Nine months removed from losing his starting job and being released by the New York Giants, Daniel Jones was riding rarified air in his debut for the Indianapolis Colts.
Jones completed 22 of 29 pass attempts for 272 yards and a touchdown and added 26 yards rushing and two touchdowns on the ground in a 33-8 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 7.
The Colts cruised to a 20-0 lead at halftime and never looked back, fueled by a historic performance from Jones that had not been achieved this century.
According to CBS Sports Research, “Week 1 marked the first time a Daniel Jones-led team scored on every first-half drive in his 70 NFL starts. The Colts would go on to score on every single drive — becoming the first team since at least 2000, regular season or postseason, to score on every possession.”
It’s an impressive feat never done before — not by Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees or any quarterback of the past 24 seasons.
Read more: Travis Hunter Turns Heads With New Look in Jaguars Debut
The No. 6 overall pick from the 2019 draft, Jones was released by the Giants last November and signed with the Minnesota Vikings for the remainder of the season.
He never played a game in Minnesota, but was a candidate to re-sign with the Vikings with the expected departure of Sam Darnold.
Minnesota spent the past year preparing J.J. McCarthy to take over for Darnold, leading Jones to sign with the Colts, who had a clearer path to playing time with Anthony Richardson’s struggles in Indianapolis.
Read more: Deion Sanders Sends Clear Message on What Browns Did to Shedeur
It proved to be the right decision for Jones, who has pushed back on the narrative of his career since his departure from New York.
He connected with seven different Colts receivers on Sunday, led by Michael Pittman and rookie tight end Tyler Warren. Pittman tallied six receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown, while Warren had seven catches for 76 yards.
For more on the Colts and NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
The post Daniel Jones Makes Stunning NFL History in Colts Win Over Dolphins appeared first on Newsweek.
