ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Bills defense has faced their fair share of talent, but this weekend may be one of their toughest tests yet as they prepare for one of the best NFL running backs in Jonathan Taylor.
"He can do it all," safety Micah Hyde said. "He's fast, he's strong, he can catch the ball in the backfield, he's just a huge weapon for them and he definitely stands out on tape."
"He's probably the hardest runner we've seen all season," safety Jordan Poyer added. "He breaks a lot of tackles. He's gonna be a task and we're gonna have to play well."
Taylor is off to a great 2021 season in which he leads the league in rushing yards [937] on 161 attempts, and is 3rd in rushing touchdowns [9]. His success is also a big factor in the Colts' overall performance, as they've never lost a game this season in which he's surpassed 100 yards on the ground.
"He's got size, power, vision, balance, and home-run speed," head coach Sean McDermott said. "It's hard to find all those traits in one back and he's got them all."
Taylor's speed and ability to shake off tackles is what separates him from a lot of running backs. Nine of his rushes have gone for more than 20 yards and he's typically called upon when the team needs to extend a drive, leading the league with 54 rushing 1st downs.
"We'll have to work real hard as a staff to come up with a plan to slow this offense down and hopefully minimize the number of explosive plays that they get," defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said.
"We've got to play with good integrity on defense, good discipline on defense, executing on a high level," added McDermott.
The Bills run defense has faced a big talent on the ground before, giving up a monster game to Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans in week six. Their overall run defense though has been among the best in the league, ranked 3rd when it comes to yards allowed and yards per carry.
"Those guys are really solid. They're playing well at this point," Taylor said. "Those guys are doing a great job at providing turnovers and we need to be great this week at protecting the football."
The Bills defense limited Taylor to just 78 yards on 21 attempts in last season's playoff game held in Buffalo. Taylor remembers that feeling of having their championship hopes dashed earlier than they wanted and related that experience to how he prepares this season.
"At times during hard workouts when you're coming toward the end and you have to say I have to finish strong," Taylor said. "Just thinking about that feeling, being able to do whatever it takes to burst through this line on this last rep and do whatever it takes because we didn't get the win last year."
It's no question the Bills defense will be keying in on Taylor this coming weekend when the Bills host the Colts Sunday at 1 p.m.
