With death grip, Jonathan Taylor piles up 218 yards to keep Colts alive in AFC

Don’t be surprised if Jonathan Taylor is still cradling the football 24 hours after the Colts’ 38-30 win over the Titans. After fumbling a centimeter shy of the goal line the previous week, Taylor wasn’t about to let it go again on Sunday.

Taylor had 218 yards and three TDs on 29 carries, joining Marshall Faulk and Edgerrin James as the only players in franchise history with multiple games of three rushing touchdowns. Taylor left no doubts that he felt terribly after last week’s fumble, breaking a 7-7 tie with a 65-yard touchdown run and never relinquished the ball even after a Bo Jackson-like tunnel entrance.

Head coach Shane Steichen said Taylor’s response to last week’s fumble was phenomenal, that the veteran couldn’t have responded any better. Sunday was a glimpse into what the Taylor-Anthony Richardson offense could be consistently.

“One-hundred percent,” Steichen said. “I think there are going to be games that go like that on the ground and obviously it went really well. I think it was the most in franchise history – rushing yards, right? Yeah, so single-game – that’s incredible. So again, it’s impressive.”

That franchise record, 335 yards, was mostly due to Taylor, who also  raced 70 yards on the first play of the second half. But Richardson added 70 yards on nine carries and the Colts’ offensive line created monster holes all day. They were so dominant on the ground that Richardson attempted just 11 passes all day. Indianapolis became the first NFL team to reach 38 points with 11-or-fewer passing attempts since New England topped the Colts, 38-0, on Dec. 26, 1993.

The Colts (7-8) aren’t eliminated yet. They close the year on the road against the Giants and at home against Jacksonville, but even if they finish 9-8, their loss at Denver last week could doom their hopes. If Denver falters, they do have a potential tiebreaking win over Miami (7-8).

For more information on the Colts and Titans, visit the Indianapolis and Tennessee team pages at ProFootballPost.com.