Colts' Star RB 'Proud' Of 'Incredible Toughness' Shorthanded OL Has Shown
It's never easy to go into a game in the National Football League missing three of five starting offensive linemen, and then proceed to lose one of those two other starting linemen to injury within a game, but that's exactly what happened to the Indianapolis Colts on Christmas Day in Arizona against the Cardinals.
Despite all the adversity the Colts faced up front in Week 16, Indianapolis was able to grind out a 22-16 win over the Cardinals on the road behind a patchwork offensive line, which earned a ton of praise from star second-year running back Jonathan Taylor, who recorded his ninth 100-yard rushing game of the season.
What stood out the most to Taylor regarding the patchwork offensive line was the toughness the group put on display against a stout Cardinals' front seven.
“Oh man, I saw a tremendous amount of toughness," Taylor said to reporters Thursday. "Like you mentioned, we came in with a set of guys, then we had some guys go down from that set. So, being able to have those guys up front just step up to the challenge, step up to the challenge when your number is called is something that I’ve always lived by. Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.
"Also, doing my job though, Saturday, thinking what can I do? What can I do to make these guys’ jobs easier? I know it’s already a tough situation," Taylor added. "Can I be a little more patient? Do I have to speed up a little bit? Would that help them? Just thinking, what can I do to help those guys up front? Man, they showed a tremendous amount of toughness and I’m very proud of them.”
The group in front of Taylor certainly stepped up to the plate and did what needed to be done without the likes of Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly and Mark Glowinski inside to start the game, before then losing Eric Fisher in the first half to an injury.
Guys like Chris Reed, Danny Pinter, Matt Pryor and Julie'n Davenport stepped up, while Braden Smith carried the load as the leader of the patchwork group, impressing Taylor enough to the point where he was asking what more he could do to help his offensive line.
You don't hear that often from running backs, let alone second-year stars like Taylor, who should be the frontrunner for the league's MVP award.
With guys like Nelson, Kelly and Glowinski returning this week, the Colts' offensive line should get a significant boost along the interior, giving the group added toughness overall. That can only be a good thing moving forward.
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