A week after losing to the NFL’s worst team, the Falcons beat a playoff contender. They followed the awful effort at Carolina with their most complete game of the season.
Still, I couldn’t help but wonder what could have been for the Falcons while watching them handle the Colts on Sunday.
Maybe they would have a couple of more victories if quarterback Taylor Heinicke had started more than three games over Desmond Ridder. Perhaps the Falcons would have finished off more opponents if they’d pressured other quarterbacks the way they did Gardner Minshew. It’s possible the offense wouldn’t have sputtered for weeks if play-caller Arthur Smith had been more dedicated to running the ball like he was against the Colts.
The Falcons were impressive in the 29-10 victory, but it likely will end up being for naught as far as the postseason goes. The Falcons (7-8) had a 13% chance of making playoffs before Sunday’s games, according to the NFL. They increased their chances by only a small amount by beating the Colts (8-7).
The Falcons left Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday hoping to see the Jaguars beat the Buccaneers later in the day. That result would create a three-way tie atop the NFC South among the Falcons, Bucs and Saints. The Falcons finish with games at the Bears and Saints.
“Our main focus was just doing our job and getting a win,” Heinicke said. “I don’t know if I can say this out loud, but obviously we are rooting for the Jags to get the job done, and then we’ll go from there.”
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Falcons might not be looking for help over the final two weeks if Smith had stuck with Heinicke after benching Ridder before the bye week. Against the Colts, Heinecke was all the things that Ridder was not: poised in the pocket, quick with his decisions and, most important, careful with the ball.
Henicke was 23-of-33 passing for 229 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers.
“He kept the offense in rhythm,” Smith said. “We wanted to be aggressive, and he certainly executed the plan. He’s got a lot of experience, and you could feel it. I thought he did a phenomenal job today.”
The Falcons’ defense had a large margin for error for the first time in a while. It didn’t really need it.
The Colts scored a touchdown on the game’s opening drive. Smith said defensive coaches adjusted their calls after Minshew was sharp during that possession. The Colts scored three points over their next seven full possessions, while the Falcons recorded a season-high six sacks, including two on third downs.
“This was probably the most dominant game we’ve had throughout the year, which is great,” Falcons safety Jessie Bates III said. “You want to play these type of games at this type of time. It’s a great win to build off of. We can celebrate, enjoy, have a happy Christmas and then get back to work and go beat the Bears.”
In some ways, the effort against the Colts just makes the loss to the Panthers worse. The Falcons blew a game against the Bucs here two weeks ago, but they still could win the NFC South with a 4-0 finish. The Falcons couldn’t even get a streak started. Ridder’s awful interception led to the 9-7 loss to the Panthers.
That prompted Smith to bench Ridder for the second time this season. Heinicke relieved Ridder during a loss at Tennessee in Week 8 and started the next two games. Heinicke was solid in those games while passing for 498 yards on 74 attempts with three touchdowns and one interception. After the bye week, Smith went back to Ridder, who continued to struggle with turnovers.
Heinicke had only two shaky plays against the Colts. In the second quarter, he tried throwing a short pass under pressure and linebacker Zaire Franklin had a chance at an interception. Heinicke fumbled a snap on the first play after halftime and was fortunate to recover it from a pile. Heinicke otherwise made efficient, winning plays.
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After Bijan Robinson broke off a 37-yard run, Heinicke’s 24-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Pitts tied the score at 7-7. Younghoe Koo made two field goals to stake the Falcons to a 13-7 lead at the half. Tyler Allgeier finished the opening drive of the second half with a 31-yard touchdown run around the right end.
That score staked the Falcons to a 20-7 lead early in the third quarter. The advantage was 23-10 with 14:10 to play. That lead didn’t feel safe because the Falcons have struggled to finish games all season.
They’ve blown fourth-quarter leads in four losses, including last week at Carolina. The Falcons lost games against an unimpressive collection of quarterbacks: rookies Will Levis and Bryce Young, first-year starter Sam Howell and journeymen Joshua Dobbs and Baker Mayfield. Could the Falcons finish strong against the Colts and their middling QB, Minshew?
They did it without much trouble. The visitors failed to score on three full possessions in the fourth quarter with two turnovers on downs and an interception. The Falcons settled for field goals on three fourth-quarter trips inside the Colts’ 25-yard line. That was more than enough points with the defense playing well.
“It feels good just to play complementary football,” Falcons linebacker Arnold Ebiketie said. “The offense went out there and made big plays. It was our job to go out there and stop their offense. That’s something that is our standard.”
It was a fine all-around game for the Falcons. It might have come too late. The Falcons still have a slim chance to win the NFC South. The odds would likely be a lot better if Smith had stuck with Heinicke as the starter and the defense more often finished strong like it did on Sunday.
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