The Atlanta Falcons seemingly find a new way to lose every week, and that didn’t change as they traveled across the pond to take on the 7-2 Colts.
Indianapolis’ offense — the highest-scoring unit in the NFL — had its way with the Falcons defense from a yardage standpoint, but Atlanta came up with several big fourth-down stops and forced a couple of turnovers to stay in the game. The offense, however, continues to lack any sort of consistency or identity.
The scoring started with a quick two-play, 23-yard touchdown drive capped by a one-yard Jonathan Taylor run. Taylor would go on to have quite the afternoon in his pursuit of MVP consideration. Tyler Allgeier answered with a one-yard touchdown of his own before the Colts retook the lead a few plays later on a 37-yard touchdown strike to Alec Pierce.
It looked like a shootout was brewing, but both defenses settled in during the second quarter. The Falcons forced a punt, a missed field goal, and an interception to end the half while mixing in a touchdown drive of their own to take a one-point lead into the locker room.
A field goal on the opening drive of the second half extended that lead to four, and the defense came through again with a forced fumble — James Pearce Jr. sacking Daniel Jones and Jalon Walker recovering near midfield. It was the perfect chance for Atlanta to take control and perhaps save its season, but a quick three-and-out gave the ball right back. The Colts then marched 83 yards but came up empty after JD Bertrand made a crucial fourth-down stop inside the Falcons’ 10-yard line.
Again, Atlanta had an opportunity to stretch its lead to two possessions, but two more punts followed. Then came the backbreaker — an 83-yard touchdown run from Jonathan Taylor. It was Indianapolis’ first touchdown in three quarters, but because the Falcons offense couldn’t capitalize on numerous chances, the Colts found themselves up five with just over six minutes remaining.
After being dormant for most of the afternoon, Atlanta finally pieced together a competent drive. Michael Penix connected with Drake London and Kyle Pitts for chunk gains, and Allgeier capped it off with his second touchdown of the day. A two-point conversion to London put the Falcons up by three, giving their defense a chance to seal the game with under two minutes left.
Things looked promising after an 11-yard sack made it 3rd-and-21 — but in true Falcons fashion, the defense, which had carried the team all game, broke down. Jones scrambled for 19 yards, then hit a 10-yard completion to set up a game-tying field goal that sent it to overtime.
By that point, it already felt over. The Falcons lost eight yards on their first overtime possession, and their exhausted defense couldn’t hold up any longer. Jonathan Taylor finished them off, running six times for 32 yards, including the game-winning touchdown — his third of the day — as part of a monstrous 244-yard performance.
It was misery yet again for the Falcons, an all-too-familiar feeling over the last eight seasons. There were positives, particularly from Atlanta’s revitalized pass rush, which notched seven sacks against one of the NFL’s best offenses. But the biggest question now is whether the Falcons truly have the right quarterback. Penix finished just 12-of-28 for 177 yards — another underwhelming showing in a string of them — as Atlanta fell to 3-6, with their postseason hopes all but dashed.
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Photo: Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire
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