How Colts Handle Jonathan Taylor’s Drops

Indianapolis Colts rookie running back Jonathan Taylor dropped two passes in Saturday’s scrimmage. Offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni shares how the team is coaching Taylor to improve as a pass-catcher.

INDIANAPOLIS — Rookie running back Jonathan Taylor has impressed with his speed, power, and vision as a rusher in the past month.

But Taylor dropped two short passes in the Indianapolis Colts’ Saturday scrimmage at Lucas Oil Stadium. 

While the second-round selection wasn’t utilized much as a pass-catcher in college until last year, the running backs have been made aware that they need to be ready for throws because 17th-year quarterback Philip Rivers is known for trying to exploit defensive weaknesses with quick passes to backs to get them into open space, where they can make tacklers miss.

So how is Taylor being coached to clean up his pass-catching? Offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni said it’s a group effort that includes running backs coach Tom Rathman.

“We all handle it,” Sirianni said in a Tuesday Zoom video call. “I know I’ve always said this about drops, they want to catch the ball even more than we want them to catch the ball. Being a former receiver, I never thought that getting on them like, ‘Hey catch the ball,’ that’s just not an effective path or effective teaching style. It’s what did you do that made you drop the ball? What fundamental technique flaw did you have for you to drop the ball? Address it, talk about it and then just rep that catch over and over and over again.

“Coach ‘Rath’ (Tom Rathman) throws to him. (Taylor) dropped one right in his chest area (on Monday). So, that is just something where you have to position your hands the right way. He had them the wrong way. Coach Rathman will throw those to him. We have Parks Frazier, one of our offensive assistants, he’ll grab him on the side. Parks played quarterback and his arm is a little more fresh than coach Rathman’s. So he will pepper him with some of those balls right there. No, it’s just fixing the technique and then repping it over and over and over again so a weakness in that area where he is catching on his chest becomes a strength. That has just been my approach with receivers and pass catchers on drops.”

Rookie running back Jonathan Taylor is catching extra passes in practice to improve upon his pass-catching skills after dropping throws :: Marc Lebryk/USA TODAY Sports

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Taylor is expected to share the rushing workload with 2019 starter Marlon Mack, which means he’s going to be expected to make those catches when Rivers comes to him. The Colts don’t want to fall into the habit of being predictable by only throwing to Mack or third-down specialist Nyheim Hines.

One thing about Taylor, he will be harder on himself about these drops than any of the coaches. He’s that typical rookie sponge, trying to learn everything he can, and improve any weaknesses.

Much was made about how Taylor had 18 fumbles, 15 lost, in his three seasons at Wisconsin. Rathman has said he’s not worried about fixing that problem, it’s merely a matter of improving fundamentals on how to carry the football. Keep in mind, those fumbles were part of an immense workload — the workhorse had 926 carries for 6,174 yards in three years.

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Sirianni agreed that another aspect of coaching the young player is to tell the rookie to shake it off and move onto the next play. If he doesn’t do that, one play he didn’t make becomes two, and so on.

“Absolutely, absolutely. We always talk about playing the next play – play the next play, play the next play, play the next play,” Sirianni said. “That doesn’t matter if it was a good play or a bad play, we have to play the next play. We have to fix what was wrong like we’re talking about, but it always has to be that next-play mentality.”

(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)