Running back Jonathan Taylor made history for the Indianapolis Colts to give his team a dramatic 31-25 win in overtime against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in the first-ever NFL regular season game in Berlin.
Taylor became the player with most rushing touchdowns for the Colts with his second one in the game after a stunning 83-yard run in the final quarter.
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That handed the Colts the lead but the Falcons hit back right after with a touchdown and a two-point conversion.
The Colts received the ball again and tied the game to force overtime with a field goal after quarterback Daniel Jones led a dramatic drive, converting a 4th and 6 despite being sacked twice.
Their defence stopped the Falcons as they had the ball first in overtime and the offence got the job done with a clinical drive as Taylor crowned his special evening in Berlin with his third touchdown.
Taylor will leave Berlin with 66 rushing touchdowns in Colts history.
“To be named among those legends, it means a lot. And I don’t take it for granted. These are the kind of games you live for, you remember,” Taylor said in a news conference.
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The player had previously spoken about how special it was to play in such a historic place such as Berlin, with the city on Sunday celebrating 36 years since the fall of the Wall.
“I’m just so appreciative, so humbled to add a piece of history here. I hope that all of the residents of Berlin enjoyed the first ever NFL game here. I hope that we put a good product on the field and to be able to spread our love for the game,” he said.
Jones added: “It doesn’t get old to hand over (the ball) to this guy. He had some big-time plays in situations that weren’t perfect, not exactly how you draw them up.”
Game of ‘back and forth’
The Colts had a great start with two touchdowns in the first quarter, but the Falcons took a one-point lead before the half, as Jones threw an interception in his final drive of the second quarter.
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The Falcons started the second half with a field goal, while the Colts had a slow start and only had points on the scoreboard again in the fourth quarter with a field goal.
“Phenomenal game, back and forth. Our guys battled like crazy, a hell of experience,” coach Shane Steichen said.
“To win close games like this, I think it says a lot about our football team. Finding ways to win these games is huger in this league.”
The Colts now have a 8-2 record as they have been one of the surprises of the season so far. In 2024, they missed the play-offs and finished the year 8-9.
Cornerback Sauce Gardner made his debut for the Colts after a blockbuster trade with the New York Jets just a few days before the trip to Berlin.
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“It was a tough week for me, but football is football,” he said, telling reporters that “99% of my clothes are still in New Jersey.”
The Falcons, meanwhile, are 3-6 after suffering a fourth consecutive defeat.
“We just didn’t execute when we needed to. Our defense got a lot of big-time stops for us, and we didn’t put points on the board,” Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr said.
Coach Reheem Morris added: “We had plenty of opportunities to win it. We’ve just got to find a way to get better, whether it’s stopping the run, whether it’s covering kicks better, returning the ball better or converting on third down — all the things that kind of hurt us today.”
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First regular season game in Berlin and more to come
The NFL played five pre-season games in Berlin between 1990 and 1994, but the clash between the Colts and the Falcons was the first-ever regular season game in the city.
The German capital is to host up to three games at the Olympic Stadium in a deal until 2029.
During the week, tickets for Sunday’s match were still available. According to the league, 72,203 people attended the game between the Colts and the Falcons – a record for a game in Germany.
The Berlin match-up is the fifth NFL regular season game in Germany, with two games each having been played in Munich and Frankfurt since 2022.
This season sees a record number of seven international games, with Madrid and Dublin joining London and São Paulo as host cities.
Indianapolis Colts’ Jonathan Taylor (L) celebrates victory in overtime after his third touchdown with Blue, the official mascot of the Indianapolis Colts after the NFL American football match between Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons at Olympiastadion Berlin. Sebastian Christoph Gollnow/dpa
Indianapolis Colts’ Jonathan Taylor (L) celebrates victory in overtime after his third touchdown following the NFL American football match between Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons at Olympiastadion Berlin. Sebastian Christoph Gollnow/dpa