Jonathan Taylor scores another TD hat trick in Colts victory

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The Indianapolis Colts’ prolific offense continued Sunday, and Jonathan Taylor did the same.

The league’s leading rusher scored three touchdowns in a single game for the third time this season, this time in a 38-24 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers that propelled the Colts to a league-best record at 6-1.

“He’s the best in the league right now,” coach Shane Steichen said. “There is no doubt.”

Taylor completed runs of 75, 14 and 73 yards, reaching the end zone as a runner for the eighth, ninth and 10th times this season. He scored on runs of 23, 8 and 19 yards.

His rapid departure is also historic.

According to ESPN Research, Taylor is the fourth player in NFL history with three games with three rushing touchdowns through his team’s first seven games, joining Jim Brown (1958), Priest Holmes (2004) and Derrick Henry (2021).

“He runs hard,” Steichen said. “He runs physically. He has great vision. Yeah, he’s in great shape.”

Taylor leads the NFL in rushing yards (697) and rushing touchdowns (10) after finishing Sunday’s game with 94 yards on 16 carries (5.9-yard average).

Taylor and the Colts have scored at will all season, and that continued on Sunday. The Colts scored touchdowns on their first three possessions and then opened a 21-point lead over Los Angeles.

Indianapolis took a chance on quarterback Daniel Jones this offseason, signing him to a one-year deal worth $14 million after six turbulent seasons with the New York Giants. The Colts got a significant return on their investment, with Jones now leading the NFL in QBR (81.3) and completing a career-high 71% of his pass attempts. He completed 23 of 34 passes for 288 yards and two scores on Sunday.

“I always knew we had some really good players here and we were missing something,” receiver Michael Pittman Jr. said. “And that’s something Dan brought. I always had confidence in our guys. We were down to one player.”

The Colts have eclipsed 30 points in five of their seven games and lead the NFL in points per game (33.1) and yards per play (6.4). According to ESPN Research, their 232 points this season are their most in seven games since 1964 – two decades before their move from Baltimore to Indianapolis.

Time will tell how far this offense can take this Colts team, but the early signs remain positive.

“We go into every game thinking we’re scoring 40,” tight end Mo Alie-Cox said. “I mean, we’re about to start again. Every time we get the ball, we think we’re going to score.”