Copyright CBS Sports
The Indianapolis Colts made me eat my words. With hot sauce. On our Sunday night NFL recap show on CBS Sports HQ, I actually ate paper with hot sauce because of the Colts. During the show, I said I would eat my words for saying the Colts weren't legitimate — something I'd said the past two weeks leading into Sunday's dominant 38-24 victory over the Chargers. So I did. They brought me some hot sauce, I poured it on the paper and began to chew. I didn't actually swallow it, but the point was made: The Colts are for real. There, I said it. If the Chargers were the proving game, as I said, they've proven it. More proof: They're averaging 33.1 points per game, tops in the league. They've scored 232 points in seven games. The Peyton Manning-led Colts teams never did that. The Daniel Jones-led Colts have done it. Amazing. The Colts are 6-1 and up to the top spot in my Power Rankings this week, doing so with two MVP candidates. Jones is one with his resurgent year, but running back Jonathan Taylor makes it all go. Taylor had three touchdowns against the Chargers — his third three-touchdown game of the season — and he leads the league with 11. He leads the league in rushing with 697 yards and is a good receiver in the passing game. Running backs don't usually win MVPs in this era, but he's in the conversation. As for Jones, he is completing 71% of his passes, is fifth in the league in passing yards, has 10 touchdown passes and is averaging 8.4 yards per attempt. The Colts are hitting a lot of big plays. The Indianapolis defense is improved, but it still has a way to go on the back end. New coordinator Lou Anarumo has done a nice job so far. Like I said, the Colts are for real. Now let me go wash the hot sauce out of my mouth.
