The Athletic isn't Impressed with Falcons vs. Colts in Berlin

Outside of a few disgruntled season ticket holders, fans cheered when the NFL wanted to start playing international games to grow the brand. 

International crowds purchase tickets and merchandise, another revenue stream that falls into the wallets of teams and players. While the games count regarding wins and losses, they are mostly for the theater and exhibition feel of it. 

Yet, one publication seems rather determined to throw cold water on the Atlanta Falcons taking their show on the road when they face the Indianapolis Colts in Berlin on November 9th.

In what is a pivotal season for the Dirty Birds, the Falcons take to the air, playing the Colts in Berlin, Germany, for a Week 11 matchup. As everyone who gets up early and gathers around the television or laptop to watch an international game knows, the NFL goes above and beyond to make the game bigger than a mundane regular-season game. 

The Colts and Falcons finished with identical mediocre 8-9 records. Jonathan Taylor is a workhorse back, coming off 1,567 yards from scrimmage and 11 total touchdowns. Alec Pierce, Michael Pittman, and Josh Downs form an underrated wideout corps. 

The team added tight end Tyler Warren, a first-rounder from Penn State. There’s a strong offensive line and plenty of weapons, but it could all come undone because of the uncertainty behind center. 

"This matchup could wind up being a tough watch,” wrote Mike Jones of The Athletic.”If Anthony Richardson’s struggles carry over into Year 3, Daniel Jones could wind up taking over as the Colts’ starting quarterback by this point in the season. Barring a transformation, Jones seems unlikely to treat the Berlin crowd to a shootout with Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (The Week 6 Broncos-Jets game in London almost got the nod here because of all the questions surrounding the Jets as they embark on yet another reboot.)”

At what point does one player sully an entire game? Unfortunately, Falcons fans know the answer to this, watching the Falcons struggle behind center for years. By Week 11, if Richardson doesn't show progress, the team will not flush another season waiting around and hoping the light turns on.

Granted, he is an inaccurate quarterback who couldn't pass the rolls at Thanksgiving. However, how short will Shane Steichen's patience be? 

For example, what happens if Daniel Jones gets the call? For the quickest moment, Jones looked like a functional quarterback. Steichen is an excellent offensive mind who has been saddled with a huge project at quarterback. 

Regardless, it should be a better matchup than in 2023 when Taylor Heinicke led the Falcons to a 29-10 win over Gardner Minshew’s Colts. The star of the day was Younghoe Koo and his five field goals. 

The Falcons won’t care about the aesthetics of the game. The team will be fully content to fly back to Atlanta with an ugly win.