Player Outlook
Taylor ended up where many expected him to be by the start of his second season: as a consensus first-round pick in all leagues. Of course, those of you who drafted him as a rookie know the path to getting to that place was anything but a straight line. Taylor opened the season as a backup, but quickly became the starter with Marlon Mack's injury. And then ... nothing really happened for a while. He got around a dozen carries and a few targets per week for a few months, and even found himself effectively benched for a stretch in November when both Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines surpassed him at one point. Taylor eventually locked up the No. 1 role down the stretch, rushing for 651 yards and seven touchdowns over his final five games and averaging nearly 20 carries per game. He'll enter 2021 as the unquestioned top option in Indy and is one of the few backs with the potential to challenge for the No. 1 overall spot if he earns a larger role in the passing game. He ended up being exactly what we expected in the end.
Player News
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Taylor is expected to remain the primary running back for the Colts in 2021, though head coach Frank Reich still plans to ride the hot hand among Taylor, Marlon Mack and Nyheim Hines while also distributing the backfield work based on matchups, Zak Keefer of The Athletic reports. Keefer speculates that Taylor will get 60 percent of the carries, with Mack checking in at around 25 percent. Much depends on Mack's health, as he's returning from a ruptured right Achilles' tendon. While Reich's comments could just be a matter of coach speak to keep all the backs on the roster motivated, there's a chance Taylor won't get the workload some might expect after he came on strong at the end of his rookie season. Over his final six games, Taylor amassed 741 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
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Taylor rushed 21 times for 78 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 27-24 wild-card round loss to the Bills. He added two catches for six yards on four targets. Taylor gave the Colts a 10-7 lead with a one-yard touchdown plunge in the second quarter but lost three yards on a dubious 3rd-and-goal toss play from the one-yard line later in the quarter on a drive that ended without points following an incomplete pass on the ensuing play. The rookie second-round pick established himself as the Colts' clear lead back down the stretch, and Taylor is positioned to finish among the league's rushing leaders next season if he can maintain that role while running behind one of the league's best offensive lines.
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Taylor (shoulder) doesn't carry an injury designation for Saturday's playoff game against the Bills. Though Taylor -- who racked up 30 carries for 253 yards and two TDs in Week 17 -- was listed as a limited practice participant this week, he previously indicated that he'd be ready to roll versus the Bills and his final injury designation for Wild-Card Weekend confirms that.
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Taylor (shoulder) practiced in a limited fashion this week, Chris Brown of the Bills' official site reports. Though Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis relays that Taylor -- who logged 30 carries for 253 yards and two TDs in Week 17 -- sported a red (non-contact) jersey at practice Thursday, the running back previously indicated that he'd be "ready to roll" versus the Bills, a notion that could be confirmed by Indy's final injury report for Wild-Card Weekend.
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Taylor (shoulder) was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday's estimated practice report. Despite the listing, Taylor -- who logged a career-high 31 touches in the Week 17 win over Jacksonville -- isn't concerned about his status for Saturday's playoff opener against the Bills, according to Kevin Bowen of 107.5 The Fan Indianapolis reports. Taylor closed the regular season with a flurry, racking up 837 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns over the Colts' final six games.
Recent Tweets
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1:03 am ET / @gmbremerGeorge Bremer
Kenny Moore arrived at camp driven by a special guest, Jonathan Taylor's not resting on his rookie success and T.Y.… https://t.co/q1PQy8ppCq
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1:56 pm ET / @gmbremer
George Bremer
Taylor is excited about the potential of this offense. Wentz obviously brings a different style than Rivers, and th… https://t.co/jMpKbxrP1F
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1:52 pm ET / @gmbremer
George Bremer
Jonathan Taylor took up Pilates during the offseason. Believes it will help with flexibility, recovery and injury p… https://t.co/uKk0EwEIfM
Completed Games
| WK | OPP | RUATT | RUYD | RUTD | RECPT | REYD | RETD | FPTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | @JAC | 9 | 22 | 0 | 6 | 67 | 0 | 8 |
| 2 | MIN | 26 | 101 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 16 |
| 3 | NYJ | 13 | 59 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 11 |
| 4 | @CHI | 17 | 68 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 7 |
| 5 | @CLE | 12 | 57 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 12 |
| 6 | CIN | 12 | 60 | 0 | 4 | 55 | 0 | 11 |
| 7 | BYE | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 8 | @DET | 11 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | BAL | 6 | 27 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 6 |
| 10 | @TEN | 7 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 0 | 3 |
| 11 | GB | 22 | 90 | 0 | 4 | 24 | 0 | 11 |
| *12 | TEN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | @HOU | 13 | 91 | 0 | 3 | 44 | 1 | 19 |
| 14 | @LV | 20 | 150 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 28 |
| 15 | HOU | 16 | 83 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 15 |
| 16 | @PIT | 18 | 74 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| 17 | JAC | 30 | 253 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 37 |
| PROJECTION | 265 | 1184 | 10 | 48 | 382 | 2 | 205 | |
| * indicates player did not play that week | ||||||||
Scheduled Games
| WK | DATE | OPP | OPP RANK | OPP FPTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 09/12 | Seattle Seahawks | 15 | 17.35 |
| 2 | 09/19 | Los Angeles Rams | 6 | 14.56 |
| 3 | 09/26 | @Tennessee Titans | 23 | 19.06 |
| 4 | 10/03 | @Miami Dolphins | 13 | 16.38 |
| 5 | 10/11 | @Baltimore Ravens | 5 | 14.56 |
| 6 | 10/17 | Houston Texans | 32 | 26.13 |
| 7 | 10/24 | @San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 14.75 |
| 8 | 10/31 | Tennessee Titans | 23 | 19.06 |
| 9 | 11/04 | New York Jets | 20 | 18.00 |
| 10 | 11/14 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 30 | 23.38 |
| 11 | 11/21 | @Buffalo Bills | 19 | 17.89 |
| 12 | 11/28 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 | 12.30 |
| 13 | 12/05 | @Houston Texans | 32 | 26.13 |
| 14 | BYE | - | - | - |
| 15 | 12/19 | New England Patriots | 21 | 18.88 |
| 16 | 12/25 | @Arizona Cardinals | 17 | 17.50 |
| 17 | 01/02 | Las Vegas Raiders | 29 | 22.38 |
| 18 | 01/09 | @Jacksonville Jaguars | 30 | 23.38 |
Team Trends
Red Zone Trends
Career Stats
| Season | RuAtt | RuYd | RuTD | Recpt | ReYd | ReTD | FPTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 232 | 1169 | 11 | 36 | 299 | 1 | 215 |
| 3 Year Avg | 232 | 1169 | 11 | 36 | 299 | 1 | 215 |
| Career | 232 | 1169 | 11 | 36 | 299 | 1 |