Colts running back Jonathan Taylor on Tuesday was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 16.
Taylor ripped off touchdown runs of 65 and 70 yards on his way to 218 yards on 29 carries (7.5 yards/attempt), and he also added a one-yard touchdown in his massive game. Taylor became the first player since 2019 (Derrick Henry) to rush for over 200 yards with at least three touchdowns in a game; only 28 players in NFL history have hit those marks. The last Colts player to do so was Hall of Famer Edgerrin James, who gained 219 yards on 38 carries with three touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks in 2000.
With those two long touchdowns, Taylor became the second player in the NFL to have multiple touchdowns of 65 or more yards in a single game, joining the Philadelphia Eagles' Saquon Barkley.
Taylor's 218 yards were the second-most he's had in a game over his five-year career, behind only the 253 yards he had in 2020 against the Jacksonville Jaguars – a mark that stands as a Colts single-game record.
Taylor is the third Colts player to earn player of the week honors this season, joining cornerback Jaylon Jones, who was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after picking off Caleb Williams twice in the Colts' Week 3 win over the Chicago Bears, and punter Rigoberto Sanchez, who was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 6 after hitting effectively a walk-off punt against the Tennessee Titans.
This is the third time Taylor has won AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors in his career. He previously won it in Week 11 of 2021 (his five-touchdown game against the Buffalo Bills) and Week 10 of 2022 (a 147-yard showing against the Las Vegas Raiders).
