After a comeback victory against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Indianapolis Colts’ running back Jonathan Taylor took over the lead for most rushing yards by a rookie running back so far this season with 367 rushing yards.
Although Taylor will likely vacate the crown after Kansas City’s rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire plays on Monday night, Taylor’s accomplishment should not be overshadowed. Taylor’s rushing yards have come in combination with his heavy usage in the passing game for the Colts. In addition to having 60 rushing yards against the Bengals at five yards a carry, Taylor caught four passes for 55 receiving yards.
Jonathan Taylor has also been splitting snaps significantly this season with Nyheim Hines. Against the Bengals, Taylor only played 59 percent of the offensive snaps as reported by Andrew Walker. The former Wisconsin star keeps earning more snaps as his role grows bigger each week in the Indianapolis Colts offense, and with the jump in snaps, we will likely see a jump in Taylor’s production.
Preliminary offensive and defensive snap counts for #Colts’ Week 6 win over the Bengals.
• Almost 10-percent uptick for RB Jonathan Taylor.
• Nine-DL rotation sees at least nine snaps from every player.
• 100 percent snaps for Khari Willis, Julian Blackmon at safety. pic.twitter.com/dHEotFzaBK— Andrew Walker (@AWalkerColts) October 19, 2020
Taylor’s dual usage in the rushing and passing game is starting to make him indispensable for the Colts, especially because of the week one injury to Marlon Mack. Although he may not lead all rookies in rushing yards after tonight, Jonathan Taylor’s excellent rookie season should not be under-appreciated by Wisconsin fans.