Happy Holidays, Heinicke! Falcons Dominate Colts Behind Defense, Ground Game
Led by a balanced offensive attack and suffocating defensive performance, the Atlanta Falcons (7-8) took a 29-10 victory the Indianapolis Colts (8-7) on Sunday afternoon inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
It's Atlanta's biggest margin of victory under third-year coach Arthur Smith, who's seen the future of his job status grow uncertain amidst a difficult campaign ... but had no such troubles Sunday.
The Falcons turned to Taylor Heinicke at quarterback after a pair of losses, sending incumbent starter Desmond Ridder to the bench - and the result was a stellar offensive showing.
Atlanta finished the afternoon with 406 yards of offense, as Heinicke went 23 of 33 for 229 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions while the Falcons ran for 177 yards on the ground.
Heinicke found tight end Kyle Pitts for a 24-yard touchdown on Atlanta's opening series, giving Pitts a new career-high with three touchdown receptions this season and setting the tone for a stout performance.
Rookie running back Bijan Robinson rushed for 72 yards, second-year pro Tyler Allgeier added 69 yards and veteran Cordarrelle Patterson pitched in another 26 yards.
Robinson added seven catches for 50 yards, giving him a team-high 122 yards from scrimmage.
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) carries the ball against Indianapolis Colts safety Nick Cross (20) during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Defensively, the Falcons limited the Colts to just 262 yards of offense, 59 of which came inside of two minutes when Atlanta was in prevent defense.
Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew went just 20 of 37 for 201 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. Indianapolis rushed for a mere 92 yards on 25 attempts, averaging only 3.7 yards per carry.
Atlanta sacked Minshew some five times, with rookie defensive end Zach Harrison logging two and veteran Calais Campbell added 1.5 more.
Safety Jessie Bates III made his sixth interception this season. Linebackers Kaden Elliss and Nate Landman led the team in tackles with 10 and 9, respectively.
The Falcons are now a half-game out of a three-way tie for the lead of the NFC South and could be tied by night's end, should the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Atlanta returns to action next Sunday, taking on the Chicago Bears at 1 p.m. EST inside Soldier Field.
