INDIANAPOLIS – Jonathan Taylor scored an eight-yard touchdown in overtime to lift the Indianapolis Colts to a 31-25 win over the Atlanta Falcons at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on Sunday.
Taylor had a monster day on the ground, gaining 244 yards and scoring three touchdowns as the Colts are now 8-2 and in the top spot in the AFC heading into the bye next weekend.
In a back-and-forth game, Taylor put the Colts ahead with just over six minutes to go with an 83-yard touchdown. The TD run was the longest of his career and broke the franchise record for rushing touchdowns previously held by Hall of Famer Edgerrin James.
Atlanta responded with a 71-yard, 9-play drive to re-take the lead on a Tyler Allgeier one-yard touchdown run. Michael Penix hit Drake London for the two-point conversion to make the game 25-22 with 1:44 to play.
The Colts then used a 49-yard Ameer Abdullah kick return, a Daniel Jones 19-yard scramble, and a fourth-down conversion to Tyler Warren to set up a Michael Badgley game-tying 44-yard field goal to force overtime. This was capped off with Taylor’s 3rd touchdown of the game.
The game did not begin the way the Colts were hoping for as the Indianapolis offense turned the ball over on downs to start the game, but the defense gave the team a spark as safety Cam Bynum hit Penix and knocked the ball loose. Linebacker Germain Pratt recovered and advanced the ball to the Atlanta 23-yard line.
The Colts took advantage of the good field position, scoring in two plays: an Ashton Dulin 22-yard run and a Taylor one-yard touchdown run. Badgley missed the extra point to keep the game, 6-0.
The Falcons answered with a five-play, 81-yard drive, capped by a one-yard Allgeier TD run and a Zane Gonzalez extra point to put Atlanta on top, 7-6.
The Colts regained the lead right back with another two-play touchdown drive. Taylor had a 28-yard run, then Jones connected with Alec Pierce for a 37-yard touchdown.
Indianapolis had a chance to extend the lead, but Badgley missed a 53-yard field goal. The teams exchanged punts before the Falcons found the endzone again. Penix found London for a 16-yard touchdown and Gonzalez converted the extra point to put Atlanta on top, 14-13.
The Colts looked to put a drive together at the end of the half, but Jones was intercepted by Jessie Bates to keep the game 14-13 at halftime.
The Indianapolis offense sputtered at the start of the second half, as Jones was strip-sacked and then turned the ball over on downs after Taylor was dropped for a two-yard loss on 4th-and-1 at the Falcons’ 7-yard line.
Atlanta added to the advantage with a 43-yard Gonzalez field goal, before the Colts finally got on the scoreboard again in the fourth quarter with a Badgley 34-yard field goal to make the game 17-16 with nine minutes to play.
Cornerback Sauce Gardner made his Colts’ debut after a blockbuster trade on Tuesday sent the all-pro defensive back to Indianapolis from the New York Jets. He had a near-interception of Penix in the second half.
The Colts are now on their bye week and will play again on November 22 against the Kansas City Chiefs.