No one would have blamed Jonathan Taylor if he was angry about how the Indianapolis Colts Week 18 loss, which eliminated them from postseason contention to the Houston Texans went down.
Taylor, who briefly left the game with a heel injury before returning, was not on the field for the Colts’ final offensive play, a fourth-and-1 in the red zone with a little over one minute remaining in the contest, a sequence that ultimately resulted in a drop by Indianapolis halfback Tyler Goodson.
After the game, Taylor was asked if he wanted to be on the field for the final play. The Colts running back responded with a classy answer, telling reporters that “no one second-guessed any of Shane’s calls,” per Stephen Holder of ESPN on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Asked Jonathan Taylor point blank: Did he want the ball on the fateful fourth and 1 play that ended tonight’s game: pic.twitter.com/UXvEK6Mgr8
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) January 7, 2024
"All year, he's been masterpiece perfect. So, whatever is dialed up, we feel confident in it. We've practiced these plays, repped these plays 100 times at practice. We're not ever calling a play we don't feel confident in. That would never happen," Taylor continued.
Given how well Taylor played—he ran for 188 yards and a touchdown—it wouldn't be surprising if he had at least some doubts about Steichen’s call. Add in the fact that Taylor was in a contract holdout with the Colts until October, and there were plenty of reasons for him to second-guess the decision.
Whether he was thinking it or not, Taylor chose the team-first approach, defending his coach.
