The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in Colts' Win vs. Falcons

The Indianapolis Colts clawed their way past the Atlanta Falcons in an overtime thriller in the first-ever NFL game hosted in Berlin, Germany.

A historic performance from Jonathan Taylor paved the Colts' path to victory, but there were a few other players who stepped up when it mattered most.

Let's take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from Indy's rollercoaster win.

The Good

- Jonathan Taylor

It's never a boring watch when Taylor has the football in his hands. The sixth-year back had his second career game with over 240 rushing yards, becoming the third player in NFL history with two such games.

Taylor scored a hat trick of touchdowns for the fifth time this season, putting him one game away from tying LaDainian Tomlinson's record of six such games in a single season.

Taylor shattered the Colts' rushing touchdown record in 19 fewer games played than Edgerrin James. The way the Colts' star back is playing right now, he'll have a spot in Canton by the end of his career.

- Tyler Warren

Tyler Warren showed off all the facets of his game vs. Atlanta. The rookie tight end finished with 8 receptions for 99 yards, including one clutch fourth-down conversion with under two minutes left to give the Colts an opportunity to tie the game.

Warren came through with a contested 10-yard catch on 4th-and-two from the Falcons' 40-yard line, setting the Colts up in Michael Badgley's field goal range. Despite tight coverage from Falcons safety Xavier Watts, the rookie got two hands on the ball and bailed the Colts out when it mattered most.

Warren made another big play on the Colts' game-winning drive, coming down with a 23-yard over-the-shoulder catch to set the Colts up in field goal territory once again.

Warren finished as the team's leading receiver and had twice as many receptions as the next closest player, Alec Pierce (4).

-Zaire Franklin

By the end of the day, Colts captain Zaire Franklin had 10 total tackles (2 for loss), 1.0 sack, and 1 QB hit. With DeForest Buckner sidelined, Franklin had to step up as one of the main leaders for Indy's defense, and he did just that.

On the Falcons' overtime drive, Franklin came alive. After Atlanta got a first down through a penalty, the veteran linebacker perfectly timed Atlanta's snap, bulldozing the center and getting behind the line of scrimmage to bring down Tyler Allgeier for a loss.

Two plays later, Franklin was sent in a blitz package to bring down Michael Penix Jr. on 3rd-and-long. Franklin acted like he was rushing to the near side, then cut back the other way and found a wide-open path to the quarterback. Franklin brought down Penix, setting up the Colts' offense for a game-winning drive.

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The Bad

- Daniel Jones' Ball Security

Daniel Jones fumbled three times against the Falcons, but he only lost one. Still, that's far too many times that the Colts' passer has dropped the ball in the pocket over the last two weeks.

Jones must find a way to emphasize ball security behind the line of scrimmage. While some of the blame can certainly be placed on the Colts' offensive line for allowing so many rushers to leak through, Jones needs to have the awareness to tuck the ball and simply take the sack.

It's much easier said than done, but losing fumbles is so costly to momentum that it can't happen for a team that wants to win a Super Bowl. Jones still made a few really nice throws when it mattered most, but he understands that ball security needs to be a priority from here on out.

- Red Zone Conversion Rate

Nov 9, 2025; Berlin, Germany; Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen in action against the Atlanta Falcons during the NFL Berlin Game at Olympic Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Colts finished only two of their four drives that entered the red zone with a touchdown. That doesn't even include Jones' fumble just outside the red zone, or the Colts' first drive that stalled on Atlanta's 27-yard line.

The Colts went for a touchdown on 4th-and-one from the Falcons' 5-yard line late in the third quarter, but Taylor was stuffed on an outside run to the left. The decision to go for it was risky, especially since it was a five-point game at the time. A field goal would have cut Atlanta's lead down to two, but Shane Steichen kept the faith in his offense.

It's demoralizing to have a long drive end without points, but that's been the case multiple times this season. The Colts were on fire in the red zone a few weeks in, but that fire has cooled down.

Steichen must dial in his play calls to give the Colts some more breathing room down the stretch.

The Ugly

- Colts' Pass Protection

Colts offensive lin — Nov 2, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Indianapolis Colts guard Dalton Tucker (68) and center Tanor Bortolini (60) and center Danny Pinter (63) take the field to warm up before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Colts allowed seven sacks to the Falcons, making it 12 sacks allowed over the past two games. It's been a disastrous last couple of weeks for the Colts' front five, but it's better to have bad play happen now than in the postseason.

The Colts' tackles were getting beaten on the outside consistently, and Jones had no other choice but to take a sack sometimes.

As someone who predicted that the Colts' protectors would have a bounce-back game, what happened was anything but.

With a chance to reset in the bye week, the Colts can fully focus on their next opponent: the Kansas City Chiefs.