The Indianapolis Colts (4-2) are coming out of the bye week looking to stay committed to their rushing attack, which means a big second half could be on the way for rookie Jonathan Taylor.
The second-round pick has been taking the majority of work in the backfield since Marlon Mack went down with a torn Achilles. While his play hasn’t quite matched the hype he received this offseason, he is beginning to make strides.
Before the season began, Taylor had some high hopes of being a top Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate. Through seven weeks of football, Taylor still has a chance but is a little further down the list.
Entering Week 8, Taylor has 25/1 odds to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, per BetMGM, which is the seventh-highest mark.
On the season, Taylor has taken 89 carries for 367 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns while also recording 16 receptions for 162 receiving yards.
Taylor will be facing some tough defenses during the second half of the season but in order to have a chance to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, both his workload and efficiency have to improve.
That’s not to say his numbers aren’t solid. Since taking over as the starter, Taylor has seen 62.5% of the running back carries. However, he only has a 7% target share in the offense during that span, which is low considering who his quarterback is.
The Colts want to stay committed to the run game during the second half of the season, and it will be interesting to see if that will be enough to get Taylor more involved in the conversation for the OROY.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
.png?w=600)
