INDIANAPOLIS – It’s been just two games, but the cause and effect is undeniable.
Give Daniel Jones a viable and vibrant run game, and all things are possible.
“It makes a tremendous impact, a running back like that who can hit the big one, hit the home run, who can make it happen late in the game,’’ Jones said Wednesday afternoon.
The Indianapolis Colts’ reborn quarterback was speaking of Jonathan Taylor.
He could have been speaking about Saquon Barkley.
The Colts are off to their first 2-0 start since 2009 and Jones is 2-0 as a starter for just the second time in his seven-year career.
The first: 2022 with the New York Giants when Jones’ supporting cast featured Barkley. That’s the best season of Jones’ career and the only time since 2016 the Giants had a winning season and reached the playoffs.
He passed for a career-high 3,205 yards that season with 15 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Jones averaged a career-best 6.8 yards per attempt.
There’s no overstating Barkley’s influence: 1,312 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, 4.4 yards per attempt, 1,650 total yards from scrimmage.
Now, fast-forward to Jones’ first two starts with the Colts.
Jones ranks 2nd in the NFL in yards (588), 5th in completion percentage (71.4%) and 3rd in yards per attempt (9.3). He’s yet to suffer an interception, has thrown two and shares the league lead with three rushing TDs.
Cause and effect.
Jonathan Taylor.
“I think when defenses sort of take a look at our offense, shoot, they’re definitely going to be aware when No. 28 is in the backfield and where he’s aligning, and what kind of runs he’s running, and what kind of pass routes he’s catching and all that stuff,’’ coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. “He’s been a weapon around here for a long time and goes about his business the right way.’’
Taylor led the league in rushing with a club-record 1,811 yards and 2,171 total yards from scrimmage in 2021 and is off to the best two-game start of his career. He’s leading the NFL in rushing (236 yards) and total yards from scrimmage (313) and coming off another of his impactful games.
In Sunday’s 29-28 win over Denver, Taylor rushed 25 times for 165 yards and added 50 yards on two receptions, one a 7-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter.
Taylor’s game-long 68-yarder in the fourth quarter showcased his unique skillset. He jump-cut to the right to avoid tackle D.J. Jones, hit the edge where a sharp cut to his left eliminated linebacker Alex Singleton, then accelerated through cornerback Patrick Surtain II and safety Brandon Jones.
Safety Talanoa Hufanga had the deep angle and pushed Taylor out of bounds at the 12. Four plays later, Spencer Shrader finished the drive with a 28-yard field goal that narrowed Denver’s lead to 28-26.
“That’s a great trait for a running back to have, right?’’ Cooter said. “Get in a little bit of space and have a one-on-one opportunity and make the most of it. There’s a lot of different tricks or ways these running backs can attack that situation, but to be able to sort of make that first defender miss and go get a bunch more yards after that is a really key trait for playing running back at a high level.’’
“That was a huge play,’’ Jones said. “Breaks a long run and makes some plays in the pass game, too. It helps a quarterback a ton.’’
On third-and-2 at the Indy 46 late in the first quarter, Jones sent Taylor in motion to the right and hit him in stride for a 43-yard completion.
Late in the second quarter on first-and-goal at the 7, Taylor’s post-snap route took him to the right. No Bronco accounted for him, allowing Taylor to glide in for a TD.
Perhaps less noticeable but just as important to an offense that ranks No. 2 overall and tied-No. 4 passing has been Taylor’s work in pass protection. Pro Football Focus has graded 79.4 in pass blocking over the first two games, No. 5 among backs.
The Broncos were a blitz-happy bunch. They sent five or more defenders at Jones on 28 of his 40 dropbacks.
“That was an aggressive defense,’’ he said. “They want to pressure and send guys and force you to pick things up and pass off games up front, and our guys did a really good job with that. And JT was a big part of it.’’
Another interesting caveat.
In 2022, the Giants’ run game finished No. 4 in the league at 148.2 yards per game. Barkley was 4th. Jones set a Giants’ single-season record for a quarterback with 708 yards.
His three rushing TDs in two games are the second-most in his career. Jones had seven in ’22.
The Colts’ single-season record by a QB: six by Anthony Richardson Sr. last season.
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.