Unfortunately, choosing the player of the game wasn’t all that difficult of a decision to make because in a game where very little went right for the Colts, options were limited.
However, deserving of it was running back Jonathan Taylor, who provided the lone steady spark to the Colts’ offense.
Taylor would finish the game carrying the ball 12 times and totaling 103 yards on those attempts, which included a long of 29 yards. That averages out to a whopping 8.6 yards per carry.
In addition to that, Taylor also had two receptions for 32 yards with a long of 18 yards. A telling stat about the state of the passing game for the Colts was that Taylor was the team’s second-leading receiver on Sunday.
With how well Taylor was running the ball, what he needed was more opportunities, however, the game flow didn’t necessarily allow for that.
With the Colts defense unable to slow the opponent’s run game again, the Packers dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for 40:11 to the Colts 19:49. The Indianapolis offense also found themselves trailing by double-digits for a decent portion of the game as well.
Obviously, that kind of discrepancy in the time of possession battle and consistently trailing is going to limit opportunities in the run game.
Also contributing to Taylor’s relatively low touches was that he didn’t see any snaps in the fourth quarter. According to the Indy Star’s Nate Atkins, the Colts ran 22 plays in the fourth quarter, but Taylor wasn’t out there for any of them.
Ultimately, this decision by Shane Steichen likely came down to Taylor’s effectiveness in the passing game. Along with his two receptions on Sunday came two drops, and with the Colts trailing by multiple scores in the fourth quarter, they were in pass heavy situations.
That’s a big playmaking presence standing on the sidelines in a game that was still in reach late in the game.
An honorable mention for player of the game will be the Colts’ offensive line. In addition to the success that Taylor had in the run game, that unit did well to give Anthony Richardson time in the pocket.
