The Indianapolis Colts narrowly beat the Atlanta Falcons 27-24 in their home opener

https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Erik-Swoope-Jersey , as the Colts had a 20-3 halftime lead—only to see the Dirty Birds make a spirited late comeback attempt that came up short. While the Colts second half performance wasn’t pretty, their first half performance and late 4th quarter surge were enough to hold on for the victory. With that being said, here are a few game balls for the Colts top performers on Sunday: Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty ImagesJacoby BrissettThe Colts young quarterback was simply fantastic in the first half, as he was 21 for 27 (77.8%) for 218 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 125.0 after 30 minutes of regulation. While the Colts offense seemed to stall in the second half (largely because of the loss of star wide receiver T.Y. Hilton), Jacoby Brissett still had a few late game heroics that allowed the Colts to fend off the Falcons for good. This included his 3rd and 5 first down run in the 4th quarter where Brissett avoided pressure and dragged a Falcons defender for 6 yards for the first down (extending the scoring drive which allowed the Colts to ultimately score a touchdown). This same 4th quarter scoring drive also included his 3rd and 1, 35-yard pass to Zach Pascal, which immediately set up a 4-yard Marlon Mack outside touchdown run. Brissett also had a late 11-yard pass to tight end Jack Doyle on a play-action fake to Mack with 1:56 left in the 4th quarter on 3rd and 4, which allowed the Colts to effectively move the sticks and ice the game—eating clock. Brissett is quickly proving to be a winning, solid starting quarterback in this league and is showing a lot of poise running Frank Reich’s offense—rarely making mistakes and simply choosing the right reads. He’s far from simply being a ‘game manager’ though, as he’s shown the ability to make the big plays when the Colts need them—so far exceeding expectations. Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty ImagesMarlon Mack Mack once again showed that he’s the Colts workhorse, running for 74 rushing yards on 16 carries (4.6 ypc avg.) and a big touchdown run late—with a devastating stiff arm that would make even the Heisman Trophy blush. It wasn’t Mack’s best game in horseshoe blue, but he was very effective for the majority of the game by providing the Colts offense a stabilizing complement to Brissett on the ground.Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty ImagesAdam VinatieriPerhaps no one on the Colts had a worse last week than Adam Vinatieri, who potentially flirted with retirement—only to have have the Colts try out a few free agent kickers as an insurance policy should he falter again. Still, Vinatieri did not want to end his future Hall of Fame career on such a sour note, and it was great to see him kicking at a high level once again. Sure Malik Hooker Jersey , his 49-yard field goal in the first quarter doinked off the left upright and over the crossbar, but a made kick is a made kick, and the GOAT finished his day perfect: 2 for 2 from field goal range and 3 for 3 from extra point land. It was a positive step in the right direction for the 24-year legendary veteran, whose future Colts career may have very well been on the line. Honorable Mention:T.Y. HiltonThe Colts Pro Bowl wide receiver was brilliant in the first half, with 8 receptions for 65 receiving yards and a touchdown reception. It hasn’t mattered who’s throwing the football for the Colts, as even without Andrew Luck, Hilton still looks like T.Y. Hilton. Unfortunately, Hilton appeared to re-aggravate a quad injury on his late first half touchdown reception and sat out the second half. The Colts offense largely suffered in his absence. Anthony WalkerWith All-Pro Darius Leonard out, the 3rd-year linebacker stepped up with 14 tackles (11 solo) which included 2 tackles for loss. Walker seemed to be constantly around the football and making plays. Colts Offensive LineThe Colts offensive line only surrendered one sack, and while there was some pass pressure at times, the unit gave Brissett enough time to throw more often than not and Mack some running lanes to work with. Plus, who can forget this crushing pull block by Quenton Nelson? The Colts have signed safety Khari Willis Marvell Tell III to rookie deals, leaving only cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, receiver Parris Campbell, and linebacker Bobby Okereke unsigned. We have signed..." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteStampede Bluean Indianapolis Colts communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsColtsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Colts StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Colts NewsYahoo Colts Team PageYahoo Colts ReportYahoo Colts Depth ChartYahoo Colts TransactionsYahoo Colts PhotosShop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Filed under:Latest NewsColts NewsColts Sign Rookie Draft Picks S Khari Willis and CB Marvell Tell IIIEDTShareTweetShareShareColts Sign Rookie Draft Picks S Khari Willis and CB Marvell Tell IIIPhoto by Hannah Foslien/Getty ImagesThe Colts have signed safety Khari Willis Marvell Tell III to rookie deals, leaving only cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, receiver Parris Campbell Quincy Wilson Color Rush Jersey , and linebacker Bobby Okereke unsigned. Khari Willis is the Colts’ fourth round pick out of Michigan State, a player who the Colts moved up to take. Willis stands 5’11” and 213lbs, and his leadership qualities make him seem quite a bit bigger still. He is the epitome of the kind of character guy the Colts want to pursue. In his time with the Spartans, Willis played in 46 games and had 196 tackles, 4 sacks, 20 passes defended, and 4 interceptions. He was a team captain in 2018 and Third Team All-Big Ten. Marvell Tell III is the Colts’ 6’2” 195lb fifth round pick and played in 37 games for USC. During that time he notched 221 tackles, 1 sack, 18 passes defensed, 5 interceptions, a forced fumble, and a blocked kick. Tell was also a team captain in 2018 and received All Pac-12 honorable mention.Tell played primarily at safety for the Trojans, but will get time for the Colts at the cornerback position, likely as a situational nickel cornerback. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.