“Danny Dimes” TO FACE MONSTROUS TEST AGAINST DENVER’S ELITE, UNSTOPPABLE DEFENSE – CAN HE RISE TO THE CHALLENGE?
Going back to the start of the Super Bowl era, history tells us that every now and then there are teams with defenses so good they win it all and just need their offense to be competent in order to do so.
That means produce between 14 and 21 points and you’ll get a win. Think the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers. Or the 1985 Chicago Bears. Or the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Denver Broncos might have one of those types of teams in 2025, but if they want to show us they’re who we think they are, games like facing the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2 are critical because give them the kind of target elite defenses dream about.
That’s because the Colts have a quarterback who is on top of the world right now in Daniel Jones — Danny Dimes if you know ball — and it’s on the Broncos to knock him off his pedestal.
Jones is trying to be the NFL’s latest and greatest quarterback reclamation project, following in the steps of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith — players who were discarded by their first teams and became stars elsewhere.
The Broncos, on the other hand, will be trying to grind Jones into the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Jones Got ‘Elite’ Grade After Week 1 Performance
There was no quarterback who turned in a more surprising performance in Week 1 than Jones, who went 22 of 29 passing for 272 yards and one touchdown to go with 7 carries for 26 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 33-8 win over the Miami Dolphins.
Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski gave Jones an “A+” grade for his play — one of just 2 NFL quarterbacks to earn that mark in the first week alongside Buffalo Bills quarterback and reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen.
“Jones regularly put the offense in the right play, completed 75.9 percent of his passes and helped lead his team to an achievement even Peyton Manning didn’t unlock,” Sobleski wrote on September 8. “The Colts became the first team since at least 1978 to score on every offensive possession.”
Jones Beat Out First Round Pick For Starting Job
The football journey for Jones over the last year has been a true rollercoaster.
Selected in the first round (No. 6 overall) by the New York Giants in the 2019 NFL draft, Jones was the quarterback who replaced 2-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning and went 24-44-1 over 6 seasons as the starter before he was released midway through the 2024 season.
Fortunately for Jones, his one good season for the Giants came in a contract year, when he went 9-7-1 in 2022 and led the Giants to a playoff win. It was an achievement general manger Joe Schoen rewarded with a 4-year, $160 million contract extension.
After his release, Jones signed with the Minnesota Vikings and spent the last half of the season as Darnold’s backup. He signed a 1-year, $14 million contract with the Colts in March.
In Indianapolis, Jones had to beat out 2023 first round pick (No. 4 overall) Anthony Richardson for the starting spot — a competition that didn’t get settled until head coach Shane Steichen named Jones the starter on August 19.
Steelers Week 2 Injury Report: Joey Porter Jr. & Nick Herbig News
Another week of practice in the books means the Pittsburgh Steelers are one step closer to game day. As Sunday’s contest against the Seattle Seahawks approaches, there’s more information regarding who will and will not suit up.
Two popular Pittsburgh injury situations being monitored pertain to cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and linebacker Nick Herbig. Friday’s practice and media availability brought more of the same buzz.
It’s a classic good news, bad news scenario for the Steelers.
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Steelers Provide Joey Porter Jr.’s Week 2 Status
Porter is out this weekend, per the official team injury report.
The third-year man played 44 defensive snaps in the Steelers’ season opener against the New York Jets but left early with a hamstring injury. He didn’t practice all week, leading to the speculation about his availability for Week 2.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, head coach Mike Tomlin briefly addressed Porter’s situation.
“Joey Porter Jr. wasn’t able to finish the game with a hamstring,” Tomlin said. “Optimistic about his availability, but I’ll let the quality of his work and the amount of his work during the week be our guide there.”
Well, the amount of Porter’s on-field practice work is a sum of zero. Tomlin’s initial optimism didn’t parlay itself into reality.
At the time of his injury, Porter logged a solo tackle and surrendered a reception on both of his targets. The 2023 second-round pick posted an ugly 32.4 Pro Football Focus grade for his efforts, including a 36.0 coverage mark. Almost all of his snaps, as expected, were from a pre-snap alignment on the outside.
With that in mind, Brandin Echols is a favorite to replace any reps missed now that Porter can’t play. The offseason pickup recorded 2 tackles in Week 1, playing 19 combined snaps for the Steelers between defense (10) and special teams (9).
Silver Lining: Nick Herbig’s Return Is Imminent
A piece of tremendous Steelers news is the imminent return of linebacker Nick Herbig. Herbig, who was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice with a hamstring ailment of his own, advanced to full participation on Thursday and Friday. He carries no game day designation.
Herbig came into Week 1’s game against the Jets as questionable. He wound up missing the opener, meaning Week 2 will be his debut. Tomlin felt good about his progress as of Tuesday.
“Really optimistic and hopeful about Nick Herbig being available for us this week,” Tomlin said. “As is always the case in ball, you step into a stadium, you lose some capable men, but we also are going to get some capable men back. We’ll put together a collective that positions us to be at our best.”
In 13 games last season, Herbig recorded 22 tackles (5 for loss) with 11 quarterback hits, 5.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. He’s been itching to get back into the lineup for meaningful games. Speaking to media after Friday’s practice, he doubled down on his positive outlook.
“I feel good,” Herbig said. “I’m ready to go. Yeah, I’m very optimistic about it.”
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Not being on the field to kick off the year was a big mental challenge for him.
“I think the most frustrating thing is just not being able to be there for my brothers, you know?” Herbig said. “It doesn’t matter what it is I’m doing, as long as I’m on the field and I get to have my brothers’ backs out there. We go through war, we go through all this stuff in the offseason. Not being able to be there for them on game day, that’s a sickening feeling.”
Kickoff for Sunday’s game will be here before anyone knows it.
