‘Their Whole Offense’: Dallas Cowboys Defenders Zero In On Jonathan Taylor Before Indianapolis Colts Trip
FRISCO, Texas — Jonathan Taylor has 610 rushing yards and eight touchdowns for the Indianapolis Colts, and Dallas Cowboys defenders said Wednesday that stopping him starts with all 11 players getting to the ball.
Taylor has 148 carries this season, an average of 4.1 yards, and 21 catches for 202 yards. His rushing total is eighth in the NFL, and his eight rushing touchdowns are tied for second. He ran for 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025.
Dallas allows 152.8 rushing yards per game, the most in the league, after Arizona ran for 202 in Sunday’s 33-30 overtime win.
Taylor is the focal point for defensive tackle Kenny Clark, who credited the Colts’ scheme and offensive line for the room he gets.
“He’s their whole offense. I got a lot of respect for him. And they do a good job. They got a good scheme,” Clark said. “The offensive line, they do a good job at opening holes for him. So it’s going to be a huge game for that. You got to knock things back to the edges. And you get a full body on Taylor.”
Shemar James, Von Miller Want All 11 At The Ball
Linebacker Shemar James kept his answer to one instruction, repeated twice.
“Get all 11 hats to the ball. That’s the best I can explain,” James said. “He’s a great back. He has a great offensive line and a great system to get him the ball and create run lanes for him. So, just all I can say is just get all 11 hats to the ball to get that guy down.”
Outside linebacker Von Miller put Taylor among the best backs in the league.
“Every team has a lot of football players. Jonathan Taylor is one of the best running backs in the league. [Tyler] Warren, tight end, is incredible as well. They’ve got a great coach,” Miller said. “So every team is dangerous, especially those guys that are trying to find their identity.”
Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams answered the Taylor question the way he answered most of them Wednesday: “I think the biggest thing, we’ve got to execute.”
Taylor has faced Dallas once. He had 21 carries for 82 yards in the Cowboys’ 54-19 win in 2022, when Dallas outscored Indianapolis 33-0 in the fourth quarter.
Jonathan Taylor’s Future Hangs Over The Matchup
Indianapolis is 2-6 and has lost four straight, including a 42-7 loss at Jacksonville on Sunday in which Taylor had 8 carries for 23 yards. The Colts have traded guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers, and they have reportedly turned down at least one offer for Taylor.
The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 10, two days after Sunday’s game. Taylor was limited in Wednesday’s practice on a veteran rest day.
Kickoff at Lucas Oil Stadium is set for noon CT on FOX.
