4 Winners, 3 Losers From Colts' Loss to Falcons: Rookie WR Stands Out

The Indianapolis Colts had little to write home about in their 34-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday, but a handful of players did positively stand out.

The Colts had more losers than they did winners, with position groups as a whole being questioned throughout, so instead of touching on each individual who had an uninspired performance, we're narrowing it down to the team's three biggest losers.

Follow along as I break down each winner and loser of the Colts' brutal preseason loss against the Atlanta Falcons.

Winners

Cam Taylor-Britt

The Colts could have an all-star starting cornerback in Sauce Gardner, Charvarius Ward Sr., and Justin Walley, but don't sleep on Cam Taylor-Britt.

Taylor-Britt exited training camp as the de facto CB4 who can slide in at nickel or boundary cornerback if called up, and only continued that upward trajectory during the Colts' preseason loss to the Falcons.

He had four tackles (three solo) against Atlanta on Saturday, and his impressive run fits and sticky coverage looked exactly like each of the practices at Grand Park over the past few weeks of training camp.

Lou Anarumo welcomed Taylor-Britt back to defense after their years together with the Cincinnati Bengals, and it appears that

Spencer Shrader

The Colts' kicking competition between veterans Blake Grupe and Spencer Shrader has taken a wildly interesting turn.

Grupe exited training camp as the clear favorite to win the team's starting placekicker job after he made 90% of his practice kicks, and Shrader just barely eclipsed a 70% rate.

It's felt like Grupe's job to lose, and after two preseason games, that reality may be setting in.

Spencer Shrader is now 4-for-4 on field goal attempts through two preseason games after going 2-for-2 with a long of 53 yards in the Colts' loss to the Falcons. On the other hand, Grupe missed a 36-yard attempt in the same game and now falls to 0-for-2 on such kicks during preseason play.

It'll be fascinating to see how STC Brian Mason decides to judge their overall performances, because Shrader's ability on gamedays may just give him the edge after all.

Deion Burks

The Colts' last pick (7th-round, 254th overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft, wide receiver Deion Burks, had an intriguing showing against the Atlanta Falcons.

Burks was viewed as a potential draft steal early on, but had been quiet throughout training camp. With Alec Pierce's extended absence opening the door for the Colts' wide receiver room, the hope was that Burks would shine brightly in an otherwise dark situation, but even with increased usage, he struggled to prove himself.

Against the Falcons, Burks had just four receptions for 19 receiving yards, but proved to be a reliable option regardless. There were also two penalties by teammates that hurt Burks' day: an offensive penalty that wiped out a strong first-down reception, and one on special teams that took back a strong kick return.

Burks didn't have an all-time statistical performance that suggests he's a lock for the team's final roster spot at wide receiver, but he still showed the biggest increase in stock of anyone on the roster.

Jaylon Carlies

Injuries and a new defensive scheme have prevented third-year linebacker Jaylon Carlies from establishing himself as a starting NFL linebacker, but so far throughout the preseason, and specifically as of recently, he's come along nicely.

Carlies exited Colts training camp on a high note, with consecutive practices as the defense's starting linebacker suggesting that an unforeseen emergence could be in order.

He had stacked strong practice performances throughout the last week of training camp, and particularly during the Colts' two-day joint practice with the Falcons, and looked to be a leader for the defense's opening at starting linebacker.

Carlies continued his newfound consistency on Saturday against the Falcons, leading the team with six tackles (five solo). Rookies CJ Allen and Bryce Boettcher have had moments of their own throughout training camp, but recently, it seems like Jaylon Carlies is earning a starting spot before our eyes.

Losers

Jaylahn Tuimoloau

The Colts have been betting on second-year defensive end Jaylahn Tuimoloau to take a massive step forward to earn the starting role opposite budding star Laiatu Latu.

Although Tuimoloau shined early in training camp, he has since been a mainstay reserve option. Veteran Arden Key has all but shored up the starting spot in question, and that's hardly due to his positive play, but rather because Tuimoloau has done nothing to suggest he's worth betting on as a first-time, full-time starter in his second season.

Tuimoloau has shown little to nothing in pass rush against backup pass protectors through two games of preseason play thus far, but it's his poor showing in run defense that is most concerning.

Mekhi Blackmon

The Colts traded a 6th-round pick for cornerback Mekhi Blackmon during last year's preseason to bolster their cornerback room.

Blackmon started in eleven games for the Lou Anarumo's Colts defense in 2025 and had some promising moments throughout, but it's been a completely different story through two preseason games ahead of the 2026 regular season.

Blackmon had two coverage infractions against the New England Patriots in the team's preseason opener, and that continued in Saturday's game against the Atlanta Falcons.

He's clearly in his head at this stage of the preseason, which is bad for any professional athlete, but especially for an NFL cornerback. Teams are targeting him early and often through two preseason games, and such poor play begs the question: Will Mekhi Blackmon make the initial 53-man roster?

Riley Leonard

Colts' second-year quarterback Riley Leonard has been neck and neck with Anthony Richardson throughout the summer as they battle for the QB2 role behind Daniel Jones, but the two preseason games so far suggest that he's losing ground.

Richardson clearly outshined Leonard during the Colts' preseason opener against the New England Patriots last week, but this week was much different given that both quarterbacks struggled behind an atrocious offensive line.

Neither Leonard nor Richardson had a statistically promising showing against the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday, but the former especially struggled.

Leonard went 7-for-14 for 62 passing yards during his first-half run with the Colts' second-team offense, and for the most part looked lost against the Falcons.

He was given an opportunity to bounce back in a big way this week, but another lackluster showing suggests that he's slipping out of favor in the Colts' QB2 decision.

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