Bold Predictions: Jonathan Taylor Will Rush for Over 100 Yards, Score Rushing Touchdown vs. Eagles

In one of their toughest matchups of the 2022 season, the Indianapolis Colts are back at home this week to take on an 8-1 Philadelphia Eagles team which has its eyes set on the NFC’s No. 1 seed while the Colts hope to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Here are my bold predictions ahead of Indianapolis’ matchup against the NFC’s top team in Philadelphia.

• Jonathan Taylor will rush for over 100 yards and score a rushing touchdown

The Eagles are 8-1 for a reason, and of their weakness, which they don’t have many of, their defense isn’t one of them. In fact, one could make the case for the Eagles having the NFL’s best defense through ten weeks.

Running back Jonathan Taylor is coming off a 147-yard rushing performance against a depleted Las Vegas defense and will look to surpass the 100-yard mark in back-to-back games for the first time this season when going against a stout Eagles front Sunday. Since losing rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis, Philadelphia’s run defense hasn’t quite been as dominant as it had been through the first few weeks of the season.

Philadelphia is allowing opponents to rush for an average of 124.78 yards per game, according to Statsmuse.com, and opposing backs are gaining, on average, 4.7 yards per attempt, too.

The Colts’ offensive line helped pave the way for the former 2021 league-leading rusher to average a season-high 6.7 yards per attempt in Week 10. Although Philadelphia did add some big-time run-stoppers in Linval Joseph and Ndamukong Suh in recent days, I’m predicting that Taylor will have another 100-yard day and score a rushing touchdown against the Eagles’ dominant defense Sunday.

• The Colts’ defense will hold both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith to less than 100 receiving yards

The Eagles’ wide receiving corps will be one of the toughest matchups the Colts’ defense has faced this season, especially with a returning familiar face in A.J. Brown and speedy DeVonta Smith as quarterback Jalen Hurts’ top targets.

Philadelphia has one of the league’s most dynamic offenses which averages 376.9 yards per game, according to Statsmuse.com. The Eagles’ top-notch offense takes on a Colts defense which has done an excellent job holding their opponents to just 307 yards per game.

The play of cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Isaiah Rodgers is a major reason why Indianapolis’ defense has done so well in limiting their opponents in total yardage. Both Gilmore and Rodgers rank among the league’s best in coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, Gilmore has a coverage grade of 75.6, and Rodgers has a coverage grade of 87.5, which ranks 11th and 4th-best, respectively, amongst starting cornerbacks through ten weeks.

There’s no question that Brown and Smith will present tough matchups for Gilmore and Rodgers. The cornerback duo has been excellent in rising to the occasion in big games this season. I’m predicting that Gilmore and Rodgers will hold Philadelphia’s dynamic wide-receiver duo to less than 100 receiving yards each Sunday.