Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has dealt with many injuries recently that have prevented him from playing in most games this season. He has missed the last two games in a row due to a thumb injury, which has caused the Colts to lean entirely on backup running back Zack Moss. Taylor’s status was up in the air for this Saturday’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it has now been confirmed whether he will play in the game or not, which would cause him to miss his third game in a row.
The #Colts have ruled out RB Jonathan Taylor (thumb) for Saturday's game vs. the Steelers, his third straight game missed.
Zack Moss will start again. pic.twitter.com/FrUeNh9PZc
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 14, 2023
Jonathan Taylor Injury Status
The team has ruled Taylor out for this week’s game, making it the third week in a row the star running back has been on the sidelines. This will mean Moss will be taking the majority of the snaps this weekend as the starter, which is something he is very used to by now. Moss has played almost every snap over the past couple of weeks (around 94%), but he has only totaled 79 rushing yards and 34 receiving yards.
Taylor missed the first few weeks of the 2023 season while still recovering from an injury last season, which meant Moss had to fill in as the starter for quite some time. As the lead back, Moss went for 280 rushing yards and a touchdown, as well as six receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown. When Taylor came back into the lineup, he and Moss split snaps, but it was Taylor who reassumed the starting role.
Indianapolis Colts Playoff Chances
With Taylor out for yet another week, the team will once again rely heavily on the passing game led by quarterback Gardner Minshew. Since subbing in for the injured Anthony Richardson, Minshew has gone for 2,524 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He has led the team to victory in every game since becoming the starter besides this past week when the team took a tough loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Indianapolis is currently 7-6 and in second place in the tight AFC South division. They are in the wild-card picture for now, but will likely have to win most of their remaining games if they want to stay put. They will finish the regular season with the Steelers this weekend, then the Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, and Houston Texans. As for Taylor, he will likely come back into the lineup before the regular season wraps up, but he is destined to have a more limited role, especially if the team clinches a spot in the postseason.
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