Taylor scores game-winning touchdown for Colts in overtime. Odd Andersen / AFP

By The Athletic NFL Staff

Nov. 9, 2025 1:27 pm EST

By Mark Puleo, Josh Kendall and James Boyd

Not even a trip across the Atlantic Ocean could slow Jonathan Taylor’s MVP season. The Indianapolis Colts running back topped 280 total yards, dashed 83 yards for the longest rushing touchdown of the season and powered the Colts to a 31-25 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons in the first-ever NFL game in Berlin.

Playing in the historic Olympiastadion, the Colts’ season of offensive dominance seemed to hit a roadblock in Germany’s capital city as Indianapolis went 40-plus minutes without scoring between the first and fourth quarters. But the final minutes belonged to Taylor, who scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth and the game-winning touchdown in overtime to give the Colts their eighth win.

The victory came nearly one year to the day after Daniel Jones made his final start with the New York Giants in Munich, a two-interception performance after which he was benched. While last year’s Giants fell to 2-8 with Jones’ struggles, this year’s Colts improved to 8-2 with Jones despite the Falcons’ dominant pass defense sacking him seven times, picking him off in the first quarter, strip-sacking him in the third and leaving him with a bloodied mouth in the fourth.

The Falcons will return stateside frustrated after spoiling a late fourth-quarter lead and another dominant game from wide receiver Drake London, who tallied six receptions for 104 yards, a touchdown and the late two-point conversion to give them a three-point lead with less than two minutes to play. However, in the final minute, Colts kicker Michael Badgley made up for his two earlier misses with an equalizer from 44 yards to send the game to overtime, where Taylor won it on an eight-yard rumble.

Atlanta fell to 3-6 with the loss and will face Carolina next weekend.

Taylor comes up clutch

The Colts entered Sunday’s game averaging a league-high 32 points per game, but for the second straight week, Indianapolis’ offense was unable to find a consistent rhythm — until it mattered most.

In overtime, Taylor delivered the knockout, spearheading the Colts’ seven-play, 57-yard drive for the walk-off win. He finished with 32 carries for 244 yards and three touchdowns, marking the third 200-yard rushing game of his career.

The two-time Pro Bowler broke free for an 83-yard TD — the longest in franchise history — to give the Colts a 22-17 lead in the fourth quarter. That highlight-reel run gave Taylor, who’d already scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter, 65 career rushing TDs, one more than Hall of Famer Edgerrin James for the most in franchise history. James played 96 games for the Colts, while Taylor needed just 77 games to catch him.

Taylor also eclipsed 1,000 yards on the season and now has four 1,000-yard rushing seasons in his career, trailing James (five) for the most 1,000-yard rushing seasons in Colts history. — James Boyd, Colts beat writer

Jones shaky again

After committing a franchise-record six turnovers in a loss last week at Pittsburgh, the Colts coughed up two more turnovers against the Falcons, both by Jones. The veteran quarterback was picked off by Falcons safety Jessie Bates III near the end of the second quarter, and he lost a fumble after being strip-sacked in the third quarter.

Jones has now committed seven turnovers in his last two starts, compared to three through his first eight games of the year. He finished 19-of-26 passing for 255 yards and one touchdown, connecting with wide receiver Alec Pierce on a 37-yard pass in the first quarter. — Boyd

Falcons’ passing game sputters

At this point, Michael Penix Jr. needs to be making sure London doesn’t catch a cold or tweak an ankle or befall any other sort of setback because Penix and Atlanta’s passing game would be lost without London. He caught half of Penix’s 12 completions Sunday for 104 yards and a touchdown. He also caught a two-point conversion throw from Penix in the fourth quarter. Since Penix became Atlanta’s starting quarterback in Week 16 last year, only four wide receivers have more yards than London’s 691 yards in that span.

Penix finished the day an erratic 12-of-28 for 177 yards and one touchdown. His 58.8 completion percentage ranks 32nd in the league this season. — Josh Kendall, Falcons beat writer

Another incomplete game for Atlanta

The Falcons will talk about being close and even about how they’ve beaten some good teams, but it’s understandable if all that talk sounds hollow with this team on a four-game losing streak. This is Atlanta’s second four-game losing streak in as many years under Raheem Morris as head coach.

Atlanta’s upcoming schedule — Panthers, Saints and Jets — gives this team a chance to right the ship before it’s too late, but if it doesn’t start playing more complete games, it’s not going to matter. — Kendall

Nov 9, 2025

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