INDIANAPOLIS — Shane Steichen interrupted the backslapping in the celebratory locker room and called his team together. The Indianapolis Colts’ coach had something to say about a victory that was more meaningful than the 33-8 win over the Miami Dolphins reflected on the scoreboard.

Steichen wanted to mark the occasion of the team’s first victory without its longtime owner, Jim Irsay, who died in May and was honored with induction in the team’s ring of honor at halftime of Sunday’s season opener.

“This one’s a little more special,” Steichen told his team, according to a video posted by the team.

Then he turned to Irsay’s three daughters and successors as owners, presenting each with a ceremonial game ball that produced an emotional postgame scene.

“There’s a man who gave so much to this city and this organization,” Steichen said of Irsay. “He’s not with us physically, but he’s in this locker room spiritually. He’s watching down on us. And he raised three daughters to run a football team. And we couldn’t be more thankful.”

On Sunday, Irsay’s daughters — Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson — witnessed the Colts win their first season opener since Week 1 of 2013. Their 0-10-1 record in the intervening years from 2014-24 was the league’s longest active non-winning streak in openers.

With emotions high after former quarterback Peyton Manning’s halftime speech, the Irsay daughters were able to celebrate the win and their beloved father.

“This means so much,” Jackson told the team through her tears. “Someone said the [retractable] roof was open so he could watch us and he was with every single one of you. He loved this team so much.

“Every single moment like this, he would tell us as part of our bedtime stories, this meant everything. And it also means so much to us.”

The moment concluded with a group hug between Steichen and the three sisters.

During the halftime ceremony, Manning was joined by most of the team’s former greats, including Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James and Dwight Freeney — all of whom played for Irsay.

“He didn’t just own the Colts,” Manning said, “he bound us all together.”

This Colts win was historic not only because it reversed the team’s awful season-opening trend. It also featured a historic first game from quarterback Daniel Jones, who in his first regular-season game with Indianapolis had a stellar, if unlikely, performance.

Jones had not started a game since he was benched by the New York Giants last season and, later, released by the team that once drafted him No. 6 overall. But he got a chance at redemption in March when he signed a one-year deal with the Colts and, last month, won a preseason competition with Anthony Richardson Sr.

Sunday, Jones completed 22 of 29 attempts for 272 yards, adding three total touchdowns (one passing, two rushing) en route to a dominant win. He became the first quarterback to throw for at least 250 yards and have three touchdowns in a Colts debut.

Remarkably, the Colts scored on every possession, becoming the first team since 1977 to accomplish the feat, according to ESPN Research.

Still, the even-keeled Jones kept things in perspective after the many highs and lows in his career that led him to Indianapolis.

“I think I’ve learned over the years, it’s a long 17-game season and you’ve got to play at a high level for the whole time,” Jones said. “So, a good start. I think we feel good about the start for sure, some things to clean up and work on, but I think everyone on our team’s mature enough, knows enough, that we’ve got to continue to grow and improve. The best teams in the league continue to build on success.”

Steichen said afterward that the Colts felt strongly about their ability to make plays in their passing game coming into the contest, and those projections proved true. The Colts’ receivers were often wide open against Miami’s porous coverage, and Jones made them pay.

“Danny went out there and crushed it today,” said receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who scored on a 27-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. “I’m not sure it could have went better on offense. I felt like we were rolling, and he threw a great pass, and the rest is history, I guess.”