Colts 2025 team report cards post Week 12: Offensive regression and a young player starting to shine
A check-in on who on the 8-3 Colts have impressed and whose 2025 seasons have been disappointing.
At our first triannual check-in, the Indianapolis Colts were 5-1 and in first place in the AFC and the AFC South. The next six weeks weren’t as successful as the team went 3-2 and had a bye.
They are now 8-3 and have fallen to third in the AFC, holding onto a slim one-game lead in the AFC South. Let’s break down who has stepped up for the team over the last six weeks, as well as some players and situations that have been quite disappointing.
Offensive superlatives
MVP: Jonathan Taylor, RB
The MVP of the Colts through the last six weeks is the same as the first six weeks: Jonathan Taylor. He leads the league with 1,197 yards and is the only player in the league to average over 100 yards rushing with 108.8. He also leads the NFL with 15 rushing touchdowns, four more than second place, which is Josh Jacobs of the Green Bay Packers, who has 11.
During the past five games, Taylor has scored eight of his 15 rushing touchdowns. The team’s two losses in this stretch came in the only games Taylor was held under 90 yards, vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Kansas City Chiefs. When Taylor struggles, the Colts’ offense struggles, and it’s undeniable that he is and has been the most valuable player on the Colts’ offense.
Glue guy: Quenton Nelson, G
The Colts’ offensive line has had its fair share of ups and downs over the last six weeks, but Quenton Nelson has been a stable force in the pass and run game.
The Colts love to get Nelson out in open space as the lead blocker, and Taylor has taken advantage of this opportunity time after time this season. He has also yet to allow a sack this season and has only allowed two pressures over the last games.
Biggest surprise: Alec Pierce, WR
Alec Pierce established himself as one of the top deep threat WRs in the NFL last season. When the Colts chose Daniel Jones as the starting QB, many suspected it would hurt Pierce. Instead, the WR has adapted and grown as a player, showing the team he can do more than just take the top off the defense.
Pierce is on pace to have a career-best season in terms of receiving yards, and it comes in the final year of his rookie contract. He is rumored to be in line for a big payday, and this season has shown us that for Jones to be successful, he needs a WR like Pierce who can hide the QB’s weakness in throwing the deep ball.
Biggest disappointment: The offense’s regression
The Colts’ offense was on a historic pace to start the season. They were scoring at will and operated like a well-oiled machine with a top passing and rushing attack. Over the past five games, though, we’ve seen some regression, especially in the last three.
In their first eight games, the team had failed to score 30 points only twice. They haven’t reached that mark in any of their past three games, and two of them have resulted in losses. The team also had only four turnovers through the first eight games, but has had seven offensive turnovers over the past three games.
For the team to reach the heights they hope for, they will need to halt this regression and return to being the league’s best offense they were through the first eight games of the season.
Turning point of the last six weeks: Finding out how to win when Jonathan Taylor is taken away
The two worst offensive showings for the Colts this season have come in Taylor’s worst two outings against the Steelers and the Chiefs. This past week’s loss to Kansas City marks a turning point for this triennial report card. The Colts must figure out how to win games when teams sell out against the run to stop Taylor.
Teams watching the tape from the Colts’ loss to the Chiefs will see Indy’s passing game fold like a lawn chair when the pressure was on them to deliver. Can they figure out a way to make teams pay when they stack the box?
If the answer is yes, they can very well be contenders this season; if the answer is no, they will be remembered as just a good story from the first ten weeks.
Offense overall grade: B+
Colts offensive stats following Week 12
- 3rd in total offense (4,424 yards)
- 7th in passing yards (2,697 yards)
- 4th in rushing yards (1,527)
- 1st in points scored (341 points)
Defensive superlatives
MVP: Laiatu Latu, Edge
Laiatu Latu is the Colts’ sack leader with six, and he also leads the team with three interceptions. The second-year edge rusher has had a breakout season and is on pace to finish with 8.5 sacks, but it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility that he finishes with 10 or more.
Five of his six sacks have come in the team’s last five games. So, who’s to say he can’t record four or more during the team’s final six games?
Glue guy: DeForest Buckner, DT
The glue guy award is one that DeForest Buckner could be penciled in for at all times. Shockingly, this time around, the reason he’s getting this isn’t for what he’s done on the field, but for how much the team has clearly missed him since he was placed on the IR ahead of their Week 10 game.
The team’s run defense has crumbled over the past two games without Buckner, and an added consistent pass-rushing force alongside Latu would be fantastic right about now. Buckner has to miss at least two more games with the neck injury that landed him on the IR. And the Colts are certainly hoping they will be back sooner rather than later.
Biggest surprise: Sauce Gardner, CB
This one was pretty easy for me because the biggest surprise for the Colts defense is the fact that Sauce Gardner is on it to begin with.
The Colts’ electing to take a big swing to acquire Gardner ahead of the NFL trade deadline was so out of character for the team’s regime. It was certainly pricey, but the team is ecstatic to have a young elite CB in Garnder going forward.
Biggest disappointment: Buckner going on IR right after the Gardner trade
I touched on this earlier, but Buckner going on IR has hurt the Colts tremendously. The timing of it made it even worse, though. The Colts traded for Gardner ahead of Week 10, and the team got Charvarius Ward back on the field in Week 12.
The team’s new look defense could be at full strength right now. I’d Buckner was also healthy. They will have to wait to see how good this group can truly be until Buckner returns to the field, terrorizing interior linemen.
Turning point of the last six weeks: Early season struggles at CB leading to all in trade
The turning point I’d like to highlight is the Colts’ CB struggles early in the year, because without them, I’m not sure they would have traded for Gardner. The Colts tried multiple different CBs through the first few weeks of the season.
One being Xavien Howard, who is now retired. The Colts saw the CB room struggle to contain receivers and allow opposing QBs to throw on them at will, which played a massive role in them trading for the All-Pro CB.
Defense overall grade: B
Colts defensive stats following Week 12
- 21st in total offensive yards allowed (3,770 yards)
- 26th in passing yards allowed (2,699 yards)
- 7th in rushing yards allowed (1,071 yards)
- 9th in points allowed (229 points)
2025 draft class superlatives
Overachiever: Tyler Warren, TE
Expectations were already high for Tyler Warren after the Colts selected him in the first round, but he’s still surpassed them. Warren leads the team with 662 receiving yards and is second in touchdowns with three and receptions with 55.
He has truly elevated this offense more than anyone could have imagined, considering he was only a rookie. It would be hard to choose anyone else, no matter what, for this award, but the rest of the Colts draft class having such a little impact makes it even easier.
Rookie we need to see more from: JT Tuimoloau, Edge
I’d like to see more from the Colts’ second-round pick JT Tuimoloau. By that, I of course want more production, but I also literally mean I want to see him play more often.
After being a healthy scratch to start the year, Tuimoloau got some run for a couple of weeks due to injuries on the defensive line piling up. He showed some solid pass-rush flashes, and I’d personally like to see him get more snaps so the Colts can see what they have in the former Ohio State Buckeye.
Underachiever: DJ Giddens, RB
If you made the trip out to Westfield, Indiana, for the Colts training camp at Grand Park, you probably left impressed with rookie DJ Giddens. Giddens showed off his explosiveness throughout camp, and it had many wondering if he would get a legit role as Taylor’s backup as a rookie.
Early in the year, the Colts tried to give Giddens a handful of carries here and there, but he didn’t do much with them. As a result, he’s been made a healthy scratch over the team’s last five games, with Tyler Goodson and Ameer Abdullah seeming to jump him on the depth chart.
Draft class overall grade: C–
Colts 2025 Draft Class
- 1st Round: Tyler Warren, TE
- 2nd Round: JT Tuimoloau, Edge
- 3rd Round: Justin Walley, CB (On IR)
- 4th Round: Jalen Travis, OT
- 5th Round: DJ Giddens, RB
- 6th Round: Riley Leonard, QB
- 6th Round: Tim Smith, DT
- 7th Round: Hunter Wohler, S/LB (On IR)
Coaching report card
Grade: B+
I still think Shane Steichen has had a great season. He’s helped get the absolute most of Jones at QB, significantly more than anyone else expected. Like the offense, though, Steichen has regressed a bit from his fantastic start to the season.
There have been some bumps in the road, especially during the end-of-game coaching. Some puzzling decisions in close games down the stretch. Most recently, his decision to deviate from Taylor and the run game in the fourth quarter against the Chiefs has been heavily criticized.
I still believe the Colts have one of the best play callers in the league and believe Steichen should be a top candidate for the NFL’s Coach of the Year award. He needs to figure out what’s causing the offensive regression and fix it because right now, it looks like NFL defenses have figured them out.
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