Jonathan Taylor adds a 70-yard TD burst to the earlier 65-yard TD run
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Jonathan Taylor adds a 70-yard TD burst to the earlier 65-yard TD run

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

  • Stephen Holder, ESPNDecember 22, 2024, 3:00 p.m. ET

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      Stephen joined ESPN in 2022, covering the Indianapolis Colts and the NFL as a whole. Stephen placed first in column writing in the 2015 Indiana Associated Press Media Editors competition and was previously a top 10 winner in explanatory journalism in the national Associated Press Sports Editors competition. He has been covering the NFL since 2005, covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2005 to 2013 and the Colts since 2013. He previously worked for the Miami Herald, the Tampa Bay Times, the Indianapolis Star and The Athletic.

INDIANAPOLIS – Jonathan Taylor continued the Colts’ consistent rushing attack with the Indianapolis Colts’ biggest run of the day.

Taylor used a smart cutback to break free into the open field en route to a 65-yard touchdown run against the Tennessee Titans, giving the Colts a 14-7 lead with 7:25 left in the second quarter.

The Colts were unusually committed to the running game, with Taylor’s explosive run marking the 10th straight running play for Indianapolis and covering two consecutive touchdown drives without a pass attempt.

On Taylor’s run, he attacked a big hole on the left side and then used a cutback to leave safety Amani Hooker in the dust as Taylor raced into the open field and reached a top speed of 21.1 mph, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

The run gave Taylor over 1,000 rushing yards this season. It’s his third time topping the mark.

The Colts reached the end zone again just before halftime and extended their lead.

On a third-and-4 from the Titans’ 27-yard line, Richardson dropped back and hit receiver Josh Downs with a quick throw behind the line of scrimmage with blockers in front of him. Downs managed to get to the sideline and make Hooker miss, then rappelled down the sideline, evading two more defenders, for a 27-yard touchdown.

The Colts gained possession two plays earlier at the 33-yard line when Kenny Moore II intercepted Mason Rudolph, positioning the offense to take a full-time halftime lead.

Later, Taylor struck again, on an even larger scale.

On the first play of the third quarter, he darted through a hole on the left side and outran the defense for a 70-yard score. Once again he demonstrated his top speed and ran the last 50 yards unscathed from the defense.

With the game, Taylor reached 189 yards on the day and later surpassed 200 yards for the first time since his rookie season in 2020.

This is the second-highest rushing performance of Taylor’s career.

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