Sunday’s contest between the Indianapolis Colts and the Buffalo Bills could be viewed as a must-win for both teams. The Bills are trying to keep their lead in the AFC East as the New England Patriots are nipping at their heels, while the Colts are trying to keep the Tennessee Titans within striking distance in the AFC South.
In the early going, it has been all Jonathan Taylor, and all Colts in Buffalo.
The running back scored three touchdowns for Indianapolis in the first half as the Colts raced out to a 24-7 lead before halftime on the road. His first touchdown came on the Colts’ first possession of the game, on this short touchdown run:
J-Train 🚂 @JayT23 #ForTheShoe
📺: #INDvsBUF on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/WQNvegKCyB— NFL (@NFL) November 21, 2021
Indianapolis runs a power design here with a bit of misdirection to the left side, with Taylor finding a crease on the left side. The misdirection comes thanks to guard Quenton Nelson and tight end Jack Doyle, who execute trap blocks working towards the right side while Taylor punches it in on the left side of the line.
Taylor’s second touchdown came on a throw from quarterback Carson Wentz. The quarterback executes a run fake to Taylor before rolling out to the right. After carrying out the fake, Taylor sneaks into the left on a wheel route, and Wentz pivots and spots his running back on the left side of the field. From there, Taylor refused to go down, barreling into the end zone for six:
Jonathan Taylor will NOT be denied. 2nd touchdown for @JayT23! #ForTheShoe
📺: #INDvsBUF on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/cO3isfPYkE— NFL (@NFL) November 21, 2021
After Josh Allen connected with Stefon Diggs to halve the Colts’ lead, the visitors found the end zone again before halftime. The big play on that drive was this third-down scramble from Wentz to keep the offense on the field:
Wentz ducks a defender and scrambles for a first down! 🔥 #ForTheShoe
📺: #INDvsBUF on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/ww8RRerDDc— NFL (@NFL) November 21, 2021
Following that conversion, Taylor would cap off the drive by bullying his way back into the end zone for the touchdown:
Jonathan Taylor @NFLFantasy owners are loving this.
First half hat trick for @JayT23! #ForTheShoe
📺: #INDvsBUF on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/fXjbHNXhII— NFL (@NFL) November 21, 2021
It remains early, and the Bills’ explosive offense can certainly storm back, but things are looking bright for the Colts on a crisp day in Buffalo.