Defense on alert, preparing to face Colts’ Taylor
The Tennessee Titans’ fluky streak of avoiding some of the best running backs in football might be coming to an end.
The Titans (2-2) face the Indianapolis Colts (2-2) at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday (noon, CBS). The Colts activated All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor off the physically unable to perform list this week, and he was a full participant in practice Wednesday, paving the way for him to make his season debut Sunday. Colts coach Shane Steichen didn’t commit to whether Taylor, who had an ankle injury, will play, but even the possibility of it means the Titans will have to prepare for his talents.
Avoiding matchups against some of the league’s best rushers has been a defining story of this Titans season. They didn’t have to face New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, who was suspended, and they didn’t play against Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler or Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb, both of whom were injured.
Cincinnati Bengals back Joe Mixon is the only true No. 1 the Titans have faced this season.
To linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, the trick to uncertainty like this is preparing the same way no matter who you expect to face.
“We go into a game whether it’s Jonathan Taylor or whether it’s my little brother, whoever’s the running back, I think that you prepare the same way,” Al-Shaair said. “For them, I bet that they’re preparing the same way for us. I wouldn’t expect an opponent to look at who they’re playing against and think, ‘Oh God, this running back is playing instead of this one, I can’t.’ I’m going to do the same, process the same work throughout the week that I would’ve did if it was anybody else.”
The Titans are allowing the fewest yards per rush of any team in the NFL this season. Some of that can be traced to avoiding games against some of the league’s best rushers, but the Titans also led the NFL in rushing defense last season and ranked in the top five the year prior.
Taylor knows that as well as anyone. Two of his three worst performances in yards per attempt came against the Titans, and he has never rushed for more than 70 yards in five matchups.
One major difference for this one, though, is the offense Taylor will be playing in. He has never played in Steichen’s offense, nor has he played alongside rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, a dangerous runner himself who adds a dual-threat element to the Colts’ ground game.
Titans coach Mike Vrabel isn’t overly concerned about preparing for Taylor in a new offense, though.
“We’ve seen him run outside zone, we’ve seen him run inside zone, seen him run gap scheme, seen him run inside zone from the gun, outside zone,” Vrabel said. “He’s good, he’s fast, he’s tough to tackle. So, whatever the quarterback does after that, if he pulls it, that’s on somebody else.”
The truth is the Colts’ rushing attack has been pretty solid without Taylor. Zack Moss has 280 yards and a touchdown in three games, including a 122yard game against the Baltimore Ravens. And Richardson has averaged more than 10 yards per carry on designed runs, making him one of the most effective rushers in the league.
Adding Taylor into that equation only makes things tougher. His struggles against the Titans aside, Taylor is one of the league’s best. Since 2020, only Chubb and Titans running back Derrick Henry have averaged more yards per game than Taylor’s 89.3, and among players with at least 200 carries, only Chubb, J.K. Dobbins (Ravens) and Aaron Jones (Green Bay) are averaging more yards per attempt.
There’s no doubting his skills. The only question is whether he’ll be ready to go.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.