FULL SCORE
Michael Baca’s delivery:
- Taylor carries the Colts late against the Falcons. Overwhelmed by a defensive problem, a turnover tendency and numerous third-down mistakes on Sunday, the Colts turned to their star running back to snap them out of a performance that would lead to their first losing streak of the season. Jonathan Taylor delivered, produced 113 rushing yards in the fourth quarter and added another 35 yards in overtime — including his game-winning 8-yard touchdown run — to put Indianapolis back in the win column. It was a fitting end for Taylor, who finished with a career-high 244 rushing yards and found the end zone three times. To get to OT, JT produced the play of the game in the fourth quarter on a thrilling 83-yard TD run, which now stands as the longest run of the season. The Colts RB first appeared to be bottled up at the line of scrimmage before breaking out of a group of bodies, then sprinting left and up the sideline with frustrated Falcons defenders in his wake. The game immediately ended a frustrating stretch for a Colts team that hadn’t had a touchdown since the beginning of the quarter. In overtime, the Colts’ defense needed to stop the Falcons’ first possession, and Zaire Franklin came up big with a 2-yard tackle for loss and a big sack on third down to force a punt. Tyler Warren delivered a big 23-yard reception to put the Colts within a field goal, but it was Taylor who sealed the deal on the ground — making him the Colts’ all-time leader in rushing TDs. Taylor, who added 42 receiving yards, may have also pushed his case for an MVP season in the process.
- Falcons waste a lot of pass rush. Atlanta’s pass rush wreaked havoc on the Colts, producing 16 pressures on 39 dropbacks for seven sacks while forcing two turnovers. It was a winnable effort against the league’s top offense, but a poor offensive showing ultimately prevented the Falcons from getting out of Berlin with an upset. Michael Penix Jr. had a rough day through the air, completing just 42.9% of his passes (12 of 28; 177 yards) while being sacked three times and losing a run on one of those occasions. Some whiff of pressure caused the Falcons’ second-year QB to flush out of the pocket, only to either throw it away or run for a small gain. Even when he had time to throw, Penix struggled to consistently hit his targets in composure — his biggest miss came in the first half when he threw under. Kyle Pitts for sure TD. The Falcons gained 140 yards at a healthy rate (4.8 YPC), allowing room for the passing game to take advantage. Penix saw success in targeting Drake Londonwhich caught Penix’s only TD pass and came away with a 2-point conversion late in the fourth quarter, but it was hard to connect elsewhere. The Colts conceded on third down by taking London away, and the Falcons failed to convert in all eight of those situations. While the Falcons defense wasn’t perfect — Jonathan Taylor rushed for 228 yards after a touchdown — Penix picked a bad time to have a bad day.
- Offense issues persist for the Colts. If it hadn’t been for Jonathan Taylor’s spectacular night in Berlin, it’s likely the Colts would have been taking the long flight home while riding their first losing streak of the season. Daniel Jones was roughed up by the Falcons, and Atlanta’s constant pressure forced unnecessary mistakes, most notably his interception at the end of the first half. It also could have been worse, as two of Jones’ three runs on the day were indeed recovered by the Colts. Jones finished 19 of 26 passing for 255 yards with one TD and the pick, but despite seeing better days through the air, the Colts QB blew out the win, evidenced by the bloody mouth he played with when he led a field goal late in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime. Jones’ 53 rushing yards (seven attempts) often came in big moments for a team that also struggled in key situations (2 of 12 on third down; 2 of 4 on fourth down). Indianapolis certainly has some things to work on, including defense, ball security and penalty kill issues. A bye in Week 11 is an opportune time to do so as the Colts enter their final game of the season as legitimate contenders.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Falcons-Colts (via NFL Pro): Jonathan Taylor rushed for 228 yards after a touchdown in Berlin, the only game since at least 2017 with more than 200. Taylor forced 11 fumbles and gained 165 extra yards, the most of any player this season.
NFL Research: Jonathan Taylor joined Jim Brown, Adrian Peterson and Derrick Henry as the only RBs with multiple career games with 200-plus rushing yards and 3-plus rushing TDs. Taylor’s 286 yards Sunday are the most by a player in Colts history, surpassing Marshall Faulk’s 267-yard game in Week 13, 1998.