Eight weeks deep into the 2025 NFL season, Jonathan Taylor has carved out a commanding lead in rushing yards, total scrimmage yards, and touchdowns. His 14 touchdowns already put him just two shy of Saquon Barkley’s complete 2024 campaign—the same season that earned Barkley Offensive Player of the Year honors. Behind the strategic genius of Colts head coach Shane Steichen and a rock-solid offensive line, Taylor has transformed back into the league’s most devastating ground threat.
Steichen’s Creative Scheming Unleashes Taylor’s Potential
Steichen has masterfully deployed pre-snap motion and misdirection formations that keep defenses guessing and scrambling to adjust. This chess-match approach creates hesitation among linebackers and safeties, opening up gaps that Taylor exploits with surgical precision. The results speak volumes: nearly 850 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns while maintaining close to 6 yards per carry.
Game-Breaking Moments Showcase the Colts’ Blueprint
Week 7’s matchup against the Chargers offered a perfect example when Taylor punched in a 23-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. Steichen’s pre-snap wizardry shifted defenders at the second level, carving out clean running lanes that Taylor navigated effortlessly. The offensive line’s precise execution gave him exactly what he needed to capitalize on the opportunity.
The following week against Tennessee proved even more spectacular. Taylor touched the ball just 12 times but racked up a staggering 153 yards. The Colts ran multiple receivers in motion across the formation, creating chaos among Tennessee’s defenders. This systematic confusion forced misalignments that Taylor exploited through perfectly timed cutback runs.
Taylor’s breathtaking 80-yard touchdown sprint against the Titans represented the perfect storm: pre-snap movement, intelligent blocking schemes, and pure athletic brilliance at full throttle. These elements combined to showcase how the Colts have built their entire system around maximizing Taylor’s unique skill set.
Old-School Dominance Meets Modern Innovation
Taylor’s current tear resembles the glory days of early 2000s rushing legends like Priest Holmes, Shaun Alexander, and LaDainian Tomlinson—backs who routinely threatened or shattered touchdown records during their peak years. His scoring pace reflects a perfect marriage of elite offensive line play, inventive coaching, and good old-fashioned football fundamentals.
Breaking longstanding records remains a lofty aspiration, but Taylor’s knack for finding pay dirt week after week has become appointment television for Colts faithful and casual fans tracking his historic run through the season’s remaining games.
