Colts DC Lou Anarumo Focused on Stopping Atlanta Falcons 'Elite Players'

The Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts find themselves on opposite ends of the spectrum as they prepare for their game on Sunday in Berlin.

The Falcons have lost three in a row, falling to 3-5, while the Colts are 7-2 and just sent a message to the NFL of their intention to go for it this year with the acquisition of All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner.

Head coach Shane Steichen and the Colts' offense have deservedly gotten a lot of the headlines in their turnaround season. Quarterback Daniel Jones is experiencing a Sam Darnold-esque re-birth under Steichen, and the Colts lead the NFL with 32.2 points per game.

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However, like Jones, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is in his first season with the Colts, and his impact can be felt on the other side of the ball. The Colts have the league's No. 7 defense by EPA (a metric for overall efficiency), and Gardner should only help.

Anarumo is still wary of the struggling Falcons, having seen running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London individually take over games in recent weeks.

"You've got some elite players there," Anarumo said this week when asked about London and Robinson. "Certainly, they put some of their skill level on display last week with some of the catches they made. The runs that he can make. The catches that London can make, it's a dynamic group for sure."

London had his best day as a Falcon vs. the Patriots last week with three impressive touchdown receptions. Robinson has some impressive catches of his own among his 8 receptions last week.

"He can touch the ball and go the distance at any moment," Anarumo said of Robinson. "We've gotta do a great job. I thought we had a great tackling game last week (vs. Steelers). Certainly going to be paramount this week in order for us to succeed."

Steichen doubled down on Anarumo's sentiments on Wednesday.

"Really talented on both sides of the football," said Steichen. "Offensively, Bijan Robinson is one of the best in the league, doing it at the running back position. Drake London's a helluva receiver; Pitts a helluva tight end. So we've just got to be ready for those guys.

"We're got to tackle," Steichen emphasized. "Bijan Robinson's a helluva runner. His start and stop is elite, his jump cuts. We've got to get him down on the ground, just like every team that goes against him. Make sure we're good on the back end in coverage with the tight end and the receivers they've got, and just play together as a unit."

The Falcons have struggled running the ball in their three losses, not gaining more than 75 yards on the ground. They'll need to establish the run in order to limit the opportunities for the Colts' explosive offense.

Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson believes in what the Falcons are doing in the running game and credits passing the ball in run-pass-option (RPO) plays as skewing the numbers while blaming missed blocks for not getting more yards when they do run the ball.

Either way, Anarumo and Steichen understand they have to contend with Robinson and London if they want to get the win in Berlin.