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3 Colts players who must step up vs Green Bay Packers

By Jerry Trotta

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - SEPTEMBER 27: Jonathan Taylor #28 of the Indianapolis Colts salutes the fans following the game against the New York Jets at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 27, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - SEPTEMBER 27: Jonathan Taylor #28 of the Indianapolis Colts salutes the fans following the game against the New York Jets at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 27, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

2. Jonathan Taylor

We mentioned earlier that Green Bay is suspect when it comes to playing defense, and most of their woes come in stopping the run. Sure, they currently rank 12th in the NFL in terms of rushing yards allowed per game (110.8), but that’s largely the product of opposing teams having to throw to keep up with their offense.

The eye test says it all when it comes to the Packers run defense, which let Vikings RB Dalvin Cook run rampant to the tune of 163 yards and three touchdowns on 5.4 yards per attempt three games ago. On top of that, they allowed Jaguars rookie James Robinson to total 109 yards on the ground on 4.7 yards per carry just last week.

That makes the entire Indianapolis backfield crucial, but Jonathan Taylor — assuming he gets the bulk of the carries — will be hugely important. It’s been regurgitated countless times that the 2020 second-round pick has underwhelmed this season, but something tells us he breaks out of this prolonged funk in a big way on Sunday.

Establishing the run will only result in Rodgers spending more times on the sidelines, and that should no doubt be the top priority for the Colts. If Taylor gets into a rhythm early, we see no reason why Indy shouldn’t control the tempo of the game.

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