NFL Sophomore Watch: Can Jonathan Taylor save the Colts’ season?

Historical Context

The Indianapolis Colts are 0-2 with losses to a pair of quality NFC West teams: Seattle and Los Angeles. But the chances of making the playoffs after starting 0-2 aren’t good, regardless of who the losses were to.

In the last three decades (from 1990-2019) teams that started 0-2 in the NFL have made the playoffs a mere 12% of the time. By contrast, teams that began 2-0 on the year made the playoffs 62% of the time.

Should the Colts drop to 0-3 and still make the playoffs they’d be only the 5th team to achieve that feat since 1990. Only the 1992 San Diego Chargers have made the playoffs after starting 0-4. The point here is that Wentz or no Wentz against the Titans on Sunday, Indy has to find a way to win. And that likely means getting Jonathan Taylor the ball. A lot.

Should backup QB Jacob Eason start the game, it’s likely going to be a steady diet of Jonathan Taylor both on the ground and catching short passes. Taylor did have 6 grabs for 60 yards in week 1 against the Seahawks and 299 receiving yards last year, so he’s shown he can be effective as a pass-catcher.

To save the Colts’ season, Jonathan Taylor has to build upon what he did in 2020 and be even better. And he might have to do it with a backup quarterback against average to good defenses in the next couple of weeks. The next three games for the Colts are at Tennessee, at Miami, and at Baltimore.

If they don’t win at least two of those games it could be NFL Draft season in Indy, and any yards Jonathan Taylor gains from scrimmage might only matter to fantasy football managers.