Five things to watch when the Falcons host the Colts in Week 16 home matchup

As Amna Subhan reported in Falcons Daily on Friday, even though everyone wants to talk about Bijan Robinson, beyond the rookie running back, the Falcons rookie class has been a relied upon group for the Falcons in 2023, but particularly in recent games.

At one point in the Falcons loss to Tampa Bay in Week 14, Matthew Bergeron was the only starting offensive lineman on the Falcons front. People forget that Bergeron had never taking a single snap at guard prior to this year, having been a tackle for years before being drafted by the Falcons in the second round of this year’s draft.

Then, there’s Clark Phillips III and DeMarcco Hellams, two Day 3 defensive backs who have found their way into a stacked defensive rotation. Hellams has started two of the last three games in the Falcons secondary after being primarily a special teams player in the first half of the 2023 season. Phillips has, too, stepping in after injuries to both A.J. Terrell and Jeff Okudah. Phillips didn’t even see the field at times this season, having been inactive for six games this year. Both have made a surprising impact in the recent chances they’ve gotten.

Then, there’s Zach Harrison, who notched the first sack of his career last week against Bryce Young. Harrison has been a part of this defensive rotation, but only recently has his presence been felt to a stronger degree.

In everything, these Falcons rookies have established themselves as important pieces of this team. The final three games of the season will continue to test their endurance and playmaking abilities in games where the Falcons need wins.

You cannot tell the story of the 2023 Atlanta Falcons without talking about turnovers. The Falcons most recent loss to Carolina was a microcosm of this unwelcome trend. Atlanta only had three possessions in the second half of last Sunday’s game. They turned the ball over in two of the three of those drives.

More often than not, if you lose the turnover battle, you lose the game. The Falcons know this to be true. They have a 6-8 record and a standing within the bottom third of the league with a minus-6 turnover margin.

What adds further significance to this issue is the fact that the Falcons offense is turning the ball over in games where they’re simultaneously not scoring in drives where they don’t give the ball up. That…