INDIANAPOLIS -- The true indication of a player's greatness might be what kind of reaction comes when they produce average performances.
Take Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, for instance.
He appeared for his scheduled media gathering with local reporters on Thursday, and the conversation quickly turned to the lack of the explosive plays for which he has become famous.
"Explosive runs?" Taylor said. "You talking about the 40-, 50-yard touchdowns?
"Everybody loves those."
Taylor then pointed out that he registered a 20-yard run in last Sunday's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of his longest of the season. A fair point, but the retort might have had more impact if Taylor hadn't had two runs of 80 yards or longer just last season.
The whole exchange was a good reminder of the lofty standards Taylor is held to. It's why his current 3.9-yard-per-rush average is somewhat alarming for a player who has averaged 4.8 yards per carry in his career. It's why his third-down conversion rate of 33.3% is noticeable, considering his career mark is 47.3%.
And, perhaps more than anything, it's why it's so remarkable that Taylor hasn't posted a 100-yard rushing performance in 11 months. It's all a little jarring when the subject is a player who is one of the best rushers of his generation, one coming off a 1,585-yard season in 2025, when he matched a career-high 18 rushing touchdowns.
"It's still early and obviously everyone wants to come out the gate fast, similar to how we did last year," he said. "But, like I mentioned, it's a long season. It's a very long season."
The Colts (2-3) have not produced the offensive fireworks they thought were possible in 2026. They drew confidence from their fast start in 2025, when quarterback Daniel Jones and the passing game took off and Taylor ran past opponents. But in the latter stages of the season, after Jones was sidelined with an Achilles tear and the Colts became easier to defend, Taylor started to see slippage in his production.
That has continued this season, with Jones off to a slow start after his recovery, with deep-threat receiver Alec Pierce sidelined by a recurrence of his heel injury and the Colts experiencing overall lethargy on offense.
Indianapolis ranks 22nd in expected points added, 29th in yards per play (4.6) and 25th in third-down conversions (35.3%).
The lack of explosive threats has made them easier to defend, and that has allowed Taylor to become the focal point of opposing defenses. The Steelers used a five-man defensive front at times in their win over Indianapolis. The Tennessee Titans, who visit the Colts on Sunday, will undoubtedly take a similar approach and emphasize stopping Taylor in their game plan. Tennessee ranks fourth against the run, allowing 3.5 yards per rush.
Indianapolis Colts' Jonathan Taylor Speaks to Lack of Long, Explosive Runs https://t.co/VQo4tjRTDr
— Jake Arthur (@JakeArthurNFL) October 15, 2026
To be clear, Taylor has still managed to be effective in 2026. He ranks 10th in rushing yards per game (79.6), with 398 rushing yards and six touchdowns. Those inside the organization emphasize that he is getting the most out of his runs.
Running backs coach DeAndre Smith on Thursday said, "When you're elite like that, those guys actually get more [yardage] than what's actually blocked. So, it's always been the standard here that he'll make spectacular plays."
Currently, the types of defensive tactics the Colts are seeing don't allow as many of those.
"When you don't have to blitz and you can just play four guys up front, and do a lot of damage, then that keeps seven people back," Smith said. "You're trying to maneuver through several layers of a defense."
Taylor is among the league's most patient runners, able to wait for blocks to materialize and for defenders to commit to an angle before making his devastating cuts. And he'll need to continue displaying patience in the grander sense, too, as he waits for the opportunities for the big plays he believes are coming.
"It's about maybe squeezing out one or two extra yards," he said. "Now maybe that's 4.1 [yards per carry], maybe that's 4.2. Maybe you have a 50-yard touchdown, now it's at 4.5."
He added, of those thrilling big plays, "Those will come. It's still early."