INDIANAPOLIS – The Falcons fell to the Colts 27-24 on Sunday and have yet to earn their first road win of the season.
After trailing 20-3 at the half, Atlanta rallied back to make it a one score game. Julio Jones' touchdown with 4:11 to play gave the Falcons the chance they needed.
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The Falcons were unable to make a stop defensively as the Colts went 3-for-3 on third down during the final drive and ran the clock out, ultimately winning the game.
"At the end of the day, we know in that situation we have to get off, we have to do whatever we have to do to try and get the win," Desmond Trufant said following the game.
Atlanta had several chances to get off the field defensively in the second half, but penalties started to pile up giving Jacoby Brissett and the Colts' offense more opportunities to stay on the field. Brissett went 28-of-37 for 310 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
The Falcons finished with 16 penalties for 128 yards. Through three games, the Falcons have turned the ball over seven times and have committed 35 penalties.
"The penalties, turnovers, those kind of things, we've had too much of that in the first couple weeks of the season, we had too much of that today," Matt Ryan said following the game. "Those are things we've got to clean up to be a better football team. A lot them we can control. The procedural stuff, the pre-snap penalties, that's on us. And that comes down to discipline. We've got to be better across the board as players when we get our chances."
Devonta Freeman said Dan Quinn's message to the team after the game was as direct as can be.
"We have to get better on the road. We have to find a way to win on the road. We just need to close out better and finish stronger," Freeman said.
Jones echoed Quinn's message when asked how the Falcons can move forward from Sunday's loss.
"We didn't win, we just have to get back to work, plain and simple," Jones said.
There were several bright spots in Atlanta's loss including the play of Freeman who rushed for 88 yards on 16 carries, his best performance of the 2019 season.
Austin Hooper and Julio Jones were key contributors to the Falcons' comeback in the second half. Hooper caught six passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns. Jones caught eight passes for 128 yards and a score.
