Thanks to an uncontrollable running game, the Indianapolis Colts defeated the New York Jets in the Thursday Night Game. One of the best men on the field and in outstanding form for weeks anyway: Running back Jonathan Taylor.

Munich/Indianapolis – The Indianapolis Colts defeated the New York Jets 45-30 in the Thursday Night Game of Week 9 and were unstoppable, especially in the running game with 260 yards.

19 rushes for 172 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns were the work of a player who has been in outstanding form for weeks: running back Jonathan Taylor.

The player’s steep development in his second year in the NFL is all the more remarkable considering Taylor’s difficult start in the league.

Taylor’s difficult transition from college

In college, Taylor was a celebrated star. In three years, the running back tallied 926 carries, 6,174 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns and 407 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns on 42 receptions in 41 games for the Wisconsin Badgers. He narrowly missed out on the Heisman Trophy for the best college player of the year, finishing sixth, ninth and fifth, respectively.

Taylor was drafted in 2020 in Round 2 with the 41st pick. Actually, he was planned from the beginning as a replacement for Marlon Mack. But that was about to change when Mack tore his Achilles tendon in Week 1 of the preseason.

After unexpectedly sliding into the starter’s role, everything seemed to fall into place for the 22-year-old. However, the former college star initially had a lot of trouble adjusting to the NFL. In the course of his debut season, he gradually lost more and more snaps to fellow position player Nyheim Hines and only twice managed to record more than 13 run attempts in the first nine games of his NFL career.

Towards the end of the season, things clicked and Taylor ran for 741 yards in the final five games and finished his rookie season with 1,169 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. According to USA Today, Taylor led all rookie running backs in rushing yards and was also tops in rushing touchdowns.

In 2021, the next quantum leap should follow.

Jonathan Taylor: Lightning into ranks of elite running backs

While Taylor was one of the best rookies in the preseason, this season he can be mentioned in the same breath as the league’s elite running backs around Titans star Derrick Henry. 140 rushing attempts for 821 yards, eight rushing touchdowns and a 5.9 yards per run average are all top-3 marks in the league after the Week Nine opener, according to “ESPN”. Taylor also provided the two longest runs of the season so far with runs of 78 and 83 yards.

Prior to the game against the Jets, Taylor was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month by the NFL for his strong performances. Taylor rushed for a strong 478 yards (6.1 average) and six touchdowns on 79 carries in five games in October and recorded 13 receptions for 195 yards and a receiving touchdown.

In his second NFL year, Taylor has developed his game even further and has taken a big step forward in the passing game. After nine games, he already has 23 receptions for 293 receiving yards, just six yards less than he had in the entire regular season last year (15 receptions).

“This guy is special, he has exceptional talent,” wide receiver T.Y. Hilton of his teammate: “He’s powerful, he’s fast in the open field and he’s a guy we can rely on in the run game and the passing game.”

Taylor has long since emerged as a key player in the Colts’ offence. And is following in the footsteps of one of the greats in franchise history.

Jonathan Taylor: The heir to Edgerrin James?

After the Colts had two elite runners on the team around the turn of the millennium in Marshall Faulk and Edgerrin James, the last time a player had over 1,000 rushing yards in two consecutive seasons until this season was Joseph Addai in 2006 and 2007. Barring an injury to Taylor, that mark will fall in the coming weeks.

“I’m speaking as an analyst as well as a former player on the team – he’s the best since Edge,” said former Colts centre and current “ESPN” analyst Jeff Saturday: “I think what he offers is that every play can lead to a touchdown.”

Hall of Famer James played for the Colts from 1999 to 2005 and is the Colts’ rushing yards leader with 9,226 yards. He also leads the franchise in rushing touchdowns scored, among other things, with 64.

Former Colts coach Tony Dungy, who led Indianapolis to win Super Bowl XLI, also believes the 22-year-old will have a great career: “The Colts have had some very, very good backs, but it’s not that easy to find a franchise hall-of-fame back. I think Jonathan is showing signs of that and you hope he will be the long-term answer.”

Taylor himself is relaxed about the hype surrounding him and is focusing on what he himself can help influence. His continued development and mental focus: “I was told I could be one of the best in college, but that’s been my mindset for a long time: How can I be the best version of myself at every single level? Whether it’s high school, college or the NFL. “