Daniel Jones outperforms Brady and Manning to snap Colts curse and pile pressure on Dolphins ‘clown show’

It’s party time in Indianapolis.

For the first time since 2013, the Colts picked up a Week 1 win.

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Led by a debuting Daniel Jones, Indianapolis dominated the Miami Dolphins and a very frustrated Tyreek Hill en-route to a 33-8 win.

Jones went 22/29 for 272 yards and a touchdown, and added two rushing scores on goal-line sneaks, becoming the first Colts quarterback with two rushing TDs in a season opener.

‘Danny Dimes’ not only made Day 1 history for Indianapolis, but he also wrote himself into the NFL record books too.

Jones sets impressive NFL record

According to Scott Hanson, who was speaking on a revamped RedZone, Jones led seven drives on Sunday, and the Colts scored on every single one of them.

No other quarterback since 1991 has managed to do that, meaning he outperformed the likes of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees in his impressive debut.

Thanks to ‘Danny Dimes’ and a defense that forced three turnovers from Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, the Colts ended their unwanted streak of 11 straight years without winning a season opener.

Before Sunday, the last time Indianapolis picked up a victory in the first week of the NFL season was back in September 2013, against the Oakland Raiders.

Andrew Luck was under center that day, and if Sunday is anything to go by, the Colts might have found their next great quarterback.

For Miami, though, it was an afternoon to forget.

Dolphins embarrassed as Colts snap Week 1 streak

The visiting Dolphins departed Lucas Oil Stadium with just 211 total yards, and needed a strong effort from running back De’Von Achane on a fourth quarter fourth-and-goal screen pass to avoid getting shut out.

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But that was the only score they could muster on a drab day that saw star wideout Hill visibly upset on the sidelines.

Footage caught ‘Cheetah’ throwing his arms in the air as he appeared to engage in an animated conversation with a coach on the bench.

Hill’s outburst will further fuel trade speculation, after he worked to rebuild trust with his teammates over the offseason having hinted he was open to leaving Miami at the conclusion of the 2024 season.

“This was a big kick in the balls for us,” he admitted post-game on Sunday, per ESPN’s Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques.

McDaniel not feeling pressure after Colts loss

Miami head coach Mike McDaniel wasn’t quite as blunt in his own assessment, but noted that his team have plenty of lessons to learn after their Week 1 embarrassment.

“It’s a young team having to learn some very hard lessons. It was not the way our team wanted it to look,” he told reporters.

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“We got some strong humility today. The taste is terrible. They are eager to fix it.”

McDaniel was also asked if he felt under pressure after the defeat, but suggested he is fully focused on coaching.

He said: “I don’t see this job void of pressure, or entitlement. The most important thing is I worry about doing my job.

“That’s what the team will get from me for sure.”

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While McDaniel was not drawn on his future, he was soon trending on social media, with plenty of Dolphins fans calling for his head.

“FIRE MIKE MCDANIEL. Call it a season, pack it up, blow the whole thing up. What are we even doing out here? This isn’t Dolphins football, this is a clown show,” one fan wrote on X.

“By the end of the season: Mike McDaniel and/or Tua Tagovailoa will not be a member of the Miami Dolphins,” another said.

“No way McDaniel makes it out of September man,” a third wrote.

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“Dude I am so f***ing over the Mike McDaniel/Tua Tagovailoa era,” a fourth concluded.

While the Dolphins were embarrassed by the Colts in Week 1, they have a chance to bounce back as they return home against the New England Patriots next Sunday.

The Pats lost their opener, 20-13, to the Las Vegas Raiders.

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