Colts’ Jonathan Taylor given AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors

Peter Miller

•
Colts’ Jonathan Taylor given AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors image

The Indianapolis Colts dramatically defeated the Denver Broncos 29-28 in a game which came down to the final snap. For the second week in a row, it was the Indy offense which got the team in position to win the game behind two monster individual performances. 

Quarterback Daniel Jones continued his surprisingly impressive start to the season with 316 passing yards and a touchdown on 23 completions. Jones helped extend the Colts streak of consecutive scoring drives to start the season to 10, an NFL record, while also helping the team become the first in NFL history to not punt once through two games. 

But Jonathan Taylor was ultimately the major difference maker. The two-time Pro Bowler accumulated 215 scrimmage yards and scored a touchdown, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his effort. 

It was the fifth time in his career Taylor has exceeded 200 yards from scrimmage in his career. While the majority of his yards came on the ground (165), including a monster 69-yard run in the fourth quarter, Taylor also made some big plays in the passing game. 

Taylor had two big catches, one being his touchdown. The other, a 43-yard catch and run in which he reached a top speed of 22.38 miles per hour, according to Next Gen Stats. It was the fastest speed recorded by a ball carrier in the NFL since 2020. 

Taylor is the NFL’s rushing leader through two weeks with 236 yards, and a chance to extend his lead against the Tennessee Titans in Week 3, who have the 29th ranked rushing defense having allowed 150 rushing yards per game so far.

Given Taylor had one of his best career performances in Nashville last year with 218 yards and three touchdowns, another big performance is well within reach.

Peter Miller

Peter Miller is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is pursuing a degree in sports media from Indiana University-Bloomington. He is a contributor for the Hoosier Network, covering the Indianapolis Colts and Hoosier athletics. He has experience as a credentialed reporter at the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and is an NFL Draft enthusiast.