The Indianapolis Colts came into this matchup on Sunday versus the Jacksonville Jaguars looking to keep themselves in the battle for the AFC South crown. Instead, they ended the game in worse shape than they were coming into the game. The Colts lost the game 36-19, but in that loss, they lost one of their offensive stars. Daniel Jones, coming into this game playing through a fractured fibula, dropped back to pass in the first quarter and fell to the ground while attempting a pass in obvious pain. He would slam his helmet onto the ground in frustration, aware of what had happened and frustrated by yet another injury. After the game, Colts head coach Shane Steichen, when speaking to ESPN.com Colts Reporter Stephen Holder, had this to say about Jones’ injury:
“It doesn’t look good.”
Colts coach Shane Steichen says of Daniel Jones’ Achilles injury: “It doesn’t look good.”
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) December 7, 2025
Obviously, a good bit of the air has been let out of the Colts' sail with Jones' injury. Their chances of winning the division and making the playoffs have significantly diminished without their leader at quarterback. So, with that being said, how do the Colts move forward to try to make the playoffs and fight for the division?
No one knows all the answers, but one question they were forced to answer during this game was the quarterback position. Rookie Riley Leonard, a 2025 6th-round selection out of Notre Dame, was inserted into the game and was 18/29 for 145 yards and one interception. He did run one in for a touchdown late in the game, but the game was out of hand at that point in time. Leonard probably had limited to no reps with the starting wide receivers, so it was not expected that he would come in and do well immediately. Next week, Leonard has a challenge on his hands as he faces the Seattle Seahawks defense. So, what can the Colts do to prepare him for this game?
The first thing they can do is run the football. Against the Jaguars, the Colts ran the football 26 times for 89 yards. The Jags are one of the best run-stuffing football teams in the NFL this season, but the Colts were one of the best running football teams in the NFL as well. Rushing for under 100 yards is unacceptable and will not get the job done against the Seahawks in Seattle next week. The Colts will need 120-150 yards rushing next week versus Seattle. Those types of rushing numbers will limit the number of times Seattle has the ball offensively and will help keep Leonard in downs and distances that are less predictable.
Another thing the Colts and head coach Shane Steichen can do is get the ball out of their quarterback’s hands quickly. Use play-action with that running game to give Leonard easy reads and help him get into the flow of the game. The more Steichen can build Leonard's confidence, the more he will feel confident in what he sees on the field. And as Leonard grows in what he sees and can do, the Colts' offense will stabilize further. That is not to say that he will play as well as Jones did at his peak, but he does have the ability to be solid at the position and that is what Indianapolis needs.
Lastly, Steichen needs to try to find out what Leonard does well. Every quarterback has some things they love to do and others they do not like. When a quarterback is doing things they are comfortable with and enjoy, they tend to perform well in action on the field. If Steichen can find ways to make that happen for Leonard, it will allow him to feel comfortable with what he is doing instead of having him out there second-guessing himself on the field.
The Colts are in a tough situation. No starting quarterback, presumably, for the rest of the season and losers of four of their last five games. But all is not lost. There is still a chance for them to make the playoffs, and it starts when they face the Seattle Seahawks next week.