Jonathan Taylor: "IJonathan Taylor: "I'm Here to Dominate, Win Games, and Prove Why I'm the Most Dangerous Weapon in the League"'m Here to Dominate, Win Games, and Prove Why I'm the Most Dangerous Weapon in the League"

"I’m not here for the MVP talk—I’m here to dominate, win games, and prove every week why I’m the most dangerous weapon in the league. As long as I stay healthy, this team is going all the way." — Jonathan Taylor, Running Back, Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are currently 6-1, holding the top seed in the AFC, and their success this season can be attributed largely to the explosive playmaking of Jonathan Taylor

. While quarterback Daniel Jones has garnered attention for his resurgence, it’s Taylor who has been the true star, dominating on the ground and in the air, making a strong case for the

NFL MVP.

Taylor is having a career year, racking up 697 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns, and 23 catches for 185 yards and a touchdown. He’s leading the

NFL in rushing and is the league’s most dangerous weapon in the backfield. As Taylor said, he’s focused on domination, not the MVP conversation—"I’m here to dominate, win games, and prove every week why I’m the most dangerous weapon in the league."

Taylor’s Historic Impact on the Colts' Offense

The Colts offense is built around the power running game, and Taylor has been the centerpiece. With the Colts' offensive line opening holes for him, Taylor’s ability to break through defenses has been remarkable. Not only is he

leading the NFL in rushing, but he’s also leading in yards per game (99.6) and first downs (37). His ability to break long runs—five 20+ yard runs
and two 40+ yard runs—has made him an irreplaceable asset in the Colts’ offensive system.

MVP Frontrunner: Taylor’s Case

Typically, the MVP award goes to the quarterback of the

best team. But this season, with no standout quarterback, Jonathan Taylor has emerged as a legitimate MVP contender. He is the best offensive player on the best team
through the first seven games of the season, and his dominance on the field makes him a strong contender for the coveted award.

In the last 20 years, only three running backs have won the MVP:

Shaun Alexander (2005), LaDainian Tomlinson (2006), and Adrian Peterson (2012). Jonathan Taylor could become the next in that line, especially with the Colts’ success and the lack of a dominant quarterback
this season.

Colts’ Success and Taylor’s Future

As long as Taylor stays healthy, the Colts are positioned to continue their success. He is the key player for the Colts’ offense

, and his dominance has been the driving force behind their 6-1 record. If Taylor keeps up his production, the Colts could make a deep playoff run, with Taylor
leading the charge.

While the MVP award is nice, for Taylor, it’s about winning games and proving every week why he’s the most dangerous running back in the league. With his current performance, there’s no question that

Taylor is one of the most dynamic and influential players in the NFL.

Marco Rossi, Zach Bogosian out for Wild

The Minnesota Wild will be without forward Marco Rossi and defenseman Zach Bogosian in Monday night’s game against the New York Rangers, head coach John Hynes told Peter Baugh of The Athletic. Both players suffered lower-body injuries as the result of blocked shots – Bogosian sustaining his on Friday, and Rossi getting hurt on Saturday.

This news will bring an end to Rossi’s team-leading iron-man streak. He has played in a consecutive 173 games, dating back to April 2023. That tally is the 30th-longest streak in the NHL, and the fourth-longest among players 24 or younger. With Rossi’s streak ending, Minnesota’s new team-leader will be Matt Boldy, who has played in 161 consecutive games – 33rd-most in the league and sixth among U24 players.

More than ending a team-leading streak, Minnesota will be losing one of their top forwards with Rossi’s absence. He has served as the team’s top-line center between star wingers Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov. That trio is one of only two Wild lines to score multiple even-strength goals this season – though they’ve still been outscored by opponents two-to-three, despite winning the expected-goals race with 2.1-to-1.7. Rossi himself has scored five points in six games, putting him on pace to exceed the career-high 60 points he potted in 82 games last year.

Joel Eriksson Ek will move to the top-line in Rossi’s place, while Ben Jones steps into a fourth-line center role. This swap will also promote rookie Danila Yurov into the top-nine, providing a stronger platform for him to find his first career point after going scoreless in his first four NHL games.

Minnesota will also lose the reliable Bogosian, who has served as a stout veteran presence on the team’s bottom-pair for the last three seasons. His ice time has dwindled every year in Minnesota, falling to just 14 minutes on average through five games this season. He’s posted a plus-three in the muted role, but otherwise has yet to manage any notable stat changes this season. David Jiříček will stick in the lineup in Bogosian’s absence. Jiříček recorded one shot on goal in a relief role on Saturday. It was his second NHL game of the season.

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