Falcons Defense Admits They Gave Up on Big Jonathan Taylor Score

The Atlanta Falcons defenders admitted that the effort wasn't always there against Jonathan Taylor in Berlin

Jonathan Taylor ran circles around the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons fell 31-25 to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, undone by a historic performance from running back Johnathon Taylor. Taylor gashed Atlanta’s defense for 244 yards on the ground, averaging over seven yards a carry, and scoring three touchdowns.

 His biggest moment came late in the fourth quarter, when he took an 83-yard sprint to the house, which now stands as the longest run of the 2025 season. That distinction previously belonged to Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, who had an 81-yard run against the Buffalo Bills in Week 6.

But this weekend, it was Taylor’s run, and the Falcons' lack of urgency, that told the story. Several defenders appeared to give up on the play, despite it being a one-score game with just over six minutes remaining.

“His [Taylor’s] longest run really came on something where a lot of guys stop playing, myself included,” inside linebacker Kaden Elliss revealed after the game. “And so, that’s just unacceptable for us as a defense. Go until you hear the whistle. That’s something that’s been preached since we were little, so that’s what we got to do.”

On the run, Taylor ran up the middle and seemed to be wrapped up a few yards past the line of scrimmage. He was not, and he bounced out to his left towards the sideline. The only defender with a legitimate angle on Taylor was cornerback A.J. Terrell, who could not make the tackle. With that, Taylor was out in space with blockers in front; nothing was going to stop him from scoring.

The lack of effort on a potential MVP candidate in Johnathon Taylor during a close game in the fourth quarter is concerning, especially with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich highlighting how dangerous the back is before the game started.

“Every time I’ve gone against him, [Taylor], he’s given me nightmares,” Ulrbich said last week. 

However, rookie linebacker Jalon Walker shed some more light on the play, even though the Colts players thought that Taylor had been stopped.

“Everybody relaxed,” Walker said on the 83-yard touchdown. “Even the Colts relaxed.”

But that can’t be an excuse. The Falcons have been talking about winning one game and getting a domino effect started, but in a crucial moment of a winnable game, the defense didn’t play until the whistle. The Falcons continue to insist their close, that one win can turn the season around. But moments like Johnathon Taylor’s 83-yard touchdown run tell a different story. It wasn’t about scheme or talent; it was about effort.