The Atlanta Falcons beat the Indianapolis Colts 34-6 on August 22, 2026, in a preseason finale that was never close. Atlanta moves to 1-1; Indianapolis falls to 0-1-1, still winless this preseason.
But treat that scoreline as a mirage. This blowout says more about the Colts' lack of depth than it does about the Falcons' regular-season ceiling. Indianapolis is winless in three chances, and the offense never got going: Riley Leonard led the passing with 62 yards, Anderson Castle the rushing with 41, and Coleman Owen the receiving with 39. That's not a plan; that's a cry for help.
Atlanta's passing leaders were Jack Strand and Cooper Rush, and its rushing leaders were Tyler Goodson, Nathan Carter, and Cash Jones. Those are names for the roster bubble, not for your fantasy draft. They produced against a Colts defense that had no answer, but production against a winless preseason unit is the kind of stat that gets overvalued by box-score scouts.
Indianapolis's leaders tell the real story. Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson Sr. topped the passing list. Richardson Sr. also landed among the rushing leaders, alongside Anderson Castle and Seth McGowan. When a quarterback is doing double duty in a game that's already out of hand, it means the system around him is sputtering. That's a red flag for the Colts' depth, not a referendum on Richardson Sr. as a player.
The key plays log for the fourth quarter is just two official timeouts and the end of the game. The dramatic plays aren't logged here; the only entries are timeouts, which suggests the game was already decided. By then, both teams were managing the clock and hoping nobody got hurt. In a preseason finale, that's actually the best outcome.
The Grinder's verdict: ignore the 34. The only number that matters is the Colts' 0-1-1, because it confirms what we already suspected — the gap between Indianapolis's starters and their backups is a canyon. And for fantasy, none of the names in this box score are moving into your starting lineup. That's the read, and I'm sticking to it.
