5 Colts Victory Strategies Against the Falcons

admin | December 22, 2023 | Other Clubs | No Comments

On Christmas Eve, the Atlanta Falcons will face the Indianapolis Colts at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a cross-conference game.

The Indianapolis Colts are coming off a big win over the Pittsburgh Steelers that vaulted them into the AFC playoff picture. The Atlanta Falcons, on the other hand, are celebrating a crushing loss at the hands of a flat Carolina Panthers club, dropping them to 6-8 and forcing Arthur Smith to make yet another QB change.

Can the Colts improve to 9-6 and get closer to the playoffs? Will the Falcons be able to recover with a more reliable quarterback at the helm? It’s time to discuss the five keys to Indy winning on Sunday.

#1. Blake Freeland Bounce Back

Blake Freeland, a rookie fourth-round pick out of BYU, has had to come into the starting lineup at tackle and face Myles Garrett, Trey Hendrickson, and Aaron Donald, among other notable pass rushers. T.J. Watt, a Steelers sack artist and former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, made Freeland look like he was skating last week.

While right guard Will Fries struggled in pass protection, no one was worse than Freeland in replacement of starter Braden Smith at RT on the day. The following are Freeland’s Pro Football Focus grades from 67 offensive snaps in the 30-13 win:

Pass-Blocking Grade: 34.6
Run Blocking Grade: 35.2
Pressures Allowed: 4 (tied with Fries for team lead)

While the Falcons lack the talent of the aforementioned superstars, they may still exploit a rookie if he is off his game. With Smith likely out again, it appears that Freeland will get the start. Expect him to try to rebound in an easier matchup in the trenches.

#2. Contain Falcon’s Ground Game

The Falcons aren’t very dangerous in the passing game, but they are ninth in the NFL in rushing yards per game (126.4). This is partly due to the backfield duo of youngster Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. Because Atlanta’s passing game has been subpar, they’ve shifted a lot of offensive responsibility to these two.

Robinson had a strong start to his NFL career in Year 1 with 176 rushes for 801 yards (4.6 average) and four rushing touchdowns. He’s also caught 41 catches for 323 yards and three touchdowns. Robinson will likely be the center point, with Taylor Heinicke taking over for Desmond Ridder.

Allgeier is a large power back who has rushed 166 times for 577 yards (3.5 average). He has 13 catches for 89 yards to go along with his rushing totals. While WR Drake London and TE Kyle Pitts can be dangerous, they won’t have the same impact if Atlanta can’t run the ball.

The Colts will need to keep these two from sprinting all over the place. Otherwise, a veteran like Heinicke will transition well and may find chances in London or Pitts.

#3. Take Downfield Shots

Surprisingly, the Falcons are good against offensive passing schemes, ranking tenth with 199.5 pass yards allowed per game. Despite the positive figures, the Falcons have only seven interceptions on the season.

Gardner Minshew, the Colts’ quarterback, must be proactive in this situation. With the news that Michael Pittman Jr. is on his way back, Shane Steichen’s degree of concealment may improve. Even if Pittman is unable to participate, the Colts offense should try to target Alec Pierce or others for downfield shots.

This will weaken the Falcons’ defense and allow for potential ground attacks, which Atlanta has proved to be vulnerable to. Given Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson’s performance against the Steelers, it can only assist matters if superstar Jonathan Taylor can return to the field, as Zack Moss missed another practice and may not put on pads.

#4. Defensive Ends Must Continue Hot Streak

Samson Ebukam (9.5 sacks), Dayo Odeyingbo (8), Kwity Paye (7.5), and Tyquan Lewis (3) have done great work as edge rushers. However, both Ebukam and Odeyingbo are coming off of 1.5 sack performances against the Steelers.

Atlanta has given up 36 sacks this season, and the Colts’ defensive front is looking to capitalize. With 46 points, Indy is presently tied for third in the NFL. This also equals the team sack record for most in a season set during the Indianapolis era (2005). With three games remaining, it appears that this record will be a thing of the past.

The Falcons’ offensive line has been hampered by ailments, with names like LT Jake Matthews (knee) and G Chris Lindstrom (ankle) appearing throughout practice this week. If they aren’t at full strength, the Colts’ ferocious defensive front might feast on Heinicke, who won’t be able to escape the pocket and run as fast as Ridder.

#5. Continue to Run the Ball Heavily

Steichen continued to pummel the Steelers with run after run as the game came to a conclusion. Sermon would have 17 carries for 88 yards and Goodson would have 11 carries for 69 yards, for a total of 28 for 157 yards.

With Taylor on the mend, there might be a lot more of it. The only reason this aim isn’t labeled “Get Taylor 20-plus carries” is that even if Taylor returns, who’s to say he’ll get all of the touches?

Given the Colts’ reserve backs’ performances in the last game, expect Steichen to employ a three-headed strategy to keep the Falcons on their toes defensively, which could open up the previously mentioned deep shots, and vice versa.

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5 Colts Victory Strategies Against the Falcons

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