Indianapolis Colts RB Outperforming Several NFL Teams This Season

Despite being a backup running back in the grand scheme for the Indianapolis Colts, Zack Moss has played better than a shocking number of NFL teams’ backfields this year.

The Indianapolis Colts welcomed back Jonathan Taylor in week five of the NFL season in their 23-16 win against the Tennessee Titans. However, he was on a heavy pitch count, only carrying the ball six times for 18 rushing yards (3.0 avg). He’d also snag a lone catch for 16 receiving yards.

But, it was running back Zack Moss who continued to explode. He would have a season-best 165 rushing yards on 23 carries paired with two touchdowns. Moss hasn’t had under 70 rushing yards in his four games with the Colts this season, showing consistency, backfield brilliance, and ability to power through tacklers.

A recent statistic from StatMuse surfaced, displaying that Moss averages more rushing yards per game than a whopping 16 NFL teams.

Zack Moss is averaging more rushing yards per game than the

Raiders
Bengals
Steelers
Vikings
Packers
Texans
Patriots
Buccaneers
Commanders
Giants
Rams
Panthers
Saints
Broncos
Titans
Seahawks pic.twitter.com/GT0p4s4JiE

— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 11, 2023

Moss is currently averaging a massive 111.5 rushing yards per game (third in the NFL). Below are the overall stats for Moss for the 2023 season:

Rushing

• 89 carries for 445 rushing yards (5.0 avg); 3 rushing TDs; Long run of 56 yards

Receiving

• Eight receptions for 72 receiving yards (9.0 avg); 1 receiving TD; Long catch of 26 yards

What’s also impressive about these numbers is Moss has done all of this while having two completely different QBs under center. Anthony Richardson is the more athletic and explosive passer, while Gardner Minshew is more of a safe, low-risk signal caller. Despite the changes, he still plays equally as efficient.

The fact that Moss has come out of the gate on such a torrid level with a brand-new scheme and pair of QBs in the picture shows that he might not just be a backup running back, but a player who could be a legitimate starter in an NFL backfield.

Outlook

Even with Taylor returning to the team and getting his three-year, $42 million extension, Moss will likely still have room on this offense to continue making an impact. While he’s in a contract year and probably will be too expensive for Indianapolis to keep, he is showcasing to the rest of the league that his value may be far higher than ever expected when he came to the Colts in a trade with the Buffalo Bills nearly a year ago.

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