The Indianapolis Colts (8-7) came up incredibly short in a 29-10 loss to the Atlanta Falcons (7-8) on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Entering this game without the services of Michael Pittman Jr. certainly hindered the upside of the offense, but this was one of the worst games the unit put together this season. The offensive line struggled all day in pass protection and failed to get any push in the run game.
Meanwhile, the defense was there simply in spirit from the first drive. The entire unit failed to tackle with any intensity, and some self-inflicted wounds on special teams set the path for a brutal loss on the road.
Here’s our instant analysis from the Week 16 loss:
What went right
- The Colts scored a touchdown on the opening drive, which was easily their best series of the day.
- TE Kylen Granson led the passing game with five receptions on seven targets for 62 yards.
- Rookie TE Will Mallory’s 47 yards are the most of his season since Week 1.
- DE Kwity Paye had a sack, which set the team’s record for the most in a single season during the Indianapolis era.
What went wrong
- The Colts allowed 6.0 sacks and 11 quarterback hits.
- RB Jonathan Taylor averaged 2.4 yards per carry.
- The defense allowed 177 rushing yards, tied for the second most they’ve allowed this season.
- The defense snapped a streak of 19 consecutive games with at least one turnover.
- The offense totaled 262 yards, the second fewest in a game this season.
- Half of the offensive drives, excluding the kneel down before halftime, failed to reach midfield.
The Bottom Line
We can make excuses about the offensive players missing in this game, but the Colts were flat out beaten on Sunday. The Falcons challenged them in the trenches, and the Colts had no answer. The offensive line was bullied throughout the entire game while the defensive line rarely got any pressure on Taylor Heinicke. The Colts failed to take advantage of the other losses in the division and will need to bounce back against a Las Vegas Raiders team at home.
