Jonathan Taylor should have Colts fans convinced he'll never drop the ball early again

It was the drop heard 'round the (football) world: the Indianapolis Colts were leading the Denver Broncos as the second half started. Bo Nix had just thrown an interception, and running back Jonathan Taylor ripped off a gorgeous 41-yard run for a touchdown.

Only it wasn't a touchdown; he dropped the ball just before crossing the pylons, so the referees called it a fumble and a touchback. It was a huge gaffe that arguably cost the Colts the game; they were leading by a wide margin at that point, yes, but the momentum noticeably shifted afterwards, and the Colts never recovered.

There was no doubting how upset Taylor himself was over his mistake; he repeatedly apologized, said it was inexcusable, and swore it would never happen again.

So this week, against the Tennessee Titans, he more than made up for it. He had a historic day, running for 218 yards and three touchdowns, and broke the 1,000 mark for rushing yards this season. Though it's the third time he's ran for over 1,000 yards in a season, it's been three years. Altogether, the Colts -- fueled by Taylor and quarterback Anthony Richardson -- set a new franchise record, with 335 rushing yards total.

But through it all, Taylor's mistake against the Broncos was never far from his mind.

After his first touchdown, Taylor didn't just run into the end zone. He ran in there holding tightly onto the ball with two hands, and didn't stop. No, he ran all the way into the tunnel, still holding the ball, and then when he came out, Tyler Goodson tried to pry the ball out of his hands, only for Taylor to keep holding on.

Later, once the game was over, Taylor spoke to the media. And again, he made it clear that his mistake weighed heavily on his mind.

"Well, I mean, you get excited," he began, after being asked about how he feels following those explosive runs. "Sometimes maybe a little too excited."

These moments were clearly made in jest, but it also showed something deeper: that this mistake was one that had weighed heavily on his mind. Taylor was surely looking to redeem himself, and he more than did so.

"We were laughing about that on the sideline — even when he crossed the goal line, he did his clasp hand over the ball, then he ran into the tunnel," Mo Alie-Cox said. "I mean, I think he wanted to come out and show everybody that he's still a capable back. Everybody was ragging on him the whole week after that play, but I was like, he still had 100 yards (vs. Denver) — bro still played great. It was just one bad play, so just flush it and respond. And I think today he came out here and showed everybody what he's about."