Beating the 7-2 Colts would help put the Falcons back on the right track.

Terrin Waack

BERLIN The notion of this trip has been in the works since 2023, when the Atlanta Falcons were grantedinternational marketing rightsin Germany.

It was solidified back in May whenthe NFL announcedthe Falcons would play the Indianapolis Colts at Olympic Stadium in Week 10 of the 2025 season.

Excitement surrounding Sunday's game has been building with each checkpoint. However, now that the main event is here, the Falcons' real reason for their trip overseas carries the additional weight of urgency.

"Getting the win," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. "I know it's kind of the obvious, but that's the reality of it. We got to go out there and be the best version of ourselves on all sides of the ball, in all three phases."

The Falcons, who arrived in Berlin on Friday morning, are 3-5, including 0-2 in division play, and third in the NFC South. Earning a playoff bid isn't impossible. It's justgoing to be difficultgiven how the first half of the season has gone.

The Colts, meanwhile, are tied for the best record across the league at 7-2. They're soundly atop the AFC South.

"We've struggled as of late not only defensively, but as a team," Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. "And to get out of a rut like this and to create some momentum and get going in the right direction, you want to play a really good opponent, a complete component. And that's what we're facing."

Atlanta lost its last three consecutive games to the San Francisco 49ers (6-3), Miami Dolphins (2-7) and New England Patriots (7-2).

After the Colts, the Falcons have back-to-back divisional games against the Carolina Panthers (5-4) and New Orleans Saints (1-8).

If the Falcons want to get back in the postseason race, they'll need to flip the recent script.

"Any week, you want to go 1-0," Falcons safety Jessie Bates III said. "This is week is very different, but I think it's a great opportunity for us to play against one of the best teams in the league right now. They're playing at a high level, and they're a good team, well-coached team.

"We are, too. I know we haven't shown that the last couple of weeks our standard but all it takes is one game to get back on track."

Maybe being a transcontinental flight away from home will provide an extra spark.

Apart from Berlin native and Falcons kicker Lenny Krieg, running backBijan Robinson likely knows the host citybetter than his teammates. Robinson visited shortly after the game's unveiling in the offseason. Then and now, he didn't shy away from what international football not fbol fans should know about the Falcons.

"That we need to come down here and win," Robinson said. "Even when I was back here in May, they were so passionate about this game. It's crazy that it's already here because it feels like that was just yesterday. But for us, as a team, everybody has to know we're going to come out here and give them a show."

It's going to be a tall task.

A simple stat that depicts the Falcons' current predicament is scoring offense. The Colts are No. 1 with an average of 32.2 points per game. The Falcons are 28th with a 17.9 average.

"Obviously, there is a heightened urgency," Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said.

Those numbers, among others, surely factored into thelatest NFL Expert Picks compilationin which the vast majority circled the Colts to win Sunday.

The Falcons, however, need to.

"I want to go out there and do everything that we can to win," Morris said. "I think our team deserves it. Our fans deserve it. The people that all came out here deserve it. The guys who are going to be watching deserve it. I just think we got an opportunity to go do it and we want to go do it."

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