When the 2025 regular-season schedule came out, the Los Angeles Rams didn’t know which quarterback they’d be facing in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts. Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones were battling it out for the starting job, but there was no clear indication of who would win that competition.
Fast-forward to now and the Rams are suddenly facing one of the best teams in the league on Sunday, led by none other than Jones – the next quarterback on a growing list of reclamation projects that have worked out around the league. Jones has completed a career-high 71.6% of his passes for 816 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions and only two sacks taken.
He leads the NFL in net yards per pass attempt at 8.84 and has also rushed for three touchdowns on just 17 carries. What might’ve looked like a favorable game for the Rams in May now appears to be a really challenging task, even at home.
Both Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford talked about Jones’ resurgence this week and they shared similar thoughts. They each saw potential in Jones during his time with the Giants and believe now that he’s in a better situation with the Colts, he’s shining.
Here’s what McVay said on the “Coach McVay Show.”
“I think guys are playing really well around him. He’s had really good years,” he said. “I mean, you look at Coach Daboll’s first year, they end up winning a playoff game, get into the divisional round, did a lot of really good stuff. That’s why he earned the contract that he did with the Giants. He’s always had tremendous mobility. There’s a reason he was a top pick. He’s shown really good things throughout his career, and then, ‘Am I surrounded by the right types of things to allow that to come to fruition?’ And I think Shane Steichen’s an excellent coach. He’s got good personnel around him. I think they’re doing a really nice job of being able to put him in situations that are conducive for his skills to come to life. I’m looking forward to diving a little bit deeper and hopefully we can put a stop on how efficient they’ve been.”
When Stafford was asked about Jones on SiriusXM’s “Let’s Go!” show Monday, he raved about the Colts quarterback. He said he’s happy to see Jones succeeding in Indianapolis and always “pulls for other quarterbacks to have success.”
Stafford added that the change of scenery benefited Jones and believes he’s always had a skill set you want in a quarterback.
“I’m happy for him, I really am,” he said. “I’m a guy that pulls for other quarterbacks to have success. I’ve thought for a long time that Daniel has kind of everything you’d want. He is big, he throws it great, he moves around really well. Seems to be a sharp guy, level-headed, kind of human being. So sometimes you just need a change of scenery or a change of pace and it seems like he’s found a groove with the Colts. I know some of the coaches on the Colts coaching staff, some guys that I’ve worked with in the past, they’re smart guys putting ‘em in position to succeed, which is an awesome thing for him. They’ve got a great running game. Their defense is playing at a high clip. I mean, they don’t punt. This team is playing as good as anybody in the league right now. So it’ll be a huge test for us.”
The Giants cut Jones last year after he posted a 2-8 record in 10 games, throwing eight touchdown passes and seven interceptions. He spent six years in New York and had a 24-44-1 record with just one playoff appearance, and the front office ran out of patience after five losing seasons in six years.
The Colts look like legitimate contenders with their running game, efficient passing attack and smothering defense, so the Rams are facing yet another test this weekend after Sunday’s heartbreaking loss to the Eagles.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams’ McVay, Stafford share thoughts on Daniel Jones’ resurgence
