It is no secret by now with four games remaining, but every team will be looking to take away the most explosive weapon for the Indianapolis Colts offense: running back Jonathan Taylor.
Every week, the opposing teams will try to figure out how to stop Taylor from taking over the game. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers essentially succeeded in that notion in Week 12 but now the Colts face the one coach notorious for figuring out how to game plan around a superstar.
With Bill Belichick’s defense coming to the Circle City, head coach Frank Reich will look to counter the former’s plan to take away Taylor and the run game.
“It makes perfect sense, and there is a balance. There is a pulse that you’ve got to take in the game – that can vary from game-to-game. Some games you’re going to stay more patient, Reich told reporters Monday. “Some games we’re going to mix it up sooner. It depends on field position. It depends on how the defense is doing, the flow of the game. Those are all the intangibles that go into it that slide the scale one way or the other.”
The offense has been running through Taylor for most of the season as he makes his push toward an Offensive Player of the Year award. He has 10 consecutive games with a rushing touchdown and has over 100 scrimmage yards in nine of those last 10 games.
But Belichick’s defense has a penchant for taking away a superstar. The Colts have to be ready for it, and Reich knows he has to have a good read on the situations in order to make any adjustments on the fly.
“Well, I think there are two thoughts there. One is his efficiency, some of that comes with just pure carries – if you get it to him enough he’s going to create big plays. But at the same time we don’t want him to pound his head up against a wall play in and play out,” Reich said. “Again, that goes back to that mix of how much is too much or how much isn’t enough and that’s a game-by-game, really series-by-series feel.”
The Patriots are allowing 4.4 yards per carry on the ground so the unit is beatable but they have only allowed six rushing touchdowns on the season, which. is the fewest in the NFL.
There is no denying the Colts will lean on Taylor but some in-game adjustments to lean a bit more on the passing attack could be in store if Belichick has dominating success early.
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