INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones, battling a fibula injury that has limited his mobility, faced an unfortunate matchup Sunday: The Houston Texans and their ferocious pass rush.
That left Jones to navigate a tricky situation as he tried to fend off numerous rushers without escaping the pocket in a game the Colts lost 20-16. He made the best of things, completing 14 of 27 pass attempts for 201 yards. Jones also connected for two touchdown passes, including an impressive 19-yard strike to receiver Alec Pierce against two defenders.
But for Jones, who is expected to be dealing with the injury for the foreseeable future, it wasn't easy and it wasn't enough. The Colts' point total was a season low, and their 281 total yards was their second lowest of the season (second only to last week's 255 in a game Jones also played hurt).
The Texans pressured Jones on 64% of his dropbacks, and his effectiveness dropped significantly when under duress. Jones completed 2 of 11 passes when under pressure. And his 1.3 yards per attempt on those plays was the second lowest of his career, according to ESPN Research.
Jones reportedly has a fibula injury but wouldn't confirm nor deny that on Sunday.
«I feel good enough to play,» he said. «Doctors cleared me to play, so that's what I'm going to do.»
The Texans continued a recent trend of Colts opponents sending extra rushers and blitzing Jones, an area where he exceled earlier in the season when the Colts established themselves as the most explosive offense in the league. This highlighted the limitations of his injury, which are most obvious when it comes to Jones' reluctance to leave the pocket.
He had just one pass attempt outside the pocket Sunday, according to ESPN
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