Cowboys Mike McCarthy & ‘Dynamic’ Colts RB Jonathan Taylor: Cheesehead Connection?

Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy has been aware of Indianapolis Colts running Jonathan Taylor dating back to both of their days in Wisconsin.

The NFL world found out who Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was last season when he took over the league while nearly carrying his team to the playoffs.

But Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy has early memories of Taylor back when the third-year running back was dominating defenses for the Wisconsin Badgers. McCarthy, who was near the end of his tenure as coach of the Green Bay Packers, didn't have to travel far to take notice.

And as the Cowboys (8-3) get set to host the Colts (4-7-1) on Sunday Night Football, McCarthy briefly recapped his first impressions of the star ball-carrier.

"I think I've been to two college football games the last 30 years and that was one of them,” McCarthy said of watching Taylor. “I got a chance to watch him play when he was at Wisconsin against Iowa. His ability to run inside with the discipline and toughness, and then he also has the ability to finish runs. I think he's a dynamic runner.”

Last season, Taylor gashed defenses on his way to winning the unofficial rushing triple crown, as he led the league in carries (332), rushing yards (1,811) and rushing touchdowns (18). 

Entering this season, it was fixing to be nearly impossible for Taylor to reach similar numbers. But despite being forced to miss three games due to a high ankle sprain, he’s still 10th in the league in rushing yards (779) and has found the end zone in three consecutive games. 

Finding his footing once again could be bad news for an elite Dallas defense that, despite some recent strong performances against big-name runners like Dalvin Cook and Saquon Barkley, has struggled against the run this season, as the Cowboys are allowing the ninth-most rushing yards per game (131.9).

“We haven't played these guys so we're spending extra time on (Taylor) in the run game,” McCarthy said. “We not be surprised if he carries it north of 20 (carries) against us."

The Packers fired McCarthy in 2018 as Taylor was in the middle of a 2,000-yard season with the Badgers. But after he scouted Taylor to become a potential addition to Green Bay’s running back room - the Packers ended up selecting AJ Dillon 20 picks after Taylor in the 2020 draft - he’ll now put his head together with coordinator Dan Quinn to find a way to stop Indy’s workhorse runner instead when the Colts and Cowboys kickoff from AT&T Stadium on Sunday at 7:20 p.m. CT.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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