Tune in to watch the Atlanta Falcons take on the Indianapolis Colts at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday in a historic matchup at Olympic Stadium in Berlin. This will be Berlin’s first time hosting a regular-season NFL game.
The historic game is available exclusively on NFL Network and NFL+. Sign up for NFL+ for access to games all season long, NFL Network, and more.
The Colts are the unexpected success of this year’s season -- at 7-2 they are tied for the most wins entering Week 10 and lead the league in several offensive categories. And, as of Tuesday’s trade deadline, their defense got a big lift when Indy traded for two-time All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner.
Gardner is currently in the league's concussion protocol, but Colts head coach Shane Steichen told reporters on Wednesday that he would play Sunday in Berlin if cleared, and he was a full participant in practice later that same day.
The Falcons, however, have encountered the highs and lows of any average football season. Despite beating the Buffalo Bills handily in Week 6, they got shut out 30-0 by the Panthers in Week 3 and can’t seem to play consistently. Their fate in this game is much harder to predict. With that said, here are three major storylines to follow heading into this cross-conference matchup.
Three must-know storylines
1) Colts' Week 9 loss: Outlier or omen?
It’s no secret that the Colts had a rough outing against Pittsburgh in Week 9. Jonathan Taylor posted a season-low 45 rushing yards, the fewest he’s had in a game since Week 12 of last season, and Daniel Jones had three interceptions and five sacks. The Steelers were able to shut down Taylor early on, which proved to be fatal for an Indianapolis offense that thrives off his explosive runs and play-action schemes (the Colts rank first in the NFL in play-action pass attempts). Without the ability to execute these schemes, Jones was forced to shoulder the load, and the Colts offense suddenly looked frantic. This week, they’re up against an Atlanta defense that has allowed the second-fewest yards and the fourth-lowest success rate to offenses running play-action, so they have their work cut out for them to get creative. That said, they’ve accomplished the unthinkable this year and deserve the benefit of the doubt here. Until the Colts prove that last week’s shortcomings are a habit and not a one-off, it seems premature to make any massive declarations about an impending downfall.
2) Is this Bijan Robinson’s get-right game?
Atlanta is on a three-game losing skid right now after their monster win over Buffalo in Week 6 during which Bijan Robinson rattled off 238 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. Since then, the Falcons haven’t been able to get Robinson going with the same vigor, and he’s averaging just 78.7 scrimmage yards per game. In fact, in games in which Robinson has fewer than 150 scrimmage yards, the Falcons are 0-5. That is how heavily Atlanta's success hinges on Robinson. However, this week, Robinson is facing a Colts defense that has allowed the seventh-most rushing yards and third-most explosive runs to opposing running backs. The Falcons have shown they can put all the pieces together at times, but they’ve failed to do so consistently. A win here would be huge heading into the back half of the season, but they have got to find a way to get Robinson going.
3) How will Sauce Gardner impact Colts’ defense?
The addition of Sauce Gardner gives the Colts a cornerstone in their secondary. The former Defensive Rookie of The Year has allowed a 52.4% completion rate in coverage since entering the NFL in 2022, which ranks No. 3 among cornerbacks in that time (minimum 175 targets). His numbers in the Aaron Glenn era are not as impressive, but the Colts -- whose secondary needs help -- will benefit greatly from his coverage prowess and ability to disrupt passes. He will also help fill the void left by Charvarius Ward, who has played just four games this year. Entering Week 10, the Colts have allowed 244.8 pass yards per game (26th), 28 completions of 20+ yards (T-7th-most), and a 115.3 passer rating on deep passes (7th-most). If he clears concussion protocol and plays this week in Berlin, Gardner will likely line up across from the Falcons’ WR1 Drake London, who is coming off a 118-yard, three-touchdown performance. Get your popcorn ready.