INDIANAPOLIS – It’s even more astronomical when you look at the gap between Jonathan Taylor and the next name on the list.
Jonathan Taylor led the NFL in running for 1,811 yards last season.
That’s darn impressive.
But it takes on an extra amount of aw-ness when you look at where the second runner ranks on that list.
The gap from Taylor to No. 2 (Cleveland’s Nick Chubb) was 552 rushing yards.
To put that into comparison, the 552-yard margin from Chubb spans all the way to the league’s 29th leading rusher last year.
You have 28 running backs in the same range that you have from the first name on the list (Taylor) to second (Chubb).
And in typical Taylor fashion, he was left wanting more at the end of a year that will live on in Colts running back lore.
“One of the biggest things is you go back and look at everything you did well, you look at everything you didn’t do well and then you look at how the season went and you’re like, ‘How can I improve in areas that I didn’t? How can I stay sharp in areas I excelled in order to ultimately get that end goal that we want?’” Taylor explains.
“At the end of the day, everyone can have spectacular seasons and we still fall short of our ultimate goal. So what can I do in order to make those one or two plays that I didn’t make that were right there on my fingertips? Could those have changed the course of the season? Who knows, you may not but if you make those plays at least you know 100 percent of the fact that every time that I was out there, I made every play I possibly could make in order to help us get that ultimate goal.”
Year Three is here for Taylor.
The 23-year-old upped his carry total from 232 as a rookie to 332 last season (at Wisconsin, Taylor had the following rushing attempts in his 3 years: 299, 307, 320).
With Taylor’s rare durability and production, there’s no reason to expect a major dip form him this season.
Yes, the Colts are incorporating two new starters on the offensive line, but the expectation remains that Taylor will produce right up there with any other back in the NFL
And when that happens, he will be looking at a well-deserved contract extension next offseason.
Father Time is pretty close to undefeated at the running back position.
But when it comes to Taylor, this time of year is all about prepping to make sure he can handle what will be on his plate again this fall.
“You always prepare for the most that you can possibly do,” the third-year running back says.
“My parents always say, ‘Better to have, and not need, than to need, and not have.’ So if you come into this building during camp time fully ready to go for any situation, you’ll be prepared for your workload to increase. But if you’re training for what you think your workload may be and then it ends up being more, now you’re trying to scramble throughout the season like, ‘Hey I need to find a way to get my body in shape to be able to handle this load.’”
When the fall come around, Colts fans everywhere will be tuning in to see what Taylor can do for an encore.
