Copyright Yardbarker
The Indianapolis Colts were already one of the top positive surprises of the 2025 NFL season before they improved to 6-1 on the campaign via an impressive 38-24 win at the Los Angeles Chargers (4-3) on Sunday afternoon. Following that victory, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner spoke with NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated about how the Colts have improved from where the club was at the end of the 2024 season. DeForest Buckner believes Colts were "close" before adding Daniel Jones "Over the years, we’ve been so close, literally a game away," Buckner explained. "A lot of our core guys have been here for years. When I first got here, they were all younger guys, but they were still key players. Finally, this year, we got a couple pieces that we needed in the offseason. We're getting some high-level play, consistent play from the quarterback. We always knew we were close, and getting this group together this offseason really solidified our thoughts." Of course, the Colts' top offseason move was the signing of quarterback Daniel Jones to a one-year "prove it" contract. Jones was being mentioned in MVP conversations ahead of Sunday, and he then passed for 288 yards and two touchdowns against the Chargers. According to ESPN stats, Jones began Monday ranked second in the NFL among qualified players with an 80.5 adjusted QBR and fifth with 1,790 passing yards for the season. Meanwhile, Indianapolis' Jonathan Taylor leads the league with 697 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground. DeForest Buckner reveals how Colts toughened up under head coach Shane Steichen As The Athletic's James Boyd noted, a Buckner sack for a 12-yard loss helped end what became the Chargers' final offensive drive of Sunday's contest. Buckner spoke with Breer about how the Colts used summer workouts to prepare for such vital in-game moments. "That goes to the preparation we did in the offseason," Buckner added. "We always talked about in the fourth quarter being able to wear out teams. That’s why we changed up training camp, made it harder, had to push through some tough days. We always said, in the fourth quarter, we want to be the team that’s able to outplay the opponent, and we have." The Colts next host the lowly Tennessee Titans (1-6) for what could be considered a "trap game" on Oct. 26. As of Monday afternoon, ESPN BET had Indianapolis as a massive 14.5-point favorite for that matchup.
