to earth. “I think every time we step out there, every time we get the ball, we expect to execute and go down the field and score. So, no, I don’t think the expectation changes at any point.”
The defense shares the same lofty standards, especially after last week’s performance in which the Colts allowed the Broncos to score a touchdown on all three of their red zone trips. Indianapolis’ defenders vowed to be better, granted, against a weaker opponent in the Titans, but they did exactly what good defenses are supposed to do against bad offenses: dominate.
Cornerback Kenny Moore II made sure of that with a 32-yard pick six on just the third offensive play of the game. Moore, who left Sunday’s contest due to a calf injury, was not made available to the media after the game, but fellow cornerback Charvarius Ward sang his praises.
“It just felt like everything was gonna be smooth sailing from there,” Ward said. “Once you make a big play that early in the game, it kind of gives everybody energy. It boosts everybody’s spirit.”
Titans rookie Cam Ward entered Sunday’s game as the only QB selected No. 1 in the common draft era (since 1967) to not throw an interception through his first two starts. He left Sunday’s game with his first pick-six, while finishing 23-of-38 passing for 219 yards. He was also sacked four times as the Colts finished with eight tackles for loss.
“It’s been a long time since the Colts (have) been 3-0. I don’t know how long it’s been, but I’ve been 3-0 damn near every year of my career,” said Ward, who has played with some elite teams in Kansas City and San Francisco. “… Everybody is loving it right now. The vibes are super high. But like I said, we can’t get complacent. We can’t get happy yet.”
The Colts, for as well as they’ve played, are in no position to rest on their laurels. The three opponents they’ve faced so far have a combined record of 1-8 and have been outscored by a combined 80 points. So, for those looking to poke holes in their undefeated start, that’s what they’re going to point to.
Fortunately for the Colts and their believers, a greater test awaits in Week 4, when Indianapolis heads west for a matchup with the Rams in Los Angeles. The 2-1 Rams are a perennial playoff team led by a Super Bowl-winning coach and quarterback. They had the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles on the ropes Sunday, at one point leading 26-7, before faltering late.
It’s those kinds of opponents who will serve as the Colts’ greatest barometers during a season in which the stakes are being raised for all of the right reasons.
(Photo: Johnnie Izquierdo / Getty Images)
