Daniel Jones does not have the best memories of “Good old Germany.” To be more precise, his last visit was like a nightmare. “A lot has happened since I was last in Germany. It was a difficult start to the season last year and tough for me here in Germany,” said the Indianapolis Colts quarterback ahead of Sunday’s NFL game against the Atlanta Falcons at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.

Last year, the 28-year-old, then still playing for the New York Giants, had a day to forget in Munich, which turned out to be a fateful moment for him. The 17-20 defeat against the Carolina Panthers was mainly blamed on him – the playmaker threw two interceptions, among other things. Shortly afterwards, Jones was released. After a brief stint with the Minnesota Vikings, he signed with the Colts for the new season. Jones says he considers himself “very lucky”: “I was fortunate to be able to go to Minnesota and to have ended up here.” In Indianapolis, Jones was intended to be the challenger to starter Anthony Richardson – and he prevailed. And how! With 2,404 passing yards so far, he leads the NFL rankings and is considered one of the main reasons for the Colts’ surprising rise, who are one of the best teams in the league with seven wins and two losses. Jonathan Taylor, the Colts’ star running back, praised Jones in the highest terms: “The level of discipline he displays is out of this world. But when he’s on the field, he doesn’t have to hide his athleticism either. People know he’s pretty fast, but he’s also damn tough. When you have a quarterback who prepares like that and is that tough, it’s really something special.”