Colts coach Shane Steichen benched Jonathan Taylor. That can't happen again

Jonathan Taylor was benched.

There’s no other way to spin it.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen, who also serves as the team’s offensive play caller, wouldn’t say it. Nor would offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter. But if you’re looking for proof, like I did through my binoculars last Sunday from the press box at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field, you didn’t have to look far. Taylor wasn’t injured as he stood on the sideline for the entire fourth quarter of Indianapolis’ 16-10 loss against the Packers. He just wasn’t used.

It was a mind-boggling decision, especially considering Taylor’s performance up to that point. The 2021 league rushing champ couldn’t be stopped. For the 11th time in his career, Taylor had amassed more than 100 rushing yards in just three quarters (12 carries, 103 yards).

Then, in the fourth quarter — zilch.

Steichen was asked why Taylor, for the first time in his career after reaching 100 rushing yards through the first 45 minutes of a game, didn’t play in the final 15. It’s also worth noting, Taylor had made two catches for 32 yards, which would end up being the second-highest receiving total on the team.

“I think in that fourth quarter, we were throwing the football and we don’t — we weren’t really scheming up passes for the running backs there in the fourth quarter when we were throwing it,” Steichen said after his team fell to 0-2. “So, we had Trey (Sermon) in there, and I thought he did a good job.”

So, if the Colts decided they were only going to be dropping back to pass, and they weren’t planning to use their running backs as receivers, the only reason Taylor wouldn’t be on the field is because Indianapolis doesn’t trust him as a pass blocker. It’s no secret pass blocking isn’t Taylor’s strong suit.

One of the latest examples of Taylor failing as a pass protector came in the first quarter, when he whiffed on a block attempt (left guard Quenton Nelson was beat, as well) and allowed Packers linebacker Quay Walker to run into quarterback Anthony Richardson’s lap. The result? Richardson fired off his back foot and sailed the ball over wide receiver Alec Pierce’s head for an interception.

2 games & 2 INTs for McKinney.#INDvsGB pic.twitter.com/D169tBGqv8

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 15, 2024

With that play in mind, I asked Steichen if pass protection was the reason Taylor didn’t play down the stretch.

“No, not necessarily,” Steichen said. “We wanted to give Trey (Sermon) some reps in there. That was it.”

This is where I struggle to understand Steichen’s line of thinking. Sermon, a 2021 third-round pick, has been with three NFL teams in four seasons. He’s never rushed for more than 167 yards in an entire season. Taylor, on the other hand, has rushed for more than 167 yards in a single game five times. Maybe he could’ve done it a sixth time against the Packers — if he was given the chance.

Taking a look at the Colts’ 21 offensive snaps in the fourth quarter, here’s the breakdown: 13 snaps for Sermon, eight for third-stringer Tyler Goodson and zero for Taylor. The most damning play call? A speed option on third-and-1 involving Richardson and Sermon, in which Sermon was dropped for a 4-yard loss. Kicker Matt Gay missed a 50-yard field goal wide left on the next play.

Steichen didn’t want to say that perhaps Sermon shouldn’t have been in on that pivotal third down, which I understand because it would be ill-advised to throw Sermon under the bus, but what he did say was even more puzzling.

“We were gonna go for it on fourth down and put J.T. in,” Steichen said Wednesday, asked again why Sermon was in over Taylor. “Obviously, we had to kick the field goal because we lost yards.”

So, if Taylor was — in theory, because we didn’t see it in reality — good enough to pick up 1 yard on fourth down, why wasn’t that the case on third down?

I certainly won’t pretend to know more about football than Steichen, who two seasons ago helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance. But that’s exactly the point. Steichen has been praised as an offensive guru, and for the most part, he’s earned that title. The fact that he had Indianapolis on the doorstep of a playoff berth last year after Richardson suffered a season-ending injury in Week 5 is beyond commendable.

However, this Taylor situation feels like a prime example of Steichen way overthinking things. Steichen’s reasoning that Taylor wasn’t in the game because he wanted to give Sermon, a better pass protector, more reps isn’t a terrible decision (save for that third-and-1 call). But to not have Taylor on the field at all in the fourth quarter is definitely questionable and, to some degree, irresponsible.

This is not to absolve Taylor, who clearly isn’t trusted in passing situations. He had two drops against the Packers, one on third-and-7 in the first quarter and another on fourth-and-4 in the third quarter. Throughout his career, he’s played 46.5% of first downs, 31.8% of second downs and just 19% of the third downs.

Undoubtedly, the NFL’s third-highest paid running back ($14 million per year) should be more reliable when his team is trying to keep a drive alive.

“Eliminating drops,” said Taylor when asked how he can improve in the passing game. “Of course, that’ll definitely help.”

But you know what would help the Colts? Steichen finding a way to utilize Taylor regardless of his deficiencies. Taylor accounted for 65.5 percent of Indianapolis’ total offense (135 of 206 yards) through three quarters against Green Bay. A player of that caliber needs to find the field in the fourth quarter. He must touch the ball when the game is on the line.

I understand the Colts were trailing 13-3 early in the fourth quarter, and they were passing in hopes of mounting a comeback, as Steichen explained. But even the occasional threat of Taylor’s gamebreaking abilities — he has 11 runs career runs of 40-plus yards (two in the fourth quarter) — would catch the eye of the opposing defense, and, more importantly, take some pressure off Richardson.

The second-year quarterback gave the Colts a chance in the fourth quarter against the Packers, scrambling for a first down on fourth-and-11 and throwing a 4-yard TD to Pierce on back-to-back plays to make it a six-point game. But he can’t do it by himself. He needs help. From his teammates (So. Many. Drops.) and from his coaches.

“A wise old coach told me once, ‘In critical moments, think players, not plays,’” former Colts QB and 2016 league MVP Matt Ryan said after throwing a game-winning TD pass to Pierce in 2022. “I’ve never forgot that.”

It would be wise for Steichen to not forget that either as the Colts look to earn the first victory this Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

(Photo: Justin Casterline / Getty Images)