When the 2025 NFL season began, one of the teams many thought would impress right out of the gate was the Las Vegas Raiders. During the offseason, the iconic franchise, which boasts Tom Brady amongst its co-owners, hired Super Bowl-winning coach Pete Carroll and traded for Pro Bowl QB Geno Smith. So, when schedule forecasters looked at Vegas’ week five matchup against the maligned Indianapolis Colts, they likely expected a blowout.
Turns out they were right—just not about the winning team.
On Sunday, the Colts trounced the Raiders, 40-6. With the win, Indy improved to a division leading 4-1, and Vegas fell to 1-4. Indeed, it was the Colts who dominated the Raiders, not the other way around. The result contradicted the prevailing logic prior to the season. For example, Fernando Alfaro-Donis, writing in Sports Illustrated just days before the season kicked off, said, “The potential for the 2025 Las Vegas Raiders is potent, with them being a dark-horse team to contend for a wild card spot in the playoffs.”
As for the general consensus regarding the Colts ahead of the year, USA Today’s Nate Davis echoed the masses when he predicted a 4-13 outcome. (Indy has already met that win total with 12 games to go.) For most, it was the Colts’ quarterback situation that scared them off ahead of the year. In the offseason, the team staged a competition between Antony Richardson and the newly signed Daniel Jones. Both were considered under-performers going into the year and, in the end, it was Jones who won the starting job.
Still, few thought he would do anything other than play poorly and help the Colts’ 2026 draft pick positioning. But instead of flaming out, Jones has already become something of a folk hero for Indy. He’s even in the MVP conversation. Jones also boasts one of the best nicknames in the NFL today—Indiana Jones. “He’s proving people wrong,” offered an unnamed scout to Fox Sports two weeks ago after the Colts defeated Tennessee to improve to 3-0. For Jones and the Colts, the storylines have shifted.
Thanks to their play on the field, the headlines are no longer declaring the Colts’ demise. On the contrary, many are wondering just how far this magic carpet ride of a season can go. But what if the franchise had believed all the prognosticators? What if they had given up before the year had begun? It would have been a shame.
The lesson? Your narrative must be written inside your huddle, not outside of it. Focus on how you and the team can improve. That’s the winning strategy—not checking your press clippings.
That goes for all teams, not just Colts. Every year it seems there is a team or three that comes out of nowhere and surprises the bettors. And this young season, there are multiple other squads making waves, including the 3-1 division leading Pittsburgh Steelers and 4-1 division leading San Francisco 49ers. Each could have listened to people predicting their imminent downfall. But each put in their earplugs and simply went to work, believing in themselves.
Of course, it’s an excellent lesson for business leaders, too. It’s important for those who lead companies to remember they are the ones who shape their stories, not those on the outside. This isn’t to say that leadership exists in a bubble—rather, the idea is to tune out the noise and trust those dear to you. Forbes contributor Serenity Gibbons agrees. She wrote, “While you shouldn’t listen to everyone, you do need to have a stable of critics you trust.” In other words, you should maintain a tight inner-circle to bounce ideas off of.
In the NFL, that inner-circle is composed of teammates and coaches. In business, it can be a select set of people you choose. But the point is this: If you listen to too many outside voices, you will likely stretch yourself too thin and depart too far from your core principles. Minda Zetlin, writing for Inc., put it well, saying, “If you receive thoughtful, objective criticism from someone whose judgment you respect, then you should indeed pay attention. But if not, why on earth are you listening to this person?”
After besting Las Vegas on Sunday, Colts head coach Shane Steichen applauded his team’s excellent effort. He praised star running back Jonathan Taylor and the entire offensive line. Indeed, there were many players to heap platitudes onto after the lopsided victory, which saw Jones throw for two touchdowns and Taylor run for three more. “I think the guys are playing at a high level right now,” offered a pleased Coach Steichen. “They’re playing together.”