4 toughest running backs on Bengals 2023 schedule

Jonathan Taylor - Week 14 (for now, at least)

Like with Henry above, the reason I chose Taylor is mostly due to his reputation as a game wrecker, even though he is coming off a down, injury-shortened season. However, unlike Henry, there isn't much to go off of when it comes to how he's done versus the Bengals.

The Colts have only faced off against the Bengals once since 2020, and that was in his (and Joe Burrow's) rookie season in a game that saw Cincy take a big 21-0 lead in the second quarter-- and then proceed to blow said lead almost immediately.

In that game, Taylor put up a solid, yet not outstanding, performance, rushing for 60 yards on 12 attempts and adding 55 more yards through the air. Again, it's what we've seen him do against other teams that puts his name in this article.

In his rookie season, the former Wisconsin Badger put up over 1,100 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. A promising start for sure, but no one expected him to take the leap he did in year two.

In his sophomore season, Taylor rushed for a league-leading 1,811 yards and a whopping 18 touchdowns on the ground, earning a First-Team All-Pro selection and nearly winning Offensive Player of the Year.

Even in a season where he only played 11 games, Taylor put up commendable numbers, with 861 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, averaging 4.5 Y/A. If he returns to 2021 form this season, the Bengals' defense will have a lot on their plate when the Colts come into town in December. That's assuming that he's not traded by the Colts before the season begins though.