Indianapolis Colts

Inactive RB Jonathan Taylor’s value evident in Colts’ Week 1 loss to Jaguars

Published Sep. 12, 2023 6:13 p.m. ET

There is a persistent narrative that running backs don't matter. That they're easily replaceable. That they can't have a premium value in the modern NFL, which has become a passing league.

That narrative has led a large contingent of NFL observers to understand the Colts' positioning in their ongoing contract standoff with star Jonathan Taylor — who has a standing trade request in the wake of the team's reluctance to offer him an extension — despite how messy it's become. There was also a sentiment that the offense new coach Shane Steichen is constructing in Indianapolis could withstand Taylor's absence, that quarterback Anthony Richardson's athleticism and running ability could mitigate the concerns of not having a dominant lead back.

At least through one week, that belief is wrong.

Taylor's stance, and his value, has never looked better amid his dispute with Indianapolis.

The Colts fell 31-21 in Sunday's season opener against the Jaguars largely because they couldn't establish the run. Their running backs (Deon Jackson, Evan Hull, Jake Funk) combined for just 25 yards on 16 carries, an abysmal 1.5 yards-per-carry mark. Jackson — the lead back with Zack Moss still recovering from a broken arm — had 13 carries for 14 yards, five catches for 14 yards and two lost fumbles.

Nowhere was Taylor's absence felt more than in short-yardage situations. The Colts went 2-of-5 on third and short (three yards or fewer for a first down), including 0-for-3 on rush attempts. They also went 0-for-3 on fourth-down attempts. The first failed conversion was in the second quarter, when Richardson was stopped on a fourth-and-1 sneak in the red zone. In the third quarter, on fourth-and-1 at the Jaguars' 42-yard-line, Jackson took a pitch to the right, and cornerback Tyson Campbell ripped the ball from his grip. Jacksonville recovered it.

Then with Indianapolis facing a do-or-die at the end of the game, facing a fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line trailing 31-21 with under a minute left, the team abandoned the run, and a throw by backup QB Gardner Minshew — with Richardson sidelined — to Michael Pittman Jr. was broken up in the end zone.

"Give credit to Jacksonville. They've got a good front and they played up to that level," offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said Tuesday. "They made it tough on us. … They won the battle there a little bit."

Richardson had hurt himself on a scramble two plays earlier, a situation that could've been avoided with Taylor. His usage in short-yardage could mean fewer hits on Richardson. And the Colts know all too well about the importance of protecting your franchise quarterback. Injuries forced Andrew Luck to walk away from football in his prime at 29 years old.

Fortunately for the Colts, Richardson appeared to avoid serious injury on Sunday. He also came up a little gimpy after a zone-read pull in the first quarter.

"He should be all right," Steichen said postgame.

Of course, it's far too early to make sweeping judgments about the Colts' run game. It was just Week 1. Their running back play could improve. The availability of Moss could change the entire outlook, too. In the last four weeks of 2022, Moss had 69 carries for 334 yards, the latter of which ranked seventh among all running backs, according to TruMedia.

"We can put our players in better position to have better success," Cooter said of the run game. "But shoot, it's an NFL season and we're off and running. Week 1 is going to turn into Week 2. The fronts are going to be different. The techniques are going to be different. The schemes are going to be different both on our side and their side. There's a ton of improvements and changes. It's a constantly changing, improving game moving forward from here. We're really eyes open looking to make sure we know what are we doing well in these games, what are we maybe not doing so well so we can do a little more of what we did well, a little less of what we haven't and sort of steer the ship the right direction."

The running back concern is real, though. On top of Sunday's lackluster performance, injuries are an issue.

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Taylor — who had ankle surgery in January — is reportedly close to returning health-wise, but he must miss at least the next three games on the PUP list. There's Moss, who may or may not be ready to go Week 2. Hull, a fifth-round rookie out of Northwestern, suffered a knee injury Sunday and was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, knocking him out for at least four weeks. Indianapolis finished Week 1 with two healthy running backs: Jackson and Funk, who was a practice-squad elevation for the game.

The Colts could dive back into the veteran running back market for reinforcements. They reportedly had Kareem Hunt and James Robinson in for visits in the summer.

Kenyan Drake, who was with Indianapolis in training camp, might be worth a call, too.

"We're always evaluating everything," Steichen said of the possibility of signing a tailback this week. "We're looking through stuff. [General Manager] Chris [Ballard] and his staff do a heck of a job looking through those. We'll be evaluating all that."

An evaluation of the Colts' Week 1 performance: They need Taylor.

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.

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