Saturday on Sunday night, Taylor-made test among Cowboys-Colts things to know
The Dallas Cowboys have gotten things back on track thanks to a dominating win against one of the league’s best teams then taking care of a division rival on Thanksgiving. At 8-3, the Cowboys have a better record than they did after 11 games in last year.
After playing without starting quarterback Dak Prescott for five games, it’s been an impressive campaign for the Cowboys thus far. It looks unlikely they’ll win the NFC East as they did last year, but the team has shown they can play with anyone.
Thanksgiving is thought of as a landmark in an NFL season, a point where teams can evaluate where they are before the stretch run. The Cowboys have to feel good about their prospects for their last six games. Dallas has a few extra days of rest as they prepare to begin the final slate, which begins with the Indianapolis Colts.
Here’s six things to know about the Colts ahead of the Week 13 matchup.
Colts are having a down year
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
The Colts were coming off a disappointing 2021 season where they lost their final two games to miss the playoffs. Heading into this year, they were expected to challenge the Tennessee Titans for supremacy in the AFC South, but that hasn’t happened.
Trading for veteran quarterback Matt Ryan was one of the reasons the Colts were projected to be contenders for a playoff spot heading into 2022. However, Ryan’s addition hasn’t worked out as he’s looked like a shell from his peak days. After struggling early in the season, Ryan was benched, but brought back when interim coach Jeff Saturday took over three weeks ago.
Ryan isn’t the only player not playing up to his old form, as running back Jonathan Taylor hasn’t been as good as he was last year and has missed time due to injury. Wide receiver Michael Pittman also hasn’t taken the next step as expected.
It’s been a difficult year all-around for the Colts, who are just 4-7-1, and coming off a tough loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
They have new head coach
Indianapolis Colts interim head coach Jeff Saturday.
The results from this season have been so disappointing they fired head coach Frank Reich and hired an interim coach in Saturday. With Reich at the helm, the Colts were 3-5-1 before letting him go after 4.5 seasons.
Saturday’s hiring made an odd season for the Colts even more bizarre. A former player for Indianapolis, Saturday had no coaching experience before being named coach, and it was a move that was met with heavy scrutiny. That criticism of Saturday hasn’t dissipated after Saturday botched the end of the game situation in the Monday night loss to the Steelers.
Jeff Saturday got hired with zero experience while tons of capable coordinators were passed over and not given a chance.
And that zero experience shows.
— Thuuuuney (@thuuuuney) November 29, 2022
Saturday did win his first game as coach of the Colts, but has lost his last two outings. The Colts aren’t playing well and have an inexperienced coach leading the team, things are ugly in Indianapolis.
Haven't beaten Cowboys in Dallas since 1996
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
The Colts have been one of the better franchises since 1998 when quarterback Peyton Manning arrived, a trend which continued when Andrew Luck succeeded Manning in Indianapolis. However, no matter who’s been the signal caller, they couldn’t beat the Cowboys in Dallas.
The Colts last beat the Cowboys on the road in 1996, when Jim Harbaugh was the quarterback and led the upset over the defending Super Bowl champion Cowboys. Since then the Cowboys have beaten the Colts twice in Dallas, and both have been memorable wins.
In 2006, under new starting quarterback Tony Romo, the Cowboys took down the 9-0 Colts Running back Marion Barber had two touchdowns and the win solidified Romo’s status as a legitimate QB for the Cowboys.
The last meeting between the two teams in Dallas was a blowout 42-7 win for the Cowboys in 2014. The Cowboys crushed a 10-4 Colts team on their way to sealing the NFC East title.
Defense keeps them in games
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Colts haven’t played great complimentary football this season. While the offense has had issues, the defense has kept them in games. Indianapolis’ defense is allowing just over 20 points a game and keeps offenses from moving the ball consistently.
Gus Bradley leads the unit as defensive coordinator and his passing defense allows just over 190 yards a game, ranking fifth in the league. The Colts do give up 118.3 yards on the ground, but are among the best in the league in yards per carry, allowing just 3.9 yards a tote.
They boast a solid defensive line led by pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, who has 8.5 sacks, and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who has 5.5 sacks on the season. Buckner is one of the best two-way DTs in the league, he excels against the run, as well as rushing the passer.
Jonathan Taylor is a problem
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Colts’ best offensive player, Taylor led the league in rushing last season with 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns. The third-year RB has been hampered by injuries, but has 779 yards in just nine games, good for 10th in the league.
Taylor was one of the NFL’s most explosive offensive players in the league in 2021, but hasn’t broken out nearly as much this season. That doesn’t mean he can’t be a game breaker if given a crease.
Taylor had a 66-yard touchdown run in Week 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
It’s been well documented how the Cowboys have issues stopping the run, giving up 131.9 yards a game on the ground. Dallas did slow Giants running back Saquon Barkley last week and Dalvin Cook the week prior, so the hope is they’ve turned it around. If the Cowboys want to win this game, they’ll need to do the same to Taylor.
