There’s nothing that seems like it can get in the way of the Indianapolis Colts.
Now sitting at 7-1 after a 38-14 drubbing of the Tennessee Titans to take the season series against their divisional rivals, the Colts are far and away the best team in the NFL. Their offense is a big reason why.
Led by Daniel Jones at quarterback, Indianapolis leads the league in points per game (33.7). But their rushing offense is just as good, a top-six unit in their own right. The main reason? Because Jonathan Taylor has firmly planted himself in the MVP conversation.
While the MVP has typically gone to a quarterback in recent years, there’s a reason it’s called the Most Valuable Player, not the Most Valuable Quarterback. No player has been more valuable to their team’s success than Taylor has been for the Colts.
Taylor, who leads the league in rushing yards (850) and touchdowns (12), is putting together a truly special season. Against the Titans, he exploded for 153 yards and three total touchdowns, becoming the first player in league history to have four different three-touchdown games in the same season.
Like I said, special. The fans recognize it too, showering him with “MVP!” chants throughout the game at Lucas Oil Stadium
But running backs winning the MVP is rare. Only 18 players since 1957 have won the award at the running back position, and none since Adrian Peterson in 2012.
But Taylor has been having a more impressive and unique season than Peterson’s 2012 campaign. That’s not just a claim — the numbers prove it.
After seven games in 2012, Peterson had rushed for 93.1 yards per game, 4.8 yards per carry and three touchdowns. Taylor blows those numbers out of the water, rushing for 99.6 yards per game, 5.3 yards per carry and 10 touchdowns.
Add in his performance against Tennessee on Sunday and it’s clear that Taylor is well on his way to having a better statistical season than Peterson.
So why shouldn’t Taylor be the MVP? Because the league has shifted towards pass-heavy offenses which puts a premium on having an elite quarterback and not a top rusher?
If Taylor is the most valuable player in the league, then he should receive the award. It’s that simple.
What’s unfortunate is that Taylor may need to put together the greatest season ever by a running back to be given a legitimate shot. Neither of the past two players to have 2,000-yard seasons, Derrick Henry in 2020 and Saquon Barkley last year, received a first-place vote for the award.
Granted, both won the Offensive Player of the Year, but given only nine players ever have recorded over 2,000 yards in a single season, that feels like a cruel consolation prize for joining such rare and elite company.
Not only does it require unique talent to join the 2,000-yard club (four of the nine are Hall of Famers), it takes tremendous consistency across a 16-game (or in Taylor’s case, 17-game) season. To hit 2,000 yards exactly in that timespan, Taylor would have to average 117.6 rushing yards per game. So far, he’s at just under that with 106.3 yards per game. So work to do in that department, but Taylor has made up for it with his scoring.
Taylor has tallied a league-leading total of 14 touchdowns — 12 rushing and two receiving — five more than the next best competitor. He’s head and shoulders ahead of the pack. But because quarterbacks receive the majority of praise for offensive success, Taylor is still a longshot to win MVP despite reaching all the requisite criteria.
The rest of the current frontrunners for the award halfway through the season are all quarterbacks: Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, Buffalo’s Josh Allen, New England’s Drake Maye and Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield. While all have been excellent in their own rights, none have had the same magnitude of impact as Taylor.
Mahomes sits outside the top five in passing yards and leads an offense averaging 26.6 points per game, more than a touchdown less than Indianapolis. Allen’s 62.0 QBR is good for only 13th in the league. Maye and Mayfield have stronger cases, as Mayfield has led the Buccaneers to a 6-2 start despite having to navigate several injuries on offense. Maye has helped turn the Patriots into a contender in the AFC after a four-win season last year.
It’s easy to get excited about the passing yardage numbers for a quarterback, especially in a more pass-happy era. But there isn’t necessarily value in passing yards. In fact, having an elite rusher makes the passer’s job easier. Defenses bring more players into the box, safeties play for the run, linebackers freeze.
And if you take a quarterback out of an offense, while the overall product is likely to dip, backups tend to be able to keep the offense’s heads above water. Take Taylor out of the Colts offense and it’s a completely different unit. That’s how important he is, further underscoring his deservingness of winning the MVP. Without him, the Colts offense can’t function at the clip it’s been able to this season. That’s value.
This season has to be the time to break the mold and reward the player who’s truly the most valuable to his team’s success. But, granted, that’s only if Taylor can keep pace. He’ll have a chance to keep up his memorable season so far when the Colts travel to Pittsburgh next week, another fellow contender in the AFC. Continue the video game numbers on the road, and it will be impossible to ignore Taylor’s greatness.
