Stampede Blue
Indianapolis, IN — The Indianapolis Colts’ offense has blossomed into one of the league’s best units. Top-tier production and near-historical efficiency to start the season have resulted in one of the bigger offensive turnarounds in recent memory.
Just a season ago, with both Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco at the helm, the biggest issue with Indy’s offense was that of late-down consistency. Sure, the Colts were patching together some decent drives with more big shots taken, but the down-to-down operation was not a confident one. The addition of Daniel Jones has undeniably served as the missing piece to this offense, but there’s been an unsung hero in specific who has quietly kept the operation on schedule — and his name is Josh Downs.
Downs is still the same reliable passcatcher underneath that he’s been since setting foot on NFL fields, but his dependability is seeing even more exposure than before. It’s been analyzed ad nauseam, his innate ability to turn no gain into a handful of yards, but Downs, like the rest of the offense, is producing at a wildly efficient rate. This offense has been humming, firing on all cylinders, and the third-year wideout from North Carolina has solidified himself as one of the best slot receivers in the league.
Through Week 5 of the 2025-26 season, the Indianapolis Colts are converting on late downs at a drastically higher rate than just a season ago. The Colts are currently 3rd in the NFL in 3rd down conversion rate (46.55%) and T-7th in 4th down conversion rate (75%). Granted, it’s still early, but Indy’s success rate on 4th downs has fluctuated in the 50-60% range under head coach Shane Steichen; therefore, this isn’t too unexpected, though the uptick in 3rd down success certainly is noteworthy after finishing 19th (37.90%) last season and 26th (35.34%) during Steichen’s rookie season as head coach. As alluded to, a big reason for that dramatic difference lies in Josh Downs’ hands, both figuratively and literally.
Josh Downs is turning routine catch-and-tackles into not just additional gains, but first-down conversions entirely. His 74.1% catch rate and zero drops on the season thus far would be career-bests, along with nearly every other statistic he’s on pace to break. Thanks to his veteran-esque nuance and savviness before, during, and after the catch, Downs has turned into a lethal weapon from wherever he lines up or motions to.
This reliability from Downs comes from a natural confidence in his ability, as well as the trust instilled in him by the coaching staff and his teammates. On his weekly podcast with his brother, Caleb Downs — one of the best defenders in America at Ohio State — he discussed this very aspect of his game.
“Obviously, you want the ball in your hands in certain situations that are very crucial. If the coach wants to call my number on third down, I’m glad to answer the call and keep the chains moving,” Josh explained his mindset on late-down situations. “Any...
