Shane Steichen rules out Jonathan Taylor, Kwity Paye, Kenny Moore II for Colts-Jaguars game

Running back Jonathan Taylor has officially been ruled out for the Indianapolis Colts as they prepare to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars for Week 5. The announcement comes shortly after Taylor gave an optimistic update indicating that he might be able to play Sunday.

Taylor was injured during the Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and suffered a right ankle sprain. Head coach Shane Steichen initially indicated that Taylor's status would be taken day-to-day, though the sprain was not severe. Still, he seemed aware that it was important not to push himself too hard, too fast.

“Of course, with it not being as severe as previous, it’s actually a sign of relief. Let’s go through our normal ankle protocol. It’s actually better for me, because it’s not as severe as last time," he told the IndyStar, adding, "“At the start, you always have to have rest, because you have to have time for the injury to calm down. But then after that, you’ve got to go to work, strengthening it and making sure it can handle that load.”

Unfortunately, Taylor has been officially ruled out for Sunday's game. "It'll be running back by committee this week," Steichen said. Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson will be starting in Taylor's place.

This is a crushing blow to the Colts, who are hoping to break their 10-year curse in Jacksonville, where they have not won since 2014. Though the Jaguars have yet to win this season, they are still going to be a tough opponent; so far, they've played three teams likely to make the playoffs (the Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, and Buffalo Bills), and in three of their four games, lost by just one possession. in their most recent game against the Texans, the Jaguars led for a good portion of the game, and were competitive until the last two minutes of the game.

So the Colts can't afford to assume that the upcoming game against Jacksonville will be an easy win... and it will be all that more difficult now without Taylor playing.

Taylor has been a consistent playmaker for the Colts offense, and has been a frequent leader in the NFL for rushing yards, and is currently projected to rack up nearly 1,500 yards this season. The offense has also been relying on Taylor as Anthony Richardson has struggled with inconsistency throughout the season, leading some to wonder if he will be benched in favor of veteran QB Joe Flacco when he recovers from his own injury. Richardson, who suffered a hip injury during the Steelers game, has been on limited practice this week and is questionable for Sunday.

The Colts have also ruled out Kwity Paye and Kenny Moore II on defense, who were injured during the Colts' Week 3 game against the Chicago Bears. Neither practiced this week, and the already-decimated defense also lost Tyquan Lewis to the injured reserve Sunday, originally suffering a calf injury, going back into the game, and then injuring his elbow. The defense will also be missing DeForest Buckner, Juju Brents, and Samson Ebukam. The Colts defense has struggled this season, particularly in stopping the run, and while they showed improvement in the past two weeks, injuries could easily cause them to regress again.

In addition to Richardson, center Ryan Kelly and right tackle Braden Smith are both listed as questionable.