With quarterback Daniel Jones bringing energy to the offense, the Indianapolis Colts have been on a roll, sitting at 6-1. But even that record wasn’t enough to sway Tom Brady, who bumped them down a spot in his Week 7 Power Rankings.

Brady just dropped his FOX’s NFL power rankings with the fans on Instagram, and there have been some surprising mentions. As for the Colts, they took the second spot, and that came in favor of the Detroit Lions. “The Lions are No.1 after dominating last week’s leaders,” he said about Detroit’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“The stars were out with the contributions from Amon-Ra St. Brown, Gibbs, and Jared Goff, and I can’t wait to hear that crowd on Thanksgiving.” But then came the genuine thought of Brady, “Look, the Colts might deserve No.1. The resume is there. I just think the Lions win head-to-head. They’re power rankings for a reason, no questions at this time.” This raises an interesting concern – Are the Colts not good enough when it comes to head-to-head with the Lions?

Well, Tom Brady might not be entirely wrong. The Colts’ offense came alive in their Week 7 win over the Chargers, 38-24. Daniel Jones tossed two touchdowns,
Jonathan Taylor punched in three more, and Indy’s attack looked unstoppable. They dropped 38 points and controlled the pace from start to finish. On defense, things looked solid at first glance. Herbert was sacked three times and picked off twice, but the details tell a different story.

Most of those big defensive plays came with the Chargers already deep in Colts territory, which made the secondary look shaky. Grover Stewart’s first career interception and Nick Cross’ end-zone pick saved points, while Zaire Franklin’s clutch breakup and Buckner’s late sack sealed the win. Still, it felt a little too close for comfort.

The defense leaned heavily on the early lead as injuries piled up, forcing a shift to a softer prevent scheme. Luckily, the offense had built enough cushion, because that kind of defense usually keeps a team from winning. But that was not the case with the Lions.

In the Lions’ 24-9 win over the Buccaneers, several players stepped in, including running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who had a huge role. He racked up 218 scrimmage yards and had the longest rushing touchdown with 78 yards at 6:01 in the second quarter. He was phenomenal. And so was wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

The WR caught three passes for 67 yards in the first quarter. As for almost all the games for the Lions, the quarterback, Jared Goff, was consistent. While he was sacked four times, Goff completed 20 of his 29 pass attempts for 241 yards with one touchdown and an interception. All in all, it was a great game for the team that has been impressive on both sides of the ball, and saw all the players step in to help against the Bucs.

Now, the star of the show was the secondary, which no one had expected to step up the way it had in the game. The defense dominated throughout the game, limiting the opponent. It allowed 9 points and 251 yards defended passes and had 40 quarterback pressures. It’s understandable why Brady chose the Lions.

The other teams on Brady’s power ranking were the Los Angeles Rams (3rd), Buccaneers (4th), Green Bay Packers (5th), Philadelphia Eagles (6th), Kansas City Chiefs (7th), New England Patriots (8th), San Francisco 49ers (9th), and the Seattle Seahawks (10th).

So, it seems even with the best record in the league and a talented roster, the Colts need more work, and they seem to be doing it.

Daniel Jones’ Colts eye a 2x Super Bowl champion

Despite some gaps, Daniel Jones’ Colts had a great start to the game and won over the Chargers. However, head coach Shane Steichen’s squad must gear up completely as the road to the playoffs won’t be easy. In the upcoming weeks, they have games against teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chiefs.

As a result, the Colts aren’t putting their guard down. They are now rumored to acquire a player to boost their defense. And who could be better than a 2x Super Bowl champion who is currently making rounds? The team has reportedly called in a few pass rushers for workouts. And former Buccaneers star linebacker Shaq Barrett is said to be one of the players.

Barrett’s NFL career began with the Broncos from 2014 to 2018, winning his first Super Bowl along the way. He then moved to Tampa Bay, where he grabbed another Super Bowl, two Pro Bowl selections, and an All-Pro nod.

While he chose to retire in 2024, Barrett came out of retirement in November that year and was later waived. Now, he might be a suitable midseason acquisition for the Colts. The question is whether the Colts want to bring in someone new or keep their roster as is.