It was a rough day for Falcons rookie draft picks on Sunday at the Georgia Dome.
Cornerbacks Jalen Collins (second round draft pick) and Akeem King (seventh) had two critical penalties during the Colts’ third-quarter touchdown drive. Running back Tevin Coleman (third round) lost a fumble and was held to 48 yards on 17 carries. And defensive end Vic Beasley (first round) had little impact as a pass rusher in his first game lining up in a different spot.
The penalties on Collins and King were the most costly of the rookie miscues. The Colts faced a third-and-seven at the Falcons’ 31-yard line when quarterback Matt Hasselbeck threw incomplete but Collins was whistled for holding a receiver who wasn’t targeted on the play.
“I felt like I had pretty good coverage but the refs called what they called,” Collins said. “You can’t really do much about that. I’ve just got to come back and play it a little bit better.”
Three plays later, Hasselbeck delivered a pass intended for tight end Dwayne Allen down the right sideline. King made contact without turning back to the ball and was called for a pass interference penalty that gave the Colts a first down at the two-yard line and they scored a touchdown two plays later to pull within 21-14.
Coleman fumbled on the first play of the ensuing drive and the Colts recovered at the Falcons’ 15-yard line. The turnover ended up not hurting the Falcons much because Hasselbeck threw an interception three plays later.
Beasley played extensively on the left side of the “nickel” defensive alignment against the Colts after he’d lined up on the right side in his previous nine games. The hope was that lining up next to defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux would help boost his pass rush but he had no sacks or quarterback hits.
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