After his decisive touchdown, star running back Jonathan Taylor, who was simply unstoppable, continued to run towards the east curve and celebrated the victory with his Indianapolis Colts and mascot “Blue”. After fireworks and La-Ola in the stands, the NFL spectacle in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium also came to a crashing end in terms of sport. In front of 72,203 spectators, the two-time Super Bowl winner from Indiana won 31:25 against the Atlanta Falcons and is still clearly on course for the playoffs at the top of the AFC South.
The Colts saved themselves with a field goal from kicker Michael Badgley at the end of regulation time. With his third touchdown of the day, Taylor secured the victory in overtime; the top star ran for an impressive 244 yards in total.
It was the first regular-season game in the German capital. «Incredible atmosphere, you can’t even describe it. We are extremely grateful to be here, we can do this more often,” said Austrian Colts professional Bernhard Raimann on RTL.
The sporting highlight was Taylor’s 83-yard touchdown run in the final quarter. The fact that Colts quarterback Daniel Jones had a bad day and, like the previous week, allowed himself a lot of turnovers went unpunished in the end. The Falcons from Georgia State are seeing their playoff hopes dwindle.
Like a fair: NFL fans celebrate a mega party
Hours before kick-off, tens of thousands created a fairground atmosphere around the stadium and transformed the area into a colorful hidden object picture with their various jerseys. The party, which had started during the week in the bars, in the fan zones or on the football field at the Brandenburg Gate, finally reached its climax.
Once again, the NFL says it could have sold hundreds of thousands of tickets for the Germany game. The league will return to Berlin in 2027 and 2029. The Senate is investing 12.5 million euros in the triple spectacle. The NFL contributes 48 million.
Also to hire half-time acts like Australian rapper The Kid Laroi. It became much more atmospheric when a La-Ola spilled over the stands in the third quarter and later the classic “Country Roads” played.
Three touchdowns after ten minutes
After a minute’s silence for the late Dallas Cowboys professional Marshawn Kneeland and the coin toss by German figure skating legend Katarina Witt, the fans immediately got their money’s worth. A turnover by Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. or a 37-yard touchdown pass by Colts playmaker Daniel Jones set the stadium on fire. Because Colts kicker Michael Badgley missed an extra point and a field goal from 53 yards early, Atlanta was able to take the lead 14:13 after his second touchdown.
The Falcons defense had an outstanding day against one of the best offenses in the league. Time and time again, coach Raheem Morris’ team forced a loss of the ball and caused enormous problems for Colts quarterback Jones. But because Atlanta also struggled in attack, things remained tight for a long time.
NFL remembers the fall of the wall
The game was a “historic milestone” for the NFL and the city of Berlin. 35 years after the first league appearance in the capital, a regular season game took place in the German metropolis for the first time. The fact that the teams played on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall gave this historic day a special meaning. The NFL commemorated the reunification with an impressive choreo and the song “Wind of Change” by the Scorpions.
By Jordan Raza, David Langenbein and Fabian Fuchs, dpa
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