After earning their first win of the regular season in Week 2, the Indianapolis Colts returned home and faced the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
The Colts had started their season with two consecutive tough road games and a few injuries that changed their lineup. But such things didn’t matter much as Indianapolis defeated the Falcons, 27-24.
Ranging between quarterback Jacoby Brissett’s red-hot start to kicker Adam Vinatieri ending his slump, the Colts (2-1) did more than enough to accomplish a couple of things they hadn’t done since 2013: winning their home opener and producing a 2-1 record.
Here are five takeaways from the Colts’ win:
Jacoby Brissett is clearly becoming more comfortable
Even with his team being at 1-1 and his individual performance being solid, to say the least, there were still some doubters of Brissett entering Sunday’s game. Mentions of his yardage-per-game averages and what his skill set can actually do inspired conversations on social media and through the media.
On Sunday, Brissett silenced the critics. The North Carolina State product completed his first 16 passes in a row against the Falcons and simply looked as comfortable and dominant as any quarterback could be. By the end of the game, Brissett passed for over 300 yards and touchdowns via his 28 completions.
What made be overlooked by those who discuss Brissett’s season thus far is his ability to thrive in crunch time. Over the season’s first three weeks, he has been responsible for three fourth-quarter touchdown drives, with all of them ending in a touchdown pass within the final eight minutes.
T.Y. Hilton is ‘Mr. Reliable’
If there’s anything that was already proven about Hilton but not noticed by many, it’s his dependability. Hilton is arguably off to the best start of his career.. By producing eight catches for 65 yards and one touchdown against the Falcons, the man that is also known as “Ghost” now has 20 catches, 195 yards and four touchdowns for the season.
Regardless of the situation, it always seems like Hilton will step up to the occasion and do what he’s done best.
Struggling to defend a red-hot Matt Ryan
Even though he was struggling with turnovers and pass protection, the Colts defense couldn’t take Ryan lightly. The Falcons’ star quarterback is always more than capable of finding his rhythm and taking over the game. In fact, that is what happened on Sunday.
After getting off to a slow start against the Colts, including throwing a terrible red-zone interception, the 2016 NFL MVP would come to his senses. Over the course of the second half, Ryan led the Falcons on three consecutive touchdown drives after Atlanta was held to three points in the first half.
Ryan finished Sunday’s game by completing 29 out of 34 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns.
You can contain Julio for only so long
When it comes to defending against great players, the thought is to contain them because you won’t stop them. Great players will always find ways to make plays. And for the Colts, they were tasked with defending Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones on Sunday.
Even though Jones’ name was rarely mentioned in the first half, that quickly changed over the game’s final 30 minutes. Regardless of the down, distance and coverage, the superstar receiver made the most of his remaining targets and outplayed the Colts secondary, securing eight catches for 128 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Adam Vinatieri’s slump comes to an end
Among the many things that sparked in-depth conversations related to Colts football, it still amazes me Vinatieri’s kicking was high on that list. The future Hall of Famer had endured a very rare and terrible kicking slump dating back to last season, and caused those to deeply wonder about his future with the Colts.
Well, at least for one Sunday, all seemed right again as Vinatieri made all five of his attempts against the Falcons: two field goals, including a 49-yarder, and three extra points. The 24th-year veteran went through this entire week, describing Sunday’s game as a huge one for him, and he played like it.
