It has not been pretty, but the Indianapolis Colts own a 4-3 record and are firmly in the AFC playoffs race near the midpoint of the season. Imagine what they can accomplish with their top offensive player on the field. Jonathan Taylor is not listed on the their final injury report and will suit up in Sunday's divisional clash against the Houston Texans, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
Taylor missed three games after suffering a high-ankle sprain versus the Pittsburgh Steelers at the end of September. He has been practicing this week, though, so a return appeared likely. And it is coming at the perfect time, considering the Colts' schedule is about to ramp up (face the Texans, Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills in three straight weeks). Wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs are also active.
Colts' Jonathan Taylor loves playing the Texans
While this is a different Houston team, and Taylor is coming off a layoff, the former All-Pro RB has dominated his AFC South foe. He has nine touchdowns and averages 5.7 yards per carry in seven career meetings with the Texans. Though, it is worth noting that the only underwhelming performance Taylor posted versus Houston came in the teams' last matchup against one another in September of 2024 (16 carries for 48 yards, one TD).
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Indianapolis is trusting the 2021 rushing leader to operate at a high level on Sunday afternoon. Jonathan Taylor has impressed in a small sample size this season, recording 349 rushing yards on 72 carries with four touchdowns in four games. He is desperate to finally move past his ankle issues, which date back to 2022. A road game versus the first-place Texans could be the motivation Taylor needs to charge into battle at full speed.
The Colts' victory prospects presumably depend on how successfully No. 28 can run the ball. If they do pull off the upset, people may be forced to reconsider how they view the AFC landscape.
