INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor took his historic 2025 show on the road Sunday and continued to dazzle with the greatest performance by a rusher in an overseas NFL game.
He ran for 244 yards, finished with 286 yards from scrimmage, scored three more touchdowns and broke the Colts' franchise record with his 65th rushing TD. It came, fittingly, on an 8-yard overtime score that sent Indy (8-2) home for its bye week with a 31-25 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
While fans in Berlin celebrated the first NFL game in the German capital by doing the wave or singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Taylor was delivering another head-turning game.
“You just live for those moments. You don’t know when those moments come, but you remember, not even the run, you remember your teammates embracing you after that play,” Taylor said of his game-changing, 83-yard TD run in the fourth quarter — the longest run in the NFL this year. “I think that’s what I’m going to remember the most, and I’m just glad I was able to do it here in Berlin.”
Taylor's been having those moments seemingly every week and carrying his team in the process.
Not only are the Colts sitting atop the AFC South, Taylor is the league's first 1,000-yard rusher this season. He has five 100-yard games and, in October, became the first NFL player to score three TDs in three straight games against the same team (Tennessee). Taylor now has four games with three TD runs this year and one game with two scoring runs and a TD catch.
That has him tied with Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk and Chuck Foreman for the second most three-TD games in a season (five), leaving him one short of Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson's record with seven games left.
Taylor also padded his lead as he seeks a second league rushing title, and there's a chance that he could join Barry Sanders and Derrick Henry as the only players with a 2,000-yard season in college and in the NFL.
“It definitely doesn’t get old seeing 80-yarders, 50-yarders, 60-yarders,” quarterback Daniel Jones said. “We’ve had a number of those this year, and I can tell you for sure it doesn’t get old.”
What’s working
The ground game, and not just Taylor. Jones had a season-high 53 yards rushing Sunday. It shouldn't be a surprise: After losing at Pittsburgh, Indy was bound to rely heavily on its run game. The Colts rushed for 323 yards, the second most in franchise history behind the 325 they had against the Titans last December.
What needs help
Pass protection. Jones was sacked only nine times through the first eight games. Over the last two weeks, he's gone down 12 times, including a season-high seven against Atlanta. If the Colts intend to win a championship, they need to find a fix during their bye week.
Stock up
DT DeForest Buckner. The three-time Pro Bowler didn’t make the trip to Berlin after being put on injured reserve with a neck injury, and his absence revealed his value. Indy entered the game with the league's fourth-ranked rushing defense. The Colts allowed a season-worst 140 yards rushing and slipped to seventh.
Stock down
K Michael Badgley. Yes, he made the late kick that forced overtime. But he also missed his first extra=point attempt and a 53-yard field goal. Indy also turned it over on downs twice after passing up short field goals, though Badgley's misses were unlikely the reason for coach Shane Steichen's decisions.
Injuries
While Buckner landed on injured reserve, costing him at least three more games, Steichen said there were no new injuries. The Colts will continue to monitor three players — DE Samson Ebukam (knee), DE Tyquan Lewis (groin) and WR/KR Anthony Gould (knee).
Key numbers
28 — Taylor is averaging 1.67 touchdown runs per game, putting him pace to tie or break LaDainian Tomlinson's NFL single-season record for TD runs (28).
Next steps
Indy heads into its bye week as one of the NFL's three eight-win teams while holding a 2 1/2-game lead over Jacksonville in the AFC South. The Colts must continue their strong play over the final seven games if they hope to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020 or win their first division crown since 2014.
