Jonathan Taylor making the most of heavy workload with Colts, especially in second half

INDIANAPOLIS — DeForest Buckner and his defensive colleagues have more than enough to keep them busy this week.

Yet, their attention temporarily strayed from a Los Angeles Rams challenge that starts with Matthew Stafford and flows to Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Kyren Williams.

At one point, Buckner admitted conversation at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center turned to Jonathan Taylor and his strong start to the season. More to the point, it focused on how Taylor is one of those rare running backs who gets better and stronger as a game unfolds and wears on a defense.

Taylor leads the NFL in rushing (338 yards) and yards from scrimmage (431), and his three-game start to the season has been boosted by second-half surges.

He’s averaging 8.1 yards per carry in the second half, an average fattened by a 68-yard run against Denver and a 46-yard TD at Tennessee.

“It’s funny,’’ Buckner said Thursday. “We were just talking about that.

“It’s crazy how the more he plays throughout the game, the better he gets. Especially in the fourth quarter. That’s when his big runs start popping out.’’

As they say, you can look it up.

Taylor has rushed 33 times for 118 yards in the first half against Miami, Denver and Tennessee. That’s 3.6 yards per attempt.

In the second half: 27 rushes, 220 yards. That’s 8.1.

“He’s just relentless going about his business,’’ offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. “JT keeps coming. JT gets stronger as the game goes on.’’

What Taylor is doing now – the 338 yards are the most in club history for the first three games of a season – can be traced to his offseason workout routine.

He entered this offseason relatively healthy, which allowed him to focus more on his game than rehabbing an ankle or some other body part.

“Whenever you don’t have to start the season off getting back to baseline, you get a head start on just prepping your body for your intense training,’’ Taylor said. “Whenever you can come into a season healthy and start a normal offseason routine, you want to take full advantage of that.’’

That includes preparing himself for a possible heavy workload.

His 60 attempts are the most in the league, two more than Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley and Green Bay’s Josh Jacobs. Also, Taylor has been on the field for 163 of 201 offensive snaps (81.1%). Rookie D.J. Giddens and Tyler Goodson have combined for 35 snaps and 15 rushing attempts.

“Not surprised,’’ Taylor said of the Colts’ reliance on him. “That’s what you do in the offseason. You work like you’re going to take every snap. You’ve got to prepare your body for the workload.

“If you get less, that’s a plus for your body. But if not, you know you’re prepared.’’

Shane Steichen’s one-back approach is a carryover from 2024. Although Goodson and Trey Sermon combined for 98 carries and 312 yards as Taylor missed three games with a high ankle sprain, the run game flowed through Taylor. The NFL’s 2021 rushing champion, with a club-record 1,811 yards generated, 1,431 yards and 11 TDs in 14 games.

And as the season wore on, Taylor wore out defenses.

Over the final five games, he averaged 144.6 yards per game and 5.1 yards per attempt on a withering 28.5 attempts.

Tack that onto his start to 2025 and Taylor’s eight-game stretch is beyond impressive: 202 carries, 1,061 yards and nine rushing TDs. Those are averages of 25.3 carries, 132.6 yards and 5.3 yards per attempt.

During that stretch, 17 of his 202 carries (8%) have gained at least 10 yards and five at least 40. There was also his 43-yard catch-and-run on a swing pass from Daniel Jones against Denver.

Patience and commitment are critical to Taylor’s approach. He’s the first player in team history to be named AFC Player of the Week in consecutive weeks.

“You’ve got to stay committed,’’ he said. “You’ve got to stay disciplined. And you also have to have that mindset. Last week, Tennessee was going to be a physical team. That’s what they pride themselves on.’’

The Titans swarmed Taylor early and limited him to 28 yards and one TD on nine carries in the first half.

“Throughout the week of practice, you’ve got to understand you’ve got to play a full 60 minutes and you’re going to have to establish that line of scrimmage because that’s what they pride themselves on,’’ he said.

At some point, there’s a wearing-down factor on the defense.

In the second half in Nashville, Taylor had eight carries for 74 yards, including the 46-yard TD. In week 2 against Denver, he was limited to 38 yards on 11 carries in the first half, then broke the Broncos’ defensive spirit with 127 yards on 14 carries, including a 68-yard run.

Keep at it because eventually something will break loose.

“Especially once you start going at a little tempo,’’ Taylor said. “The 5s start going into 6s and a 7-yard run and 8-yard runs.

“You know you’re close, but you have to stay committed. You have to stay consistent because eventually one is going to go. When one goes, you’ve got to make them pay.’’

You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.