Can Jonathan Taylor join the 2,000-yard club with only two games left?

With two games remaining, Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has a chance to join an exclusive club.

There is no telling where the Indianapolis Colts would be without Jonathan Taylor. He is undoubtedly the MVP of the team and has a chance to be named the MVP of the entire league.

Taylor has rushed Indy to nine victories, while also running himself to a Pro Bowl and mainstream stardom. With two more regular season games, Taylor has the opportunity to run towards one more milestone: 2,000 yards.

In the extensive history of the NFL, only eight running backs have eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards in a single season. Derrick Henry was the most recent rushing for 2,027 yards last year.

Taylor will enter Week 17 with 1,626 yards and thanks to the additional game that has now been added, he will have a realistic chance to reach 2,000.

Jonathan Taylor has a real chance at 2,000 yards

Taylor needs to gain 374 yards to reach 2,000 exactly, 187 yards per game. Considering the Colts’ next two opponents, it seems pretty attainable.

The Las Vegas Raiders allow 115.7 rushing yards a game and the Jacksonville Jaguars give up 123.5, both in the bottom half of the league.

The biggest question is how many opportunities will Taylor get in these next two weeks. Indy’s ultimate goal is obviously to win and clinch a playoff spot. Usually, that means feeding Taylor but if relying on the pass presents a better chance at winning, the Colts will do that.

The other factor is how much does Indianapolis really wants to feed Taylor with a playoff run on the horizon. Surely the team could give him a ton of carries against the Jaguars in Week 18 but they wouldn’t want to compromise his freshness for the playoffs.

One thing for certain, if Taylor accomplishes it, it will take two more impressive performances. That’s typically the case with 2,000-yard rushers, it takes Herculean efforts in the final two games to gain entry to the club.

In 2009, Chris Johnson had 21 carries for 142 yards and 36 carries for 134 yards in his last two games. Adrian Peterson, in 2012, rushed 25 times for 86 yards and 34 times for 199 yards in the last two regular-season games of his 2,000-yard season.

Just last year, Derrick Henry had 23 carries for 98 yards and 34 carries for 250 yards in his final two games of the season. If Taylor is going to join them, it will take similar performances.

Whether he reaches 2,000 or not, Taylor’s season has already been special. He has the Colts on the brink of another playoff appearance, with a legitimate shot at winning MVP. Eclipsing 2,000 would just be the cherry on top of an already great season.

3 free agent wide receivers Colts should target after Chris Godwin injury

The free agency plans of the Indianapolis Colts could change after a Week 15 injury to Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin.