Atlanta Falcons vs. Indianapolis Colts: Tale of the tape

The defenses

Defense has been an area of concern for both teams in recent years. The Colts enter this game with the No. 28 defense, No. 28 against the pass and No. 22 stopping the run. This could be problematic against Matt Ryan and a talented Falcons offense.

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The secondary has been a particular issue for the Colts this year, and Julio Jones will look to exploit any weaknesses the team sees. The Falcons will want to establish the run with Devonta Freeman up against the No. 22 run defense. Doing so opens up more opportunities to hit the deep pass.

Atlanta’s defense is far from dominant, but we’ve seen a number of improvements this season. The unit is particularly strong against the run, allowing just 88.9 yards on the ground per game. Frank Gore will test that, but stopping the run will help stop the pass, which has been a struggle at times for the No. 19 pass defense.