Source: Justin Casterline / Getty
ATLANTA, GA.–The Indianapolis Colts will face the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday on Christmas Eve.
The Colts are 8-6 and right in the heart of the AFC playoff race. Atlanta is 6-8. They haven’t been eliminated from postseason contention, but they need to win their last three games and possibly get some help in order to have any hope of getting in to the playoffs.
For Indianapolis, wide receiver Michael Pittman is supposed to play in the game now that he has cleared concussion protocol.
“It’s a testament to his toughness, really. I’ve talked about how tough he is. Obviously, he’s OK from that hit and we’re happy to have him back,” said Colts Head Coach Shane Steichen on Friday.
Pittman has 1,062 receiving yards this season and four touchdowns. In the Week 15 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittman was taken out of the game due to a concussion after taking a hit from safety Damontae Kazee, which led to Kazee being ejected from the game and a 15-yard roughness penalty being enacted on Pittsburgh. Kazee has since been suspended for the rest of the season.
The Colts will have to contend with Falcons rookie running back Bijan Robinson. Robinson has 790 yards rushing in 12 games and four rushing touchdowns.
“Yeah, it’s impressive to watch him out there. Obviously, studying the tape this week – making guys miss in the open field. We’ve got to have 11 hats to the football to get him down. But he’s a heck of a football player that we’ve got to get ready for,” said Steichen.
Not only did Pittman leave the Pittsburgh game, but Zach Moss also got hurt. He’s questionable for the Atlanta game. Steichen says the injuries have allowed opportunities for other guys to step up.
“It’s awesome. Obviously, guys that go in and step into the role if they need to step in – like last week, the way they played. If something happens obviously, we know we can count on them to go in and go make plays.”
The Colts have dominated the all-time series against Atlanta, posting 15 wins in 17 games. In the most recent meeting, Indiana earned a 27-24 home win on Sept. 22, 2019.
Kickoff is at 1 pm Sunday December 24.
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