Colts' Jonathan Taylor Has New Competitor For MVP

Before a Week 11 bye, Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was garnering momentum for his MVP case after another three-touchdown performance against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10.

Taylor ran for 244 yards and three scores against the Falcons, leading the Colts to an overtime victory in Berlin. Taylor started Sunday's action with a bang, and his performance that week was never topped.

Jump ahead to the following Sunday, and the Colts are resting up for their second-half gauntlet. Fellow MVP candidates Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford showed out while Taylor sat, but a new name jumped in the mix.

A New Competitor For MVP

Before Week 11, Taylor was listed at +600 on DraftKings Sportsbook to win MVP. Maye and Stafford were the favorites, with Maye at +275 and Stafford at +300.

What the books didn't expect was an MVP-worthy showcase from Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who had six total touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his most explosive performance of the season.

Allen leapfrogged Taylor in MVP odds and is now sitting at +600 himself as the Bills moved to 7-3 on the season. Taylor fell back to +800 in the process.

QBs to score 3 pass TDs and 3 rush TDs in a game (Super Bowl era):

Josh Allen- Week 14, 2024
>Josh Allen- today pic.twitter.com/Fnx2oezune
— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) November 16, 2025

Despite the bye, Taylor still leads the league in rushing yards by an unprecedented margin. His 1,139 yards are nearly 200 more than second place's 968 (James Cook).

With 17 total touchdowns through 10 games, Taylor is on pace to finish with 29 on the year. He's slowly approaching LaDainian Tomlinson's 2006 record of 31, a number that was thought to be practically untouchable.

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In that season, Tomlinson had six games with three or more touchdowns. Taylor already has five such games on the season, and he has seven more chances to tie that record.

The only other player with five separate three-touchdown games is Marshall Faulk, who also won MVP. If Taylor doesn't win the coveted award, his season will still go down as one of the best in NFL history.

YOU CAN'T STOP JONATHAN TAYLOR. 83-YARD TD.

ATLvsIND on @NFLNetwork
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/XiL55trl4d
— NFL (@NFL) November 9, 2025

He's the current favorite for Offensive Player of the Year at -370, so unless the Monstars take all his talent, he'll win.

Credit must also be given to the rest of the Colts' offense. Taylor's teammates have praised him as the MVP, but he's reciprocated that love. Taylor knows his success stems from his blockers, and he's always appreciative of his guys doing the dirty work so he can run freely.

When Taylor had his 83-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter against Atlanta, he had guys like Alec Pierce and Tyler Warren running the entire length of the field just to ensure those third-level blocks for Taylor.

Tyler Warren & Alec Pierce….thats what unselfishness looks like pic.twitter.com/d7Rob8Iv4M
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) November 9, 2025

"That's one of our standards, and to go down there and get that block on the safety coming across field – that's huge," head coach Shane Steichen said when asked about those blocks. "... The effort at the end of the play by Alec (Pierce) and Tyler (Warren) going down there and hustling to get that third level block, waiting whatever it was 60 yards down the field, makes all the difference in the world."

With a week of regeneration and recovery, Taylor's legs will be feeling fresher than ever as the Colts head into their final seven-game stretch. Although I'm sure he wants to win MVP, he most definitely has something bigger on his mind, like a Lombardi Trophy.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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A New Competitor For MVP

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