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The Indianapolis Colts stormed back in Week 1 against the Houston Texans on Sunday, scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
But the two teams ended in a tie.
Jonathan Taylor, the star running back for the Colts, ran for 161 yards on 31 carries and had a touchdown to bring the game to within seven points with 7:42 left in the game.
Taylor told Fox News Digital in a recent interview he’s finding the bright side in the tie even though it wasn’t the result he or his teammates wanted the first game of the season.
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Houston Texans linebacker Christian Kirksey (58) reaches for Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, left, during the second half of a game Sept. 11, 2022, in Houston.
(AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
“That was something I talked to a couple teammates about. It’s like, ‘OK, this is about to tie.’ There’s no double overtime, right? They’re like, ‘No, we’re going to tie with them,’” Taylor explained. “The one example I was given from a teammate was last year the Steelers were able to enter the playoffs because of a tie. So, you know, you think it’s a loss. But when they start explaining to you how ties work out it really comes into play at the end of the year.
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“This is my first tie I’ve experienced. We’ll see how it unfolds at the end of the season, but we got to lock in and focus for this next week coming up.”
When asked whether new overtime rules for the regular season or even having a USFL-style shootout to determine a winner should be considered, Taylor told Fox News Digital he was intrigued by the idea.
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) carries the ball in the first quarter against the Houston Texans Sept. 11, 2022, at NRG Stadium in Houston.
(Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“That actually might be nice just because now you just have something lingering that you don’t know whether it may affect you positively or negatively,” he said. “And, of course, we know at the end of the day it’s up to us, the teams on the field, to get the win. But you just kind of have that one thing lingering throughout the season, and you don’t know how it’s going to affect you.”
The Colts started Matt Ryan in the Week 1 contest against the Texans. Ryan was acquired in the offseason from the Atlanta Falcons and was the third starting quarterback Taylor has played with to start a regular season since he entered the league in 2020.
Philip Rivers was the starter in 2020 when Taylor was a rookie, and the team acquired Carson Wentz for Taylor’s sophomore season.
“One thing I’ve been able to take away from each and every single one of those guys is how they mentally prepare,” Taylor told Fox News Digital. “Do you want to learn how to mentally prepare for an opponent? You need to look and watch and listen to how quarterbacks prepare for the game.
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) stiff arms Houston Texans defensive end Jonathan Greenard (52) during the first half Sept. 11, 2022, in Houston.
(AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)
“A lot of guys, they physically prepare. They’ll watch them and have their certain looks that they need to be ready for. But, if you want a complete, mental kind of preparation for a game, the quarterbacks, they study tremendously. And it’s something that I have gained from Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz and, now, Matt Ryan is how dedicated they are to the mental aspect of the game. I feel like that’s what takes their game and everyone’s game who prepares like that to another level.”
Taylor entered his third season with two consecutive seasons of 1,100 or more rushing yards and 10 or more touchdowns. Not only is his value rising with the Colts, but in the world of fantasy football.
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NFL fans notoriously ask players to hit a certain point allotment for them during the week. While some aren’t here for any kind of fantasy football talk, Taylor welcomes it.
“I didn’t realize fantasy football was so huge until I actually got into the NFL,” he told Fox News Digital. “I knew it was a big thing, but I didn’t know how much of a large scale it was until I actually entered the NFL. You kind of appreciate it because fans, they have their groups and their family members that they’re in a league with. And they want to win so badly, and they trust you to pull the win out for them.
Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz (11) reacting to making a two-point conversion against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the closing minutes of the second half of a game Sept. 11, 2022, in Landover, Md.
(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
“It’s really humbling a little bit to just feel like these people, they want to beat their friends, their family members so bad, and they’re entrusting me to help them beat them.”
Taylor continued his partnership with Campbell’s Chunky and will donate food through the company’s charitable program for every yard he picks up this season. Last year, he ran for 1,811 yards – that’s a lot of food.
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Fox News Digital asked Taylor what fans can expect out of him and the Colts this season.
“I could tell them to expect a team that’s going to fight until the clock strikes zero. As long as there’s a second on the clock, the Indianapolis Colts have a chance to come out with the win. Also, the preparation we will have every single week is going to be second to none. We will go in there every single week prepped and ready to go. We need you guys at Lucas Oil (Stadium) every single Sunday in order to feed off that energy because we enjoy it, and we love it.”
The Colts travel to Jacksonville to play the Jaguars Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
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