When the schedule came out months ago, the Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons’ game immediately caught my eye. Berlin is a city many travelers dream about visiting and for one who appreciates history
and the Colts, it was a no brainer. With plenty of time to arrange finances and develop an itinerary, the trip was set. I knew I would experience history in Berlin, I just didn’t expect to see it on the field from Jonathan Taylor.
Give Taylor his flowers. No one is playing better than he is now. The Colts hold the best record in football, and Daniel Jones has a lot to do with that; Taylor has more though. Where would this team be without him? 286-yards from scrimmage, three touchdowns, and history made as Taylor surpassed Edgerrin James for most rushing touchdowns in franchise history.
In a city in which the Brandenburg Gate, Memorial to the Murdered Jews, the Reichstag, and the Berlin Wall call home, more history was added to the lore. Of course, Berlin’s monuments and memorials hold much more worldly meaning, but to a Colts fan, Sunday’s game was special. It almost didn’t happen, though, as a fateful summer saw Taylor growling on the sidelines holding out for his true worth. Jim Irsay and Chris Ballard recognized his importance and paid the man. Luckily, that too is history because Taylor has earned every penny this year.
A united Germany rose as one in Olympic Stadium, historic in its own right, to wave flags of yellow, black, red, blue, and white to display the American and German flag. Berlin is a city with scars. There is no denying that. The Colts have scars and flaws as well. 8-2 is great, but this team showed there is room for improvement. It is a far cry from the wondering years when this franchise had no direction, however. A vision is starting to take shape.
When the wall between East and West Berlin fell, a vision also had a chance to take shape. That shape is now a beautiful and vibrant city; one that knows its history and where it has been but is using those lessons to move forward. So too can the Colts. Heading into the bye, the offensive line needs to provide better protection and Jones must protect the ball. Learn from the lessons of history to be better.
Currently, Jonathan Taylor is the past, present, and future of this franchise. One day he will end his career for the Colts and will be relegated to history. History is just that; history. Some good, some bad, but mostly benign. It simply was what it was. That is not the case for the city of Berlin or Taylor. One is working to create history to be proud of and move forward from a complicated past. The other has already cemented his place. This cement is still wet, however. Taylor has a chance to harden his legacy into a piece of history that will remain forever.
