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Colts' Best and Worst PFF Grades in Dramatic Win vs. Falcons

These were the best and worst performers for the Indianapolis Colts in their win against the Atlanta Falcons.
Sean Ackerman|
Nov 9, 2025; Berlin, Germany; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) reacts against the Atlanta Falcons during the NFL Berlin Game at Olympic Stadium.
Nov 9, 2025; Berlin, Germany; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) reacts against the Atlanta Falcons during the NFL Berlin Game at Olympic Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts won a nail-biter against the Atlanta Falcons, relying heavily on Jonathan Taylor's explosiveness to grab an eighth win on the season.

The Colts' resolve was tested in their come-from-behind victory, which hasn't happened often for a team with so many blowout wins. Indy relied on its ground game, and it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The game came down to the wire, but the Colts got the job done. Let's take a look at the Colts' Pro Football Focus grades from their Week 10 thriller, first on the offense (minimum 10 snaps).

Colts' Five Highest Offensive Grades

Bernhard Raiman
Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann (79) smiles while walking to warm up Saturday, July 27, 2024, during the Indianapolis Colts’ training camp at Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Raimann had a bounce-back game against the Falcons after allowing two sacks against the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend. Indy's blindside blocker has had a rollercoaster year, but he ranked second on the team with an 88.0 pass block grade in the win.

Taylor's 244-yard, 3-touchdown day fueled the Colts' victory in Berlin. His 26.9 pass block grade was the lowest on the team, but who cares when you have a guy post nearly 300 scrimmage yards?

Bortolini finished as the highest graded run blocker on the team (85.3), and he made a few plays that don't show up on the stat sheet. The second-year center recovered a Taylor fumble, bailing out the Colts' offense early in the first quarter.

Pierce had his first touchdown of the year, hauling in a 37-yard deep ball to take the lead late in the first quarter. He finished the day with 4 receptions for 84 yards and had the second-highest run block grade on the team (83.9).

Nelson was the Colts' highest graded pass blocker (89.3), doing his part to keep Jones safe in the pocket.

Colts' Five Lowest Offensive Grades

Daniel Jone
Nov 9, 2025; Berlin, Germany; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) throws a pass against the Atlanta Falcons during the NFL Berlin Game at Olympic Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Jones had another ugly day in the office, fumbling three times (one lost), throwing an interception, and getting sacked seven times. You can't knock his perseverance, though, as he made a few really nice throws with a blood-soaked mouth to get the Colts downfield when it mattered most.

Downs had his worst game of the season, finishing with one catch for three yards. Downs did have a couple of really nice punt returns, so he still found ways to contribute even though he wasn't getting the ball on offense.

Alie-Cox was targeted once in the win, but he couldn't haul in the catch. He did finish with a 79.1 run block grade, which was the fifth-best mark on the team.

Pittman had a slow day, ending with two catches for 19 yards. He showed up when it mattered, securing a 10-yard grab on third-and-16 to put Michael Badgley in field goal range to tie the game in the fourth quarter.

Dulin saw an increased workload with AD Mitchell gone, and he made the most of it. Dulin had a 22-yard carry and a 50-yard kickoff return to move the ball downfield for the offense.

Colts' Three Best Defensive Grades

Sauce Gardner and Cam Bynum
Nov 9, 2025; Berlin, GERMANY; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) and Indianapolis Colts safety Cam Bynum (0) react against the Atlanta Falcons during the Berlin Game at Olympic Stadium. | Lisi Niesner/Reuters via Imagn Images

Due to the Colts switching up personnel often, only a number of players reached the 10-snap benchmark I've established, meaning we'll only take a look at the three best and three worst defensive grades.

Bynum was the top defender on the day, finishing with five total tackles (one for loss) and his first sack of the season. Bynum ended with the best tackling grade (80.7) and pass coverage grade (66.5) of all defenders with 10-plus snaps.

Gardner nearly had an interception in his debut, but the two-time All-Pro corner made his presence felt against Atlanta. When covering Drake London, Gardner allowed only two catches for 28 yards. Gardner also missed zero tackles.

Latu ended his sack streak against the Falcons, but he was the second-highest graded run defender (70.5) on the team.

Colts' Three Worst Defensive Grades

Grover Stewar
Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart (90) locks arms with Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Eric Johnson II (98) on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, ahead of the game against the Denver Broncos at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With DeForest Buckner out, Stewart and Gallimore had increased responsibilities on the defensive front. The defensive line allowed Falcons backs to combine for 141 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries.

Stewart and Gallimore had the lowest tackling grades on the team. The two combined for four total tackles on the day, but it'll have to get better if the Colts want to take down the Kansas City Chiefs in two weeks.

Blackmon played every defensive snap but one for Indy, finishing with one tackle for loss. He gave up an illegal contact penalty in overtime to give Atlanta a fresh set of downs, but the call was questionable at best.

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Sean Ackerman
SEAN ACKERMAN

Sean Ackerman is the co-Deputy Editor of Indianapolis Colts on SI. Ackerman, a graduate of Western Kentucky University, majored in broadcasting. He's in his third year covering the NFL.

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