Through the season’s first eight weeks, it’s clear Jonathan Taylor has been the league’s offensive player of the year.
But is he also the MVP?
There’s certainly an argument to be made for that, particularly after Taylor’s fifth three-touchdown game of the season in Indianapolis’ 38-7 victory over Tennessee.
Taylor accounted for 174 yards from scrimmage in the dominant victory, rushing for 153 yards on 12 carries with two touchdowns.
Taylor’s last play of the game was a 19-yard reception on a pop pass early in the fourth quarter. But his most exciting play was his 80-yard touchdown early in the third, as he evaded defenders and somehow kept his balance to stay in bounds along the left sideline to cash in on a one-play drive.
Taylor has now registered at least 130 yards from scrimmage in each of Indianapolis’ last three games. He’s also scored three touchdowns in two consecutive games and in three of the team’s last four contests.
Daniel Jones also had a strong passing day, finishing 21-of-29 for 272 yards with three touchdowns and no picks. He was taken out of the game after his touchdown pass to Taylor, with rookie Riley Leonard making his debut in the fourth quarter.
Michael Pittman led the team with eight catches for 95 yards, including a terrific one-armed, 21-yard touchdown reception midway through the second quarter.
On the other side, quarterback Cam Ward was under fire for much of the day, finishing 22-of-38 for 259 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Tyjae Spears had 59 yards on nine carries, plus a 3-yard touchdown run when the game was well out of reach late in the fourth quarter.
Now at 7-1 with the conference’s top record and a solid lead in the AFC South, the Colts will be on the road to face the Steelers next Sunday. Indianapolis’ is off to its best start since 2009, when the team started 14-0 and ended up winning the AFC title before falling to the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV.
At 1-7, the Titans will be back home at Nissan Stadium to face the 5-3 Chargers.
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