Let's face it: Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has always been one of the best. But for the first time, it seems the rest of the league is noticing it, with Taylor's monster 2025 season letting the rest of the world outside of Indy know that he can't be overlooked anymore.
Last season, Taylor was overshadowed in favor of Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry, but this year, the spotlight is entirely on him. He's already garnering MVP buzz, and he was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month in October. Most of the time, the league MVP is a quarterback, but Taylor has been so dominant this year, he could flip that narrative and prove it isn't just QBs who make or break games.
While Taylor continues to excel, the Colts faltered last week in a difficult loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. This Sunday, Indy will look to redeem itself with a match in Berlin against the Atlanta Falcons. Taylor will clearly be a huge factor — notice the Colts lost to the Steelers when he was criminally underutilized — and the Falcons coaching staff knows it.
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor could be the Falcons’ biggest problem in Berlin
This season, the Atlanta Falcons have struggled with consistency, and one of their biggest problems has been stopping the run. So naturally, Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said taking on Taylor is keeping him up at night as they prepare for Berlin.
"Every time I've gone against him, he's just given me nightmares. He's a guy that is so explosive. He's so fast. He has such elite vision. He has contact balance. They can block it for five, and he can make it 25. He's complete in every way. Plus, he's a good receiver out of the backfield," he said. "It feels as though this is the first year, I think, that he's really getting the national attention. I think that's probably a byproduct of the team playing so well.”
Taylor has been completely dominant this season, leading the league in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and runs over 20 yards this season. Yes, Daniel Jones has been able to improve in a huge way under Shane Steichen, but let's face it: Taylor is the one who is the centerpiece of this offense. Without him, the Colts simply cannot succeed.
And this is exactly why the Colts failed to defeat the Steelers. Pittsburgh knew the key to victory lay in neutralizing Taylor, and they did. Yet the Falcons' defense has specifically struggled to stop the run, which is surely making Ulbrich break out into a cold sweat every time he thinks about Taylor and how his defense could possibly stop him.
The Steelers gave the league the blueprint on how to beat the Colts, but it seems unlikely that the Falcons have the ability to follow it. Atlanta isn't terrible this season, by any means, and Indy would make a big mistake in underestimating them. But all the same, it seems likely that Taylor will give the Falcons' defense a lot of trouble on Sunday.