Colts' Jonathan Taylor Now Heavy Favorite to Win NFL Award

In 2021, Taylor finished as the runner-up to Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp to bring home the same award. Four years later, Taylor is outpacing his 2021 numbers as he's leading the Colts to a league-best 7-1 record.

The way Taylor's playing right now, he deserves to win OPOY in a unanimous vote. According to DraftKings, the closest players to Taylor are Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (+475), Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (+1100), San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (+1300), and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (+1300).

Smith-Njigba leads the league in receiving yards (819) and ranks sixth in receptions (50). Though he's an amazing player, his production doesn't compare to Kupp's triple crown season in 2021.

If you think about the implied odds, sportsbooks are giving Taylor a near 70% chance to take home the trophy.

Taylor has four three-touchdown games, the most in the league this year by a mile. In Tomlinson's 2006 MVP season, he finished with six such games. The thing is, Taylor has nine games left on the schedule.

Whenever it reaches a point where a player is expected to score at least one, if not two, touchdowns in a single game, that's how you know they deserve to win an award.

Taylor has recorded 20+ touches in every game but one this season. The Colts aren't even using him as a 30+ carry workhorse; instead, they are saving his legs for when the play call works best.

Head coach Shane Steichen does a terrific job of disguising his play calls by using the same formations in different ways. Steichen also loves to use a pin-and-pull play design that gets blockers in space, and for the Colts, that's usually left guard Quenton Nelson.

When Taylor is running behind an offensive line as elite as the Colts', it feels like every run play could break away for a touchdown.

Taylor is averaging a career-high 6.3 yards per touch and leads the league with six carries of over 20 yards. His explosiveness makes the Colts' offense what it is, and it meshes perfectly with the Colts' front five.

Taylor's next test will be against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9 on Sunday.

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