Indianapolis Professional Football Team looks to jump-start Jonathan Taylor against winless Titans
Jonathan Taylor has not rushed for 100 yards in 12 consecutive games as the Indianapolis Professional Football Team prepares to host the winless Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, the team said in its Week 6 preview. The team noted one bright matchup trend: Indianapolis Professional Football Team has won its last six meetings with Tennessee and averaged 160.7 rushing yards per game in those victories. Head coach Shane Steichen said Taylor makes big plays when he reaches the second and third level and can break arm tackles, which is where the team expects the explosive runs to come.
Taylor has produced strong numbers in recent matchups with Tennessee, totaling 218, 102 and 153 yards and nine total touchdowns in his last three meetings. He enters Week 6 averaging 3.9 yards per carry, down from a 4.8-yard career mark. Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said the team is focused on improving play and coaching and on the daily process to get better results running the football.
Next Gen Stats shows defenders hit Taylor at or behind the line of scrimmage on 47.5 percent of his rushing attempts, the seventh-highest rate in the NFL. The team said defenders stopped him for zero or fewer yards on 17.8 percent of his runs, a figure slightly below his career average. The team also emphasized that the NFL run game is an 11-man effort and that execution and blocking up front are critical to creating explosive rushing plays.
The preview highlighted schematic shifts opponents have deployed to slow the run. Indianapolis Professional Football Team faced stacked boxes (eight or more defenders) at the ninth-lowest rate in 2025 (20.4 percent) but is seeing stacked boxes at the ninth-highest rate this season (27.7 percent). The team said no club in 2026 has faced a lower rate of light boxes (six or fewer defenders) than Indianapolis Professional Football Team (20.4 percent), which limits opportunities for chunk runs.
NFL Sports Blog Take
This matchup gives the Indianapolis Professional Football Team a favorable chance to snap Taylor’s 12-game 100-yard drought given his history against Tennessee. He has totaled 218, 102 and 153 yards and nine touchdowns in his last three meetings with the Titans, but opponents are meeting him at or behind the line at an unusually high clip this season. The team will need cleaner execution and better blocking to create lighter boxes and the seams that produce chunk runs. If Indianapolis can generate those holes, Taylor can regain momentum before tough road games at Minnesota and Jacksonville.