The Colts went international in Week 10 and, in front of a worldwide audience, they did not disappoint.
In matching up against the Atlanta Falcons at Olympic Stadium in Berlin Sunday morning, the Colts had opportunities to both rebound from their Week 9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and make a statement in front of the entire world.
Their 31-25 win in overtime did just that, as Jonathan Taylor's franchise-record 65th career rushing touchdown brought about a fourth-quarter comeback and, in overtime, he came through once more to score the game-winning touchdown, for 66 career rushing touchdowns. Taylor recorded a whopping 286 all-purpose yards on Sunday, with 32 carries for 244 yards (7.6 yards per carry). Sunday was also Taylor's fifth game this season with three total touchdowns.
The Colts struck first, with safety Cam Bynum making the first big play of the game with a blitz around the edge and a massive strip sack on Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.. The turnover put the Colts at the Falcons' own 23-yard line, and a 22-yard run by wide receiver Ashton Dulin placed them just one yard away from the end zone.
The Colts have now forced a turnover in 10 consecutive games (every game so far this season), which is currently the longest active streak in the NFL.
Quarterback Daniel Jones then went to his tried-and-true scorer in running back Jonathan Taylor to push the ball up the middle; the touchdown was Taylor's 64th career rushing touchdown, tying Pro Football Hall of Famer Edgerrin James' franchise record.
Kicker Michael Badgley missed the PAT, however, and the Falcons were able to take the lead on their following possession with a touchdown drive of their own.
The Colts only needed two plays to respond, though – a 28-yard run by Taylor and a 37-yard deep shot to wide receiver Alec Pierce – to retake the lead. Pierce's touchdown, which he brought down through double coverage in the end zone, was his first of the season.
Despite missing defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who was placed on injured reserve on Saturday with a neck injury, the Colts defense held the Falcons scoreless on two consecutive possessions but then gave up a 16-yard touchdown to wide receiver Drake London.
The Colts, however, were unable to score for the remainder of the half. Badgley missed a 53-yard field goal, the Colts were forced to punt after going three-and-out on their next possession and Jones threw an interception with 20 seconds left in the half.
Upon starting the second half with the football, the Falcons moved downfield quickly but were held to a field goal as Bynum and cornerback Jaylon Jones came up with big plays in the red zone.
The Colts were able to quickly reach the red zone on their next possession thanks to a 50-yard kick return from Dulin and 24-yard gain by Taylor, but Jones then took two sacks – the second of which resulted in a turnover after a fumble recovery by the Falcons. It marked Jones' fourth sack and second turnover of the game.
The Falcons went three-and-out on their next drive after a pass breakup by Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner; with just under 10 minutes left in the third quarter, both teams had yet to convert on third down.
The Colts once again were able to reach the red zone but were forced to turn the ball over on downs when Taylor was stopped short of the line to gain; their 14-play, nine-minute drive yielded nothing. The Falcons once again went three-and-out, though, and wide receiver Josh Downs ripped off a 24-yard punt return in an attempt to give the Colts some momentum. Taylor then began to take over, churning out four consecutive runs (including an 18-yard run, bringing him to 100-plus yards on the day) to bring the Colts back into the red zone. From there, though, the Colts were forced to settle for a field goal to make it a one-point game after Jones was sacked for the fifth time.
But after another major stop by the defense, Taylor then did what he has done all season, churning out a career-long 83-yard touchdown run to give the Colts the lead and set a new franchise record for career rushing touchdowns. Taylor eclipsed 200 rushing yards with the run as well, for his third career game with over 200 rushing yards.
The Colts failed to make good on the two-point conversion, though, and the Falcons muscled their way down the field to retake the lead with a touchdown and two-point conversion, 25-22, with just under two minutes remaining.
After a 49-yard kick return by running back Ameer Abdullah to bring the Colts to the Falcons' 48-yard line, Jones was sacked for a sixth time but then scrambled for 19 yards to keep the Colts alive. As the clock wound down, the Colts were forced to call upon Badgley to try and tie the game with a 44-yard field goal attempt, and the kicker delivered.
The game then went to overtime after the Falcons were unable to move the ball in the final 25 seconds of the fourth quarter. The Falcons received the ball to start overtime, but the Colts defense came up big – as it had throughout the game – and held Penix and the Falcons scoreless thanks to a sack by linebacker Zaire Franklin.
A stellar 23-yard reception by Warren brought the Colts into Falcons territory, and Taylor continued to bully his way forward to keep the Colts moving; an 11-yard run brought him to over 220 yards on the day. He then, as was only fitting, was the one to come up with the game-winning touchdown run to seal the game, 31-25, and give the Colts their eighth win of the season.
