The Indianapolis Colts (8-2) traveled to Berlin on Sunday for the NFL’s first game in Germany’s capital city, overcoming obstacles to conquer a strong Atlanta Falcons (3-6) team in a 31-25 overtime victory. The lead exchanged hands three times in the fourth quarter and overtime, with a combined 26 points scored in that time frame. In the end, it was Jonathan Taylor who lifted the Colts to victory with an eight-yard touchdown in the extra period.
The weaknesses of Indianapolis, particularly defensively, were continually taken advantage of by the arsenal of weapons Atlanta employs. Even so, the powerful legs of Taylor and clutch pass-catching ability of Tyler Warren allowed the Colts to generate enough production to win overseas.
Available to the Atlanta Falcons are a collection of young and talented offensive skill position players, which were utilized marvelously in Berlin. The clear weaknesses of the Colts defense were exploited by the likes of Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Kyle Pitts Sr. and Drake London.
Among the noticeable weaknesses of the Indianapolis defense was the absence of star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who is tremendous at defending the run. Earlier in the week Buckner was placed on injured reserve with an apparent neck injury. As a result, the Falcons were frequently able to burst through the trenches in the run game. Running backs Robinson and Allgeier combined for 28 carries for 141 yards. Allgeier recorded two touchdowns and the pair averaged more than five yards per carry.
Through the air Michael Penix Jr. was not incredibly accurate, but the Falcons benefited from receivers like Pitts Sr. and London finding open space against a depleted pass defense unit. Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson engineered favorable matchups throughout the game, such as London pairing off with a linebacker of inferior size and speed. Penix Jr. was able to locate the 6’4 receiver for substantial gains on multiple occasions.
Penix Jr. completed 12 of 28 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown. London hauled in six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown and Robinson led the way on the ground with 17 carries for 84 yards.
Nonetheless, the Colts secondary appeared to achieve more success with former Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner on the team, who was traded from New York for a pair of first round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. With Gardner on the field, the Colts were able to extend their coverage of opposing receivers deeper into the development of pass plays. In turn, provided the pass rush with more time to reach the quarterback. The presence of Gardner in part contributed to the three sacks accumulated by Indianapolis on the day.
The Falcons pass rush was extremely effective in their own right, totaling a whopping seven sacks and nine tackles for a loss, with seven hits on the quarterback as well. Two of those sacks occurred during the final Colts drive of regulation, nearly knocking Indianapolis out of field goal range and into a defeat.
Bailing the Colts out in response to those sacks was the awareness and composure of Daniel Jones. Following the first sack of that final drive, Jones scrambled for a 19-yard gain on third-and-21. Had Jones forced a pass or been indecisive for an extended period of time, the play may have ended poorly, pushing victory effectively out of reach of the Colts. Instead, Jones scrambled and extended the drive that would later force overtime.
Indianapolis turned the ball over twice, missed two kicks, converted on only two of their 12 third downs and allowed Jones to be sacked seven times. It does not require much football experience to conclude that the amalgamation of those shortcomings is a recipe for defeat.
Combatting that notion and leading the charge to a Colts victory was Taylor, the league’s leading rusher. The Indianapolis running back rushed 32 times for 244 yards and three touchdowns, including the victory sealing score in overtime. Taylor averaged a formidable 7.6 yards per carry, in part because of his 83-yard touchdown run that stole the lead from Atlanta in the fourth quarter.
Taylor’s 32 carries for 244 yards and three scores paired well with the precision of Jones, who completed 19 of 26 passes for 255 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Jones’ primary target was Warren, who caught eight passes for 99 yards and again markedly rewarded the front office for selecting him in the first round of the NFL draft. 33 of his yards were gained on a crucial catch in overtime, which set up the five consecutive handoffs to Taylor that resulted in the walk-off score.
“It’s really just the mindset of understanding the situation,” Taylor said, “Understanding what it’s going to take to win the game… and when you see that opportunity you’ve got to seize it.”
If the Colts are going to win a Super Bowl in the 2025-26 season, the frailty of their defense must be remedied by the gradual return of productive players to the starting lineup. The trade for Gardner at the deadline greatly supplemented the defense, but there is still much to be desired with multiple key players sidelined.
Nonetheless, the hard-fought and momentum restoring win in Berlin will serve Indianapolis well as the Colts head into their bye week. The week off will allow the team to further recover from injury and take a breath before the treacherous back half of its schedule resumes.
“We went through some adversity there in that game,” Steichen said. “But we just kept fighting and kept swinging the whole way, so it was great to finish the game.”
The Atlanta Falcons are next in action in their own building as they host a division rival in the Carolina Panthers at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The Colts will return to the field after their bye week to face the Chiefs in Kansas City on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. ET.
There are flaws to be resolved, but the Indianapolis Colts earned their eighth win of the season ahead of a bye week, and eventually a meeting with the three-time defending AFC champions. Once the regular season concludes and postseason tiebreakers are applied, Colts fans will undoubtedly look back upon narrow and plucky victories like this one with gratitude.
