Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen told media members on Wednesday morning that running back Jonathan Taylor will be on the practice field ahead of the team’s Week 8 matchup with the Houston Texans.
Also returning to practice is defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
Taylor has been working through a high ankle sprain that he sustained late in the Colts’ Week 4 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Taylor has missed the last three games as a result and Wednesday’s practice will be his first since suffering the injury.
We will find out later on Wednesday in what capacity Taylor practiced in and as the week goes on, we will get a better idea as to whether or not he can play on Sunday.
To state the obvious, getting Taylor back will provide a major boost for the Indianapolis running game and the overall offense as a whole.
Consistent success on the ground creates short down and distance situations, helping to keep the offense out of predictable passing downs, along with opening up opportunities off play-action and in the RPO game.
The combination of having both Taylor and Richardson in the backfield together can be a real stressor for opposing defenses–zapping their ability to defend the run aggressively and forcing them to defend sideline-to-sideline.
Before the ankle injury, Taylor was one of the NFL’s most productive ball carriers, ranking top five in rushing yards in addition to being one of the best at generating explosive runs.
This week, the Colts face the Texans in a game that already comes with big playoff implications when it comes to the AFC South race.
