How the Steelers beat the Colts, explained by experts
Here’s how the Steelers took down the Colts on Monday night, explained by the experts.
The Pittsburgh Steelers season has not been one to remember, but they did improve to 4-7 on Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts. The win flashed a glimpse of what Pittsburgh fans can be excited about moving forward.
The Colts were flying high off of some momentum, so it’s not as-if the Steelers had an easy path to the W. They won their first game with Jeff Saturday as head coach and nearly took down the Eagles in his second game.
Here’s what the experts around the internet are saying about how the Steelers pulled it off.
Kenny Pickett starting to look more comfortable as NFL starter
Here’s what Tommy Jaggi of Still Curtain had to say about Kenny Pickett’s night:
“I was very encouraged by some of the throws that Kenny Pickett made in this game, but the rookie quarterback hasn’t been nearly consistent enough. On more than one occasion, he missed open receivers across the middle of the field. It didn’t help that his receivers dropped a few catchable passes that could have helped move the chains.”
Colts clock management was suspect
A big topic of conversation was how Jeff Saturday and the Colts managed the clock at the end of the game.
Stephen Holder of ESPN summed it up well:
“The Colts, trailing by seven, were in a bit of a frantic situation, facing fourth-and-3 from the Pittsburgh 37-yard line at the two-minute warning. After converting, Indianapolis quarterback Matt Ryan was sacked for a 7-yard loss on first down then scrambled for 14 yards on second down.
The second-down play was snapped with 59 seconds remaining, but the Colts elected not to call a timeout despite possessing all three of their timeouts. They instead used a slow approach, snapping the ball late into the play clock then handing the ball to running back Jonathan Taylor, who was stopped for no gain on a third-and-3. The Colts finally called timeout after the Taylor run, with 30 seconds left.
With Saturday and playcaller Parks Frazier working just their third game in their new roles, it could be argued the Colts would have benefited from a reset in that circumstance, but Saturday said the staff already had the run play dialed up and liked its chances of success.”
Steelers’ first half gave them the lead they needed
The Steelers performed well in the first half and built up a lead that helped them overcome a second-half implosion. Here’s how Tyler Sullivan portrayed the night:
“Pittsburgh was able to build up most of its lead in the first half. It got points on four of its five first-half drives, giving itself a 16-3 cushion at the break. Meanwhile, the defense stifled almost everything that Indianapolis wanted to do. James Pierre set the tone early by intercepting Matt Ryan on just his second pass attempt of the game.
Kenny Pickett was dialed in over that stretch as well, hitting 14 of his 18 passes for 133 yards and was making some solid throws as he led his team up and down the field in the first half. He did go silent in the third quarter, however, unable to complete a single pass in the period. After Indianapolis took the lead in the final seconds of the third quarter, he got hot again and conducted an 11-play drive that would give them the go-ahead touchdown. On that drive, Pickett was 5 of 6 passing for 38 yards.”
Brooke Pryor of ESPN points out the run game being important for Steelers
Perhaps no part of the Steelers offense has been as bright as the run game the last several weeks. Brooke Pryor of ESPN summed that up as a major factor for the Steelers win:
“The Steelers finished with 172 rushing yards, averaging 4.8 yards per carry — and have now scored two rushing touchdowns in three straight games, their longest streak since 2018.”
The Colts run defense, usually good, looked horrible against Steelers
The Steelers’ run game performing so well is even more remarkable when you consider what they were up against. Here’s what Jaleel Grandberry of Horsehoe Heroes had to say about the Colts’ run game implosion:
“This wasn’t only an unexpected outcome but a disappointing one. With guys like Grover Stewart, DeForest Buckner, Zaire Franklin, and Bobby Okereke all playing so well in the box for the Colts, it had become an expectation that the run defense would show up. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case on Monday. Once it was clear that Indy couldn’t stop the run, it became clear that the Colts would have a hard time winning. The defense has carried the team so much this season but unfortunately, they’re the only hope Indy has to win games.”
Turnovers didn’t help the Colts
You aren’t going to win if you cough the ball up, which the Colts did. Here’s what Joel A. Erickson said about the Colts’ turnover woes on Monday night:
“Indianapolis turned it over twice against the Steelers on Monday night, and both players were responsible. Ryan turned it over first, trying to slip a short throw into Michael Pittman Jr. that Pittsburgh defensive back James Pierre picked off, although a sack by Yannick Ngakoue prevented the turnover from costing the Colts any points.”
