Atlanta Falcons matchup preview: Indianapolis Colts
Jan 11, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) catches the ball against the Denver Broncos in the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Colts defeated the Broncos 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
FB: Can the run game step up and help Andrew Luck?
ER: Frank Gore has been a model of consistency and he will at the very least make defenses take the Colts rushing attack seriously. All the Colts really need from the run game is to make the play action more credible. With defenses set up to stop the pass (and the Colts really should consider a spread offense) Gore will be looking at five and six man fronts, instead of eight defenders in the box. He’ll probably feel like he’s 23 again.
FB: Looking ahead, what do you think the Colts need to do to beat the Falcons?
ER: Its tough to say with so much time between now and the November 22 meeting. Getting pressure on Matt Ryan (or any QB) is a good way to come away with a win. The Colts will want to make the Falcons one-dimensional and not let a road game turn into a shootout.
FB: Turning it round, what do the Falcons need to do?
ER: Get to Luck and put pressure on the offense by scoring a lot of points. Most of the games the Colts lose are due to a complete failure by the defense and Luck thinking he has to play hero all day. When that happens, Luck ends up pressing too much and turning the ball over. At the same time, Luck has also pulled off some impressive come from behind wins.
I’d like to thank Reller for his time to talk with us. He does great work along with his staff at Horseshoe Heroes, and it’s a great place to keep up with everything going on in the world of the Indianapolis Colts. We will speak with him some more nearer the game.
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