One of the more surprising teams in the NFL this season has been the Indianapolis Colts. Their victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12 was their third in a row, pushing them back over the .500 mark after a three-game losing streak had pushed them under it.
One of the reasons that the Colts are having as much success as they are has been their performance on the ground. Zack Moss was incredible out of the gate in place of Jonathan Taylor, who was on injured reserve after a bizarre offense.
In recent weeks, it has been Taylor taking over the lead role in the backfield. He has had some very solid performances and is coming off arguably his best game of the season against the Buccaneers.
Taylor carried the ball 15 times for 91 yards, adding two touchdowns. The yardage was his second-most in a single game this season, but the success could be short-lived. On Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network revealed that Taylor is dealing with a thumb injury that is requiring further evaluation.
His status moving forward is in doubt as all options are being considered. What could those options be? Fantasy Sports Doctor Jesse Morse provided some insight into different possibilities of what Taylor is dealing with.
Depending on the severity of the injury, Taylor could be on the field in Week 13 against the Tennessee Titans. But, there is also the possibility that season-ending surgery is opted for depending on the kind of injury and how bad it is.
This is a brutal blow for the Colts, who have been finding their stride in recent weeks. The silver lining for the team, at least, is that they know Moss can handle the load as the lead back should they be without Taylor for any amount of time.
In the four games Taylor was absent to begin the season, Moss carried the ball 89 times for 445 yards and three touchdowns. He added eight receptions for 72 yards and one more score as he was one of the most productive running backs in the NFL in the first month of the season.
While his role has shrunk severely in recent weeks, with single-digit rushes in three straight games, Moss is someone the Colts are certainly comfortable handing the backfield over to if need be.
More must-reads: