Frank Reich seemingly plans to play it by ear with Jonathan Taylor on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.
On the surface, this plan sounds a little foolish. After all, Taylor enters Week 15 as the NFL’s leader in both rushing yards and touchdowns on the ground. But Reich knows Indianapolis’ upcoming challenge won’t be an ordinary one.
Arguably no head coach across the NFL schemes better for the opposition than Bill Belichick, whose Patriots are set to battle the Colts in primetime. Everyone and their mother knows Taylor will be a major point of emphasis for Belichick as he constructs a game plan for Indy. As such, Reich will go with the flow as it relates to utilizing Taylor against New England.
“There is a pulse that you’ve got to take in the game — that can vary from game to game,” Reich told reporters Monday, per USA Today. “Some games you’re going to stay more patient. Some games we’re going to mix it up sooner. It depends on field position. It depends on how the defense is doing, the flow of the game. Those are all the intangibles that go into it that slide the scale one way or the other.
Reich continued: “I think there are two thoughts there. One is his efficiency, some of that comes with just pure carries — if you get it to him enough he’s going to create big plays. But at the same time we don’t want him to pound his head up against a wall play in and play out. Again, that goes back to that mix of how much is too much or how much isn’t enough and that’s a game-by-game, really series-by-series feel.”
As for the Colts, they too hope to shut down the run, which has been an area of strength for New England for the majority of the season. It’s safe to say that mission will be easier said than done for both teams.
