Colts RB Jonathan Taylor didn't practice on Wednesday and is on the injury report with a toe. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero hears that Taylor had "some soreness" coming out of the Chiefs game but that his absence was precautionary. "He'll be ready to roll" vs. the Titans, a source told Pelissero. Taylor can stay penciled into fantasy lineups for now, but we'll continue to keep an eye on his health.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor got 21 carries in Sunday's upset win over the Chiefs but turned that into just 71 yards. He added 3 catches for 20 yards among 5 targets, which tied Alec Pierce for 3rd on the team. RB Nyheim Hines ranked 2nd in targets -- trailing only WR Michael Pittman -- and secured 5 catches for 23 yards. Hines continued to see minimal rushing work, logging only 3 carries against K.C. Next up for Taylor is the Titans, who allowed him just 64 and 70 rushing yards in 2 meetings last season -- both Tennessee victories.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor carried just 9 times in Sunday's surprising 24-0 beatdown at the hands of the Jaguars. Taylor did manage 54 yards on those attempts, averaging 6.0 per run. He also led Nyheim Hines in routes for the 2nd straight game, though Hines closed that gap some and beat Taylor 5-1 in targets. Ultimately, it was a frustrating day for a player you probably expected to lead your Week 2 efforts. But there's no reason to worry about Taylor.
If HC Frank Reich was considering shaving any portion off RB Jonathan Taylor's role this season, then he totally forgot about it in Week 1. Taylor claimed 31 of Indianapolis' 34 RB rushes in the tie with Houston, as well as 7 targets. That tied for 2nd on the team and edged Nyheim Hines by 1. Taylor racked up 161 yards and a TD on the ground, adding 4 catches for 14 yards. Hines proved efficient as a receiver, catching all 6 of his targets for 50 yards to rank 2nd on the team in both categories. But he gained just 4 yards on 3 rushes and still played too small a role to be trustworthy in starting lineups for most fantasy football formats. Both players likely saw their Week 1 target counts inflated by QB Matt Ryan's 50 pass attempts.
Colts HC Frank Reich wants a more balanced offense this season after ranking 28th in pass rate last year. "You don’t see teams that have this ground-and-pound run game win championships,” Reich said. “You just don’t. I’m sure it’s happened with one or two teams, but our best formula is to be balanced." Reich also conceded that it will mean fewer touches for RB Jonathan Taylor. "I’m not saying he won’t lead the league in touches, because you never know how things are going to play out. But I almost don’t want him to," he said of Taylor. “The goal is not to lead the league in rushing. The goal is not to make him the MVP of the league. The goal is to win championships." Taylor easily led the league with 332 carries last year -- 25 more than anyone else. So he can afford to lose some and still be a fantasy stud. More passing, of course, would be good news for QB Matt Ryan, WR Michael Pittman and the rest of the Colts' pass catchers.
Colts HC Frank Reich “would like to alleviate some of the load on [Jonathan] Taylor’s shoulders,” per beat writer George Bremer. (To be clear, these are Bremer's words -- not Reich's.) Taylor led the league with 332 rush attempts last year — 25 ahead of #2 Najee Harris. With Matt Ryan in town, the thought is this offense goes slightly more pass heavy. We do project a smaller workload for Taylor, but the decline is negligible. The 3rd-year back remains a top-2 fantasy RB.
Colts QB Matt Ryan impressed coaches, teammates and the media with his play and leadership this offseason. “Matt was unbelievable,” HC Frank Reich said. “Really, A-Z, he did everything right. Just great leadership, great play. I mean, the whole way he took command … I knew he was good, but his accuracy is insane." OC Marcus Brady said Ryan is "damn near a coach on the field." And rookie WR Alec Pierce said, "He could basically run this offense and this team by himself." We'd expect the 14-year veteran to impress in the intangibles department. But, by all accounts, Ryan's arm strength and accuracy were excellent over the past few months. He's still not an exciting fantasy asset in a run-first offense and without rushing upside. But Ryan's arrival could be a boost for the Colts' skill-position players.
Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star believes the presence of QB Matt Ryan will have a “profound effect” on RB Jonathan Taylor’s receiving output. Perhaps that’s an exaggeration; Taylor caught 40 balls last year — 2.35 per game — and we don’t forecast a significant jump this fall. But the thesis here is that Ryan will take the checkdown much more often than Carson Wentz did. Taylor’s also grown as a pass-catcher. “Understanding the different coverages,” Taylor said. “You have certain routes, and maybe, if they’re in a zone, know how to spray it a little bit and then sit down. Things like that, rather than knowing I just need to get to this depth and turn in.” JT was a receiving weapon last year with a massive 10.1 YAC per reception. Even if his pass catching numbers don’t spike, he projects as a clear top-2 fantasy RB.
Colts QB Carson Wentz (COVID) has been medically cleared to play vs. the Raiders today, HC Frank Reich told NFL Network's Stacey Dales. Wentz is just a QB2 in what figures to be another run-heavy attack from the Colts. But he's good news for RB Jonathan Taylor and WR Michael Pittman
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor left in the 2nd quarter of Thursday night's game against the Jets with a knee injury. Indianapolis reached halftime with a 28-10 lead, so we wouldn't be surprised if the team shuts Taylor down for the night -- even if the injury isn't serious. We'll keep an eye on the situation either way.
Update: Taylor took the field to open the 2nd half.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (knee) is active for today’s game vs. the Dolphins. He was limited in practice all week due to “a little fluid build-up” in that knee, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Taylor will also be without stud G Quenton Nelson today. See where he sits in the Week 4 RB Rankings.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (knee) is expected to play vs. the Dolphins today, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "He had a little fluid build up in his knee, but it was more nagging than anything else," Rapoport adds. "He’ll be fine."
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game vs. the Dolphins after a limited week of practice. We've heard nothing to suggest that Taylor is in danger of missing this one, but his status is worth checking on when inactives come out around 11:30 am ET on Sunday.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (knee) remained limited in Thursday's practice. We've heard nothing to suggest that Taylor is in danger of missing Sunday's game vs. the Dolphins, but check back tomorrow for another update on his situation.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (knee) was limited in Wednesday's practice. This is probably more of a rest day than anything else, but check back tomorrow for another update.
Colts RB Marlon Mack is a healthy scratch for today's game against the Titans. Jordan Wilkins is active as Indy's #3 RB behind Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines. The news could mean a few extra carries for Taylor.
Search
