WESTFIELD, Ind. — If the Atlanta Falcons defense that showed up on Thursday afternoon for Day 2 of joint practices against the Indianapolis Colts had taken the field at Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany, when these two teams met last season, things might have gone differently.
It's hard to believe the unit that looked so relentless in the joint session allowed 512 yards of total offense or 244 yards and three touchdowns to Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. If there was any notion of getting even for that performance, the Falcons accomplished that on Thursday with an impressive display of intensity and results.
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After focusing on the offense for Day 1 of joint practices, which you can read about here, I hunkered down on Field 1 to watch Atlanta's defense take on Indianapolis' offense. Specifically, I watched an opening period of 1-on-1s between the Falcons' cornerbacks and the Colts' wide receivers, an 11-on-11 period in the high red zone or just outside of it, a 7-on-7 session inside of the red zone and then another 11-on-11 period closer to the goal line.
As was the case on Wednesday, the practice ended with a period of full-team work on one field. Each team had two offensive drives — starters and backups — that began at the 25-yard line with two minutes on the clock. I will have notes from each period a little further below, but let's start with the spotlight on the defensive line.
Atlanta's front was extremely difficult for the Colts' offensive line to contend with. It began on the opening play of the first 11-on-11 period with a run stuff by offseason newcomer Maason Smith, but virtually everyone on the defensive line had his moment to shine.
There was one particular six-play stretch during the first 11-on-11 period for the defense that was indicative of their overall day.
- Play No. 1: The series began with a pass breakup on a throw from Anthony Robinson to tight end Will Mallory, who was very active on Thursday. It was unclear who broke up the pass.
- Play No. 2: It was plenty clear who made this play, as Carlos Allen Jr. let everyone in attendance know about his run stuff in the backfield.
- Play No. 3: The outcome of this play could be debated, but defensive end Keshawn Banks was in the backfield just as Robinson meshed with the Colts running back for a handoff. Robinson pulled the ball and swung around the left side of the defense, where cornerback C.J. Henderson was waiting and had good contain. Whether or not that was a designed read option, or if Banks blew the play up before it started, was unclear. But there was chaos created by the defense and good contain behind it.
- Play No. 4: Carlos Allen Jr. beat his block quickly to plug up the desired run lane and stuff the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage.
- Play No. 5: Carlos Allen Jr. burst into the backfield for another tackle for a loss. He also let out another thunderous scream afterwards, and defensive line coach Nate Ollie joined in the jubilation.
- Play No. 6: Just as it began, this particular stretch ended with a pass breakup by safety Jammie Robinson on a pass intended for tight end Will Mallory.
It was a huge stretch for Allen Jr., an undrafted rookie out of Houston. He has been in the defensive line rotation with the second- and third-team units, but Thursday's performance could earn him a longer look moving forward, especially if he can repeat it on Saturday night.
He wasn't the only trench defender to make a big impact. Brandon Dorlus made a couple of plays in the backfield, and defensive tackle Chris Williams clogged up the running lane on many occasions.
The Colts' offensive line had carried a good reputation for the last several years, and for good reason. That only makes what the Falcons' defensive front did on Thursday all the more remarkable.
Notes and Observations
Roll call: A quick update on some players who were and weren't out there for the Falcons on Thursday. Jawaan Taylor has been back and active in practices, as has Divine Deablo. Jessie Bates III has also taken part in some of the on-field work. Among the defensive backs, neither Avieon Terrell nor Billy Bowman Jr. participated in joint practices.
Suffocating secondary: It was a really good series of 1-on-1s for Atlanta's cornerbacks early in the practice. A.J. Terrell had a good win against LaQuon Treadwell to start things off — although the Colts receiver would later get him back with a nice corner move — and it set the tone for everyone. Darnay Holmes was another standout player from the session, and he was eager to let Indianapolis' wide receivers hear about his coverage chops. A.J. Woods also had a picture-perfect rep and practically ran the route for the receiver.
The plan for the preseason game: Here is what Kevin Stefanski had to say about preseason playing time on Satureday before practice:
"[The plan will] really be decided afterward, but, by and large, our starters will not play in this game. This will be the twos and threes, if you will. It's how Shane structured their reps in these practices to make sure that the ones are getting the majority of the reps. So then this is really their game, and then the twos and threes will play in the [preseason] game."
Rookies continue to impress: There were back-to-back plays during the 7-on-7 period worth closing out on that involved the Falcons' two rookie linebackers.
On the first play, Harold Perkins Jr. matched up against Colts running back Ulysses Bentley IV on a go route down the left sideline. Perkins matched him stride for stride and time his punch perfectly to knock the ball out of Bentley's hands just as it arrived.
The next play was a crosser over the middle of the field intended for tight end Will Mallory. Just as Daniel Jones let the ball go, Kendal Daniels stepped into the throwing lane and swatted the ball away, drawing a roar from his teammates.
Take a look at the best photos of joint practice as the Atlanta Falcons battle against the Indianapolis Colts during the 2026 AT&T Training Camp in Indianapolis, Ind.
