The Indianapolis Colts are currently on a two-game losing streak, with the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, and Detroit Lions coming up. They could very easily lose all three of these games and compile a five game losing streak. However, in order to avoid this, there is a key playmaker who has flown under the radar in 2024. Jonathan Taylor has been a model of consistency so far this season and the Colts will need him to continue to be so moving forward.
When Shane Steichen announced that Joe Flacco would be the starting quarterback moving forward, he gave an interesting reason as to why. During his press conference, Steichen stated that Flacco gives the Colts the “best chance to win.” Certainly, Flacco has a level of stability as a quarterback and provides a veteran presence. However, he does not give the Colts the best chance to win. All-pro running back Jonathan Taylor gives the Colts the best chance to win, given their current circumstance.
Why Jonathan Taylor Gives the Colts the Best Chance to Win
There is an Advantage to Running the Football
The Indianapolis Colts are one of the worst teams in terms of possessing the football. The Colts possess the ball 42.83% of the time, which ranks worst in the NFL. What makes this statistic so puzzling is the fact that Indy is able to run the football fairly consistently, as they rank 16th in rush yards per game and 10th in yards per rush. The issue, though, is that they also rank 21st in rushes per game, and that has contributed to their issues with time of possession.
Needless to say, being able to run the football effectively is crucial to a team’s success in the NFL, as it opens up so many doors for the offense. As the Colts are being led by Joe Flacco, their offense leans more pass-heavy. However, if Steichen wants his offense to get back on track, they have to run the football more. To put things in perspective, the Kansas City Chiefs are undefeated through nine weeks. One of the big reasons why they are undefeated is because they rank third on time of possession and they rank fifth in rushes per game. The Chiefs have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in, Patrick Mahomes, but they still commit to the run. The Colts must do the same.
Jonathan Taylor is Still an Elite Running Back
Regardless of who is starting at quarterback for the Colts, they still consistency at running back when Jonathan Taylor is healthy. Through the first nine weeks of the season, Taylor has already dealt with an injury that sidelined him for three games. However, when he has been out on the field, he has continued to produce. Already, he has accumulated 502 yards and five touchdowns through six games and is averaging 4.8 yards per attempt.
Clearly, Taylor has not missed a beat when he is able to play. That being said, though, the Colts do not seem to be utilizing him as much as they could be. Assuming that Taylor has been healthy, in the last two games, he has 33 total attempts which is not simply not enough. For the Colts to win football games this season, they need to feed Taylor more. In his all-pro 2021 season, the Colts had Taylor rushing about 20 times per game. This is the same number that they have to get to with him, especially considering that there is instability at quarterback.
These next three games are going to be tough ones for the Colts to overcome, as their offense has been struggling. The one consistent playmaker, however, has been Jonathan Taylor. The Colts must get him more involved.
Main Image: Brad Rempel – USA Today Sports
