The Miami Dolphins will obviously have a far tougher time beating the Indianapolis Colts this upcoming Sunday if star running back Jonathan Taylor plays than if he doesn’t.
He hasn’t played since Week 4 due to a high ankle sprain, and Friday came official word on his status for Week 7.
Jonathan Taylor Injury Update
Earlier this week, Taylor had an on-location event at an Indianapolis DQ with quarterback Anthony Richardson, who is expected to play after missing the last two games with an oblique injury.
“We had a joke today. We mentioned that we were healthy enough to sauce and toss at Dairy Queen today, and we’re doing everything in our power to have enough to toss the sauce on the field,” Taylor said.
“We’re doing everything in our power to get back to that because we have so much confidence in our team. You guys saw this previous week. We were able to get a tough road division win [against the Tennessee Titans]. Guys stepped up majorly, but we just can’t wait to get back on the field, make a play to help our team win.”
Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor are tossin’ and saucin’ some chicken strips at the Dairy Queen in Westfield!
Great form from the #Colts QB/RB duo 🔥@CBS4Indy | @FOX59 pic.twitter.com/M2BOLCoLo5
— Alexa Ross (@AlexaRossTV) October 15, 2024
Asked specifically how he’s feeling, Taylor replied:
“I’m feeling so much better,” he said. “This week, I’m continuing, especially tomorrow, to have more work with the trainers and rehab so that I can get back on the field. I’ve been itching.
“Of course, thankfully, nothing super major like I’ve dealt with in the past. But, you know, especially with those high ankles, you want to make sure that you nip that in the bud from the jump, because if not, those things can linger. And you don’t want that lingering when you’re playing championship football in November and December.”
However, Taylor did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday and was officially declared out for the third straight week on Friday.
Jonathan Taylor is OUT vs Miami Dolphins
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) October 18, 2024
Taylor wasn’t as optimistic when he spoke on Thursday as he was earlier in the week.
#Colts RB Jonathan Taylor on practicing: “I still gotta do some work … to see if we can even attempt to go out there …”
On his recovery: “I know high ankles are usually 4-6 (weeks), but me … I’m like, ‘Man, there’s no way.’”
On IR: “I never like to throw that around …” pic.twitter.com/0tHrYAp4lo
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) October 17, 2024
When asked about when he could return, Taylor suggested that he’ll be back quicker than the four-to-six-week recovery timeline that is typical for high-ankle sprains.
“Once they said high-ankle [sprain], I know high ankles are usually four-to-six weeks, but me attacking different injuries and rehabs, I’m like, ‘Man, there’s no way.'”
Miami Dolphins on Taylor’s Impact
The Dolphins have the NFL‘s 18th-ranked rush defense, allowing 125.8 yards per game. But they’re 23rd in yards per rush (4.7).
“He’s arguably one of the best backs in all of football, especially in the last few years,” said Dolphins defensive lineman Calais Campbell.
“But he’s one of the best I’ve ever faced – different level of speed, great vision, jump cut, acceleration, break tackle, he has it all. With the ball in his hands, he’s a threat to take it to the house every time.
“I’ve had some good games against him and some bad games against him, and I don’t know what happens, I don’t know what his injury is. We just started to break the tape down on them, but if he plays, he’s probably the most talented back we’ll face all year.”
— Visit ➡ profootballnetwork.com (@FBMedia365) October 16, 2024
Taylor’s Fantasy Outlook
This ankle injury has now cost Taylor three consecutive games. The Colts will hope to have him back near full strength for their divisional matchup in Week 8 at the Houston Texans.
Taylor’s situation is pretty cut-and-dry: If the Colts activate him, I’m doing the same. There is the Rhamondre Stevenson class of running back where I’m willing to wait and see, but Taylor is comfortably ahead of that range since he was a top-12 running back in his last two games.
With Taylor unavaialble this week, Tyler Goodson is the Colts RB to watch. Trey Sermon had a terrific opportunity to show what he could do with an increased workload over the last two weeks, but he turned 28 carries into just 67 yards, while Goodson’s 13 attempts netted 77 yards.
Last week, Sermon rushed 18 times for just 29 yards, averaging 1.6 yards per attempt. Goodson outplayed Sermon, rushing eight times for 51 yards (6.4 yards per attempt) while catching four passes for 14 yards.
The deeper you dive into Sermon’s rushing profile, the worse it gets. Across his two starts, 41.8% of his rushing yards came on two carries, and 37.8% of his attempts this season have failed to gain yardage.
It appears Colts will likely start Goodson over Sermon, who is unplayable in fantasy.