While Jonathan Taylor was on the PUP list for the first four games of the season, Zack Moss filled in for him. However, Moss wasn’t just doing replacement duty, he was balling. By the time Taylor returned to the team, Moss was the NFL’s second-leading rusher. With his level of play, it only made sense that he and Taylor would be used as a dangerous duo.
That has been the case since Week 5. That’s why it was shocking to see Moss only get one carry in Indy’s Week 10 game. The Colts did win 10-6 against the New England Patriots in Frankfurt, Germany, but Moss had one carry for two yards and Jonathan Taylor had 23 carries for 69 yards. The move left fans and media members confused.
After the game, Colts head coach Shane Steichen was asked why Moss only got one carry, and Steichen explained that it wasn’t necessarily intentional, saying, “some of the things we had up for JT, that was just the way it went.”
Shane Steichen says 'just the way it went' about Zack Moss getting one carry
This isn’t the first time Steichen’s use of the running backs have been questioned. Back in Week 8, Taylor had 11 carries for 94 yards in the first half against the New Orleans Saints. He finished the game with 12 rushes for 95 yards, getting just one carry in the final two quarters after a dominant first half. When asked about that, Steichen admitted that it was a productive run from Moss and getting behind on the scoreboard that pretty much made the Colts go away from Taylor.
Finding the proper way to split reps can always be a challenge, especially when you’re getting caught up in a game. It’s also important to remember that Steichen is a first-year head coach, so situations like this are something he should definitely get better with as he gains more experience. What was encouraging, though, was that Indy had Moss and Taylor on the field at the same time against the Patriots for quite a few snaps. That was a new wrinkle for the Colts and it’s something that fans are excited to see Steichen experiment with as he figures out the best carry distribution.