Before the season, no one picked Jonathan Taylor over Derrick Henry. Yet, three weeks in, Taylor leads the NFL with 338 rushing yards and is the only back averaging over 100 yards per game. He also benefits from the best quarterback play he has had in years.
Before the season, no one thought Daniel Jones would be the answer at quarterback for the Colts. They reviewed his history and the difficulty he had in spreading the field, and thought there would be more loaded boxes for Taylor to run into. Luckily for Taylor, that is not the case. Jones has stood strong in the pocket, utilizing weapons like wide receivers Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman Jr., along with tight end Tyler Warren, to spread the field and attack defenses more effectively down the field. The result has meant a more explosive offense from the Colts through three games, averaging 34.5 points per game.
However, along with allowing for a more explosive and versatile offense, Jones' play has also made Taylor even more of a weapon. Last season, Taylor rushed for 1,431 yards and 11 touchdowns. It was incredible the numbers he put up, considering the quarterback play was unstable with both Anthony Richardson and a veteran in Joe Flacco, who wasn't the answer either. Taylor could have had more yards to his credit if he had not been taken out of some games, despite the score indicating he could still be effective in those moments.
This season, Taylor is seeing fewer people in the box and along with solid offensive line play again, he is putting up incredible numbers to start the season. And along with the numbers he is putting up, he has not fumbled one time. His yards per carry last season were at 4.7. So far this season, he is averaging 5.6 yards per carry in this offense.
Taylor is performing at an MVP level, and despite Jones' great play, he is the true engine that drives this offense and will sustain it even if Jones’ play starts to level off. And that is why he is the best running back in the NFL right now.