Advanced stats prove Jonathan Taylor isn’t just benefiting from a good Colts offensive line
Indianapolis Colts running back, Jonathan Taylor, is lucky to play with a good offensive line but stats prove he’s an elite talent himself.
Following Jonathan Taylor’s breakout year with the Indianapolis Colts last season, there has been a bit of a narrative developing that downplays Taylor’s skills. That narrative is that he’s a good running back but not necessarily the best and that his numbers are a reflection of the great situation he’s in. The situation being referred to is Indy’s offensive line.
No doubt, Taylor is fortunate to run behind the Colts’ offensive line. It’s a line that has Quenton Nelson, a generational lineman, Ryan Kelly, a consistent Pro Bowler, and Braden Smith, who’s also been consistently solid. With those three as pillars, Taylor is set up pretty well.
However, he has proved that he’s elite regardless. Watch any Indianapolis game and it’s clear that Jonathan Taylor has a special combination of speed, power, balance, vision, and everything necessary to be an elite back. That’s why he’s able to find even more yards after breaking through the initial lane and also why he had more yards after contact than anybody had total rushing yards.
This is also illustrated through advanced stats. Recently, PFF ranked Jonathan Taylor No. 21 in their top 50 player rankings. In Taylor’s write-up, Sam Monson explained, “The Colts’ offensive line blocked well for him, but he also led the league in rushing yards above expectation, maximizing that blocking for bigger gains better than his peers.”
Jonathan Taylor is just as good as Colts’ offensive line
This shows that Taylor isn’t just gaining the yards that are available because of the offensive line, but he’s also finding a lot of other yards based on his own skills. While Indy’s front is great, so is Taylor, so his circumstances shouldn’t be used to undermine his ability.
It’s important for any naysayers to remember this when they try to downplay Jonathan Taylor’s case as the best running back in the NFL. There are arguments for other running backs, but Taylor having quality teammates is not a valid argument against him.
