3 Colts who need to thrive in Week 10 against the Bills

The Indianapolis Colts have a tough string of games ahead of them, with their next match coming at home at Lucas Oil Stadium against the Buffalo Bills. While it was always going to be a tough game for the Colts to win - the Bills are one of the best teams in the league - and the Colts have been struggling through a lot of issues, both on the field and off.

Anthony Richardson, the youngest quarterback in the NFL, was benched in favor of veteran Joe Flacco, as head coach Shane Steichen said Flacco gives the team the best chance of winning. But fans didn't take kindly to that notion after Flacco played horribly against the Minnesota Vikings, where the Colts suffered a humiliating loss that left fans calling for Richardson to return.

The last time the Colts played the Bills, they dominated them 41-15. But this season, things are different; the Bills are coming into the game with a four-game winning streak, while the Colts have lost their last two. But while the Colts are not likely to be playoff contenders this year, compared to the Bills, who have a very good chance of making it to the Super Bowl, that doesn't mean the Colts can't pull off an upset on Sunday. It may be difficult, but it's entirely possible... especially if these three players are at their best on Sunday.

Jonathan Taylor

It's no surprise that Taylor is the strongest weapon the Colts have on their offense. Flacco may be slightly more accurate than Richardson, but he showed on Sunday that even that can't be relied upon, and in the meantime, Steichen should stop focusing so much on passing, and utilize Taylor.

In the last Colts game against the Bills, Taylor had five touchdowns. Even without another incredible performance like that, Taylor is still the key to this struggling offense's success. Yet Steichen has, for reasons unknown, underutilized his best player on offense, including taking him out of the game entirely in the fourth quarter several times this season. While the Bills defense is not bad, they struggle at stopping the run, and that gives the Colts a weakness they can exploit, especially when they have one of the best running backs in the league.

All they have to do is, you know... actually use him.

Zaire Franklin

The only reason the Colts didn't get completely blown out in Week 9 against the Vikings was because of the defense, which - despite their struggles earlier this season - carried the team, including scoring the only touchdown of the game.

Zaire Franklin has been one of the best defenders in the NFL - according to Pro Football Focus, he has more defensive stops against the run than any other linebacker in the league, and leads the league in tackles overall. He, DeForest Buckner, and Grover Stewart were even nicknamed the Triangle of Terror for their impressive performance against the Vikings. Franklin will need to continue to be at the top of his game if they want a prayer of containing the Bills offense.

Tanor Bortolini

This one might seem a little strange, but he will likely be the one taking over for Ryan Kelly, who has been placed on injured reserve. Bortolini is a rookie, and he's been excellent in the games he has played in so far this season. And the offensive line will need to perform better than it did against the Vikings.

Flacco, for all of his talents, is 39 years old. He cannot run, scramble, or evade tackles. And this was a huge problem against the Vikings; he was sacked three times in the final drive alone, was hit seven times overall in the game, and was under pressure for nearly half of his dropbacks. Bortolini and the offensive line will need to help give Flacco more time to execute, and create lanes for Taylor. If the offensive line fals apart as much as they did against the Vikings, the Colts simply won't stand a chance.