Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts rushing offense is coming off a bit of a quieter Week 1 performance. Can this unit get going against the Packers?
Taylor would carry the ball 16 times against the Houston Texans but totaled just 48 yards on the ground–averaging 3.0 yards per attempt. Where the Colts did find some success was with Richardson, who totaled 56 yards on just six attempts.
The Packers are coming off a matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles–a very good rushing offense–who they were able to contain for the majority of the game.
Saquon Barkley finished that contest with 109 rushing yards on 24 attempts. However, a run of 34 yards is what really bolstered those total figures. For 23 carries, Barkley averaged just over 3.0 yards per attempt. Not to discredit that one big rush, but over the course of the game, the Packers’ run defense largely did its job.
To limit Hurts, the Packers took a more controlled pass-rush approach to make sure they kept him in the pocket. Hurts finished the game with 33 rushing yards on 13 carries. Collectively, the Eagles averaged 3.8 yards per carry as a team.
It’s only a one game sample size for the Packers under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, so we cannot sit here and definitively say that this is who their run defense unit is.
What we do know, is the 3.0 yards per rush last week for Taylor is not who this Colts’ rushing offense is. Getting going on the ground against Green Bay will have a number of positive effects, outside of just the yards that Taylor picks up.
Taylor’s success will amplify the Colts’ RPO game. Moving the ball on the ground keeps the offense ahead of the sticks and opens up opportunities in the passing game. It will also help even out the time of possession battle, giving the Colts’ defense more rest, and helping the offense sustain longer drives.
A strong run game paired with Richardson at quarterback and the options the Colts have at receiver will make this a very difficult Colts’ offense to keep up with under Shane Steichen.