Falcons Lead Colts at Halftime in Taylor Heinicke's Return as Defense Stars
The Atlanta Falcons (6-8) carry a 13-7 lead over the Indianapolis Colts (8-6) at halftime of Sunday's game inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Indianapolis seized momentum early, converting a pair of third-and-long's en route to a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Running back Jonathan Taylor capped off the series with a one-yard rushing score
But Atlanta, which started Taylor Heinicke at quarterback after benching 12-game starter Desmond Ridder, started off strong offensively, marching 75 yards on five plays as Heinicke found tight end Kyle Pitts for a 24-yard touchdown.
This hot offensive start quickly subsided, as the next five possessions - three from the Colts, two from the Falcons - ended in punts.
Dec 24, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive end Kwity Paye (51) works to bring down Atlanta Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke (4) during a game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Credit: Bob Scheer-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta turned the tide on its fourth drive, as Heinicke led a 14-play, 68-yard drive that was nearly stopped by Younghoe Koo's missed 49-yard field goal, extended by a Colts penalty, and ultimately ended in frustration as Falcons rookie running back Bijan Robinson was out of bounds on a would-be touchdown reception.
Still, the Falcons tacked on 3 points, as Koo made a 23-yard field goal to snap his streak of three consecutive misses, giving the home team a 10-7 lead inside of four minutes to play before half.
Atlanta's defense responded by forcing its fourth consecutive punt, a stretch in which Indianapolis mustered only 47 total yards of offense across 21 plays.
The Falcons' offense responded with an eight-play, 46-yard drive that ended in a 47-yard field goal from Koo to take a 13-7 halftime lead.
In personnel news, the Falcons once again started rookie safety DeMarcco Hellams and veteran nickel corner Mike Hughes, with the duo getting starts over Richie Grant and Dee Alford, respectively.
Elsewhere, rookie defensive end Zach Harrison, who recorded his first career sack last week, notched another against the Colts.
Heinicke went 16 of 22 for 171 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Robinson led all weapons with 10 total touches for 65 yards. Pitts concluded the first 30 minutes with three catches for 50 yards.
Atlanta is set to receive the kickoff to start the second half.
