Colts HC Frank Reich wants a more balanced offense this season after ranking 28th in pass rate last year. "You don’t see teams that have this ground-and-pound run game win championships,” Reich said. “You just don’t. I’m sure it’s happened with one or two teams, but our best formula is to be balanced." Reich also conceded that it will mean fewer touches for RB Jonathan Taylor. "I’m not saying he won’t lead the league in touches, because you never know how things are going to play out. But I almost don’t want him to," he said of Taylor. “The goal is not to lead the league in rushing. The goal is not to make him the MVP of the league. The goal is to win championships." Taylor easily led the league with 332 carries last year -- 25 more than anyone else. So he can afford to lose some and still be a fantasy stud. More passing, of course, would be good news for QB Matt Ryan, WR Michael Pittman and the rest of the Colts' pass catchers.
Colts HC Frank Reich “would like to alleviate some of the load on [Jonathan] Taylor’s shoulders,” per beat writer George Bremer. (To be clear, these are Bremer's words -- not Reich's.) Taylor led the league with 332 rush attempts last year — 25 ahead of #2 Najee Harris. With Matt Ryan in town, the thought is this offense goes slightly more pass heavy. We do project a smaller workload for Taylor, but the decline is negligible. The 3rd-year back remains a top-2 fantasy RB.
Colts QB Matt Ryan impressed coaches, teammates and the media with his play and leadership this offseason. “Matt was unbelievable,” HC Frank Reich said. “Really, A-Z, he did everything right. Just great leadership, great play. I mean, the whole way he took command … I knew he was good, but his accuracy is insane." OC Marcus Brady said Ryan is "damn near a coach on the field." And rookie WR Alec Pierce said, "He could basically run this offense and this team by himself." We'd expect the 14-year veteran to impress in the intangibles department. But, by all accounts, Ryan's arm strength and accuracy were excellent over the past few months. He's still not an exciting fantasy asset in a run-first offense and without rushing upside. But Ryan's arrival could be a boost for the Colts' skill-position players.
Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star believes the presence of QB Matt Ryan will have a “profound effect” on RB Jonathan Taylor’s receiving output. Perhaps that’s an exaggeration; Taylor caught 40 balls last year — 2.35 per game — and we don’t forecast a significant jump this fall. But the thesis here is that Ryan will take the checkdown much more often than Carson Wentz did. Taylor’s also grown as a pass-catcher. “Understanding the different coverages,” Taylor said. “You have certain routes, and maybe, if they’re in a zone, know how to spray it a little bit and then sit down. Things like that, rather than knowing I just need to get to this depth and turn in.” JT was a receiving weapon last year with a massive 10.1 YAC per reception. Even if his pass catching numbers don’t spike, he projects as a clear top-2 fantasy RB.
Colts QB Carson Wentz (COVID) has been medically cleared to play vs. the Raiders today, HC Frank Reich told NFL Network's Stacey Dales. Wentz is just a QB2 in what figures to be another run-heavy attack from the Colts. But he's good news for RB Jonathan Taylor and WR Michael Pittman
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor left in the 2nd quarter of Thursday night's game against the Jets with a knee injury. Indianapolis reached halftime with a 28-10 lead, so we wouldn't be surprised if the team shuts Taylor down for the night -- even if the injury isn't serious. We'll keep an eye on the situation either way.
Update: Taylor took the field to open the 2nd half.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (knee) is active for today’s game vs. the Dolphins. He was limited in practice all week due to “a little fluid build-up” in that knee, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Taylor will also be without stud G Quenton Nelson today. See where he sits in the Week 4 RB Rankings.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (knee) is expected to play vs. the Dolphins today, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "He had a little fluid build up in his knee, but it was more nagging than anything else," Rapoport adds. "He’ll be fine."
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game vs. the Dolphins after a limited week of practice. We've heard nothing to suggest that Taylor is in danger of missing this one, but his status is worth checking on when inactives come out around 11:30 am ET on Sunday.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (knee) remained limited in Thursday's practice. We've heard nothing to suggest that Taylor is in danger of missing Sunday's game vs. the Dolphins, but check back tomorrow for another update on his situation.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (knee) was limited in Wednesday's practice. This is probably more of a rest day than anything else, but check back tomorrow for another update.
Colts RB Marlon Mack is a healthy scratch for today's game against the Titans. Jordan Wilkins is active as Indy's #3 RB behind Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines. The news could mean a few extra carries for Taylor.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that Colts QB Carson Wentz (foot) is "trending" toward being ready for the start of the season. That jibes with recent positive reports on Wentz's recovery from August 2 surgery. We're still 32 days away from the Colts' season opener, so we'll continue to monitor Wentz's progress. Mortensen adds that G Quenton Nelson (foot) is also on track to be ready for Week 1. Excellent news for the entire Colts offense.
Colts HC Frank Reich said Tuesday that G Quenton Nelson has the same foot injury as QB Carson Wentz, according to multiple reports. He's having surgery immediately and faces the same return window (5-12 weeks) as Wentz. That's bad news for Jonathan Taylor and everyone else who lines up in the Indy backfield. We'll see exactly how long Nelson (and Wentz) remains out.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor has been an "active and able receiver" in training camp so far, catching a team-leading 6 passes in 11-on-11 work, according to The Indy Star's Joel Erickson. Target volume is the biggest question for Taylor heading into 2021. Even during his 6-game hot stretch to close last season, he averaged just 2.7 targets and 2 catches per game. RB Nyheim Hines returns after leading all RBs in Pro Football Focus receiving grade last year, so it's possible that Taylor's role in the passing game doesn't grow. It's at least encouraging to hear that he's been busy as a receiver in camp. We'll see if that carries over into the preseason.
Colts QB Carson Wentz will undergo foot surgery and is expected to be out 5-12 weeks, HC Frank Reich announced Monday. Wentz's injury reportedly dates back to high school, but a broken bone recently came loose and is causing pain. The surgery will remove that piece of bone. The timeline is wide-ranging and would have Wentz back anywhere between early September and late October. That means Wentz has an outside chance to be ready for Week 1 -- or could be out for about half the season. We'll be on the lookout for updates on his surgery and rehab. But at this point, Wentz isn't worth drafting in lineup-setting leagues and should be considered just a QB3 in best ball. His situation also adds risk to Indianapolis' skill-position players, namely RB Jonathan Taylor and WRs Michael Pittman, T.Y. Hilton and Parris Campbell.
Update: Reich added that he expects to have a better idea of Wentz's return date in about 2-3 weeks.
Colts RB Marlon Mack doesn't have any limitations in training camp. But he admits that he's still "trying to get the wheels right" after last September's torn Achilles. "I’d say my body and just getting my legs right,’" Mack said. “Still each day feel this and that, but just going out there and getting used to guys flowing around, getting used to practice with guys because I was with bags in the summer. Now I’m going with guys who are moving 100% and not being stationary. But it’s getting better each day, I would say that for sure. I’m getting more comfortable. I feel great." Mack is unlikely to be a fantasy factor this year without an injury to RB Jonathan Taylor. But we're curious to see just how much work he'll siphon from Taylor.
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