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Taylor was held out of practice all week and did some light running on the side in Friday's final workout before Jacksonville takes on Houston in a game vital to the 8-6 Jaguars' playoff hopes.
Taylor remains questionable on the injury report, but Taylor and head coach Jack Del Rio -- who had expressed optimism early in the week about Taylor's availability -- now say the veteran runner's status will be a game-time decision.
"We'll take another look at him Sunday before we make a final determination,' Del Rio said on Friday. "Other than that, I'm not going to speculate.'
Taylor has started 46 consecutive games, the longest stretch of healthiness in his seven-year NFL career. If Taylor can't play, Del Rio said rookie Greg Jones would get the bulk of the halfback work in place of Taylor. Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala and LaBrandon Toefield also could see increased playing time.
"We'll use all our guys,' Del Rio said. "Whenever somebody goes down, you need somebody else to step up. That's what teams have to do.'
If Taylor is able to play against the Texans, he said he would wear a knee brace for the first time since a game against Washington in 2000.
"All I can say is, don't count me out,' Taylor said. "This is a huge, huge, huge game.'
And not just for the Jags. Taylor might just as well have been speaking about Fantasy owners relying on him heading into championship contests.
But unlike the Jags, who will have plenty of options going up against a Houston pass defense that's given more touchdown passes than any other in the league, Fantasy owners who go with Taylor will need him to deliver.
The only positive here lies in the early start time and those interested can safely assume I'll have his final game status well before tomorrow's kickoff.