Tag Archives: Steelers vs. Colts

Steelers Report Card for Win Over Colts: Sustain Good Study Habits Edition

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taken from the gradebook of a teacher hoping his students can sustain the good study habits learned in the last week, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the 2025 win over the Colts at Acrisure.

Pat Freiermuth, Mekhi Blackmon, Steelers vs Colts

Pat Freiermuth with the go ahead touchdown. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers was 25 of 35 for 203 yards, with one touchdown and zero interceptions. At times Rodgers seemed frustrated with his receivers, which isn’t good. However, he did not force any balls the way he had in the previous two weeks. Grade: BSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Jaylen Warren scored two touchdowns, but he only managed 31 yards on 16 carries. Kenneth Gainwell had 3 carries for negative 1 yards. Kaleb Johnston had 1 carry for 4 yards, while Connor Heyward managed 4 yards on his tush push. Both Gainwell and Johnson made drive-sustaining catches. Grade: C-

Tight Ends
Once again tight ends absorbed the majority of the targets, with Darnell Washington bringing in 4 of 6 balls thrown his way for 43 yards, Pat Freiermuth caught 3 of 5 thrown for 27 yards his way including a touchdown. Jonnu Smith caught 3 of 5 for 25 yards. Grade: B+

Wide Receivers
Calvin Austin led receivers with 5 catches for 56 yards with the Steelers scoring on each drive he caught a pass on. D.K. Metcalf caught 2 passes for 6 yards. Roman Wilson only had one catch which should have ended the game, but unfortunately he fumbled. Grade: B-

Offensive Line
Aaron Rodgers was sacked 3 times, but generally had good time to throw. The Steelers running game never go into gear. How much of this is due to Isaac Seumalo’s injury and how much of it is the Colts scheming to prevent the Steelers from playing a ball control offense is unknown. Either way the Steelers will need better line play down the stretch. Grade: C-

Defensive Line
Cam Heyward tipped two passes and made 4 tackles. Keeanu Benton had 5 tackles and a sack. Derrick Harmon helped stuff Jonathan Taylor, helped run down Tyler Warren from behind, and on the very next play recovered a fumble. Grade: A-

Linebackers
How good were the linebackers? Alex Highsmith dropped Taylor for a loss on his first carry, knocked away a would-be first down pass, sacked Daniel Jones, and then strip sacked him in the 4th quarter. Not bad for a guy many wanted to bench a week ago. T.J. Watt’s strip sack shifted the course of the game. Rookie Jack Sawyer intercepted a batted pass.

But you know what? The best linebacker on the field was Payton Wilson who was all over the field with 13 tackles, two deflected passes and an interception which set up the go ahead touchdown. Grade: A

Alex Highsmith, Daniel Jones, Alex Highsmith strip sack Daniel Jones, Steelers vs Colts

Alex Highsmith strip-sacks Daniel Jones. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Secondary
Jalen Ramsey’s move to free safety provided critical stability for an ailing unit. His hard hitting also set the tone for the entire defense. Joey Porter Jr. batted away four balls, made a sack, and caught an interception, but his pass interference penalties continue. Darius Slay had a solid game after two very shaky weeks. Brandon Echols played well. Grade: B+

Special Teams
Corliss Waitman had 5 punts averaging 50 yards, but with no touchbacks and two landing inside the 20. Ke’Shawn Williams hasn’t broken a kick or punt return yet, but he’s flashing that ability. Chris Boswell was perfect. The Steelers special teams did however, get caught with their pants down on a fake punt. Grade: B-

Coaching
At first glance, Arthur Smith’s offense’s stats look rather anemic. Except perhaps for the score.

By a lot of measure’s, Smith’s offense had a tough day. Mike Tomlin described it as “running on the beach.” While the difficulty the Steelers had in rushing the ball is cause for concern, Smith’s unit did what a competent offense is supposed to do: Turn turnovers into touchdowns.

As he did at times last year, Smith found a way to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Teryl Austin may not have taken the brunt of the heat for the defensive collapses against the Bengals and Packers, but the criticism he weathered was blistering. In the face of that, and missing 3 of five safeties he started the season with, Austin put together a game plan that, when executed shackled the league’s most potent offense.

Jonathan Taylor looked nothing like the player that the NFL had been watching revived the concept of Franchise Running back in real time. Along the way, Austin’s defense secured 5 turnovers against a team that had given up 6 all season long.

Last December, the late, great Craig Wolfey worried that the Christmas loss would be a “cheese grater game” for the Steelers. Wofley was right. The twin losses to the Bengals and Packers carried that same “cheese grater potential.”

  • Mike Tomlin made sure that did not happen.

The Steelers arrived at Acisure with as much focus as fight. Penalties were a non-factor. Even as the Steelers gave up three 4th down conversions, one a quick touchdown, and failed at their own 4th and goal situation, it never felt like they were losing control of the game.

Tomlin needs to ensure his men can maintain that focus in the weeks to come, but he’s make a good start. Grade: A

Kyle Dugger, T.J. Watt, Jonathan Taylor, Steelers vs Colts

You Shall Not Pass! Kyler Dugger & T.J. Watt stuff Jonathan Taylor for no gain. Photo Credit: Taylor Oallson, Steelers.com

Unsung Hero Award
One week ago this man was under the employ of the New England Patriots. He didn’t put on a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform until Thursday, which is when the Steelers found out they were going to need him. Kyle Dugger came in on 3 days practice and helped stabilize an ailing secondary and for that he win the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 2025 win over the Colts at Acrisure.

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Rebound! Steelers Defeat Colts 27-20 with 6 Turnovers

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Reeling from successive, humiliating losses, the Pittsburgh Steelers rebounded to defeat the Indianapolis Colts 27-20 at Acisure Stadium. And folks, the game wasn’t as close as that final score suggests.

  • Now raise your hand if you DIDN’T see that coming. [Mine’s raised.]

Winning this one was about more than just getting back into the W column for the Steelers. The Indianapolis Colts have been the class of the NFL this season. They’ve haven’t simply been good. They’ve been unstoppable. For the last two weeks, the Steelers defense hasn’t stopped anyone.

The 6 turnovers that the Steelers secured will hog the headlines for this win. And yes, those turnovers were critical. But it was the focused, sound fundamental football the Steelers played that laid the foundation for those turnovers and the victory.

Payton Wilson, Segun Olubi, Steelers vs Colts

Payton Wilson intercepts Daniel Jones. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Strong Focus = Sound Fundamentals

Football is an emotional game.

Emotions carry teams to heights they never expected to reach. Emotions come with costs. As legendary Washington, DC sports radio journalist Ken Beatrice repeatedly reminded listeners, teams motivated primarily by emotions are subject to both “tremendous highs and tremendous lows.” (Think Jerry Glanville’s Oilers or Buddy Ryan’s Eagles.)

Cincinnati and Green Bay’s offenses had devastated Pittsburgh’s defense. It was Mike Tomlin’s duty to ensure devastation of defense didn’t debilitate the entire team.

  • A handful of early plays show how he was successful in doing that.

After forcing a Steelers three-and-out, the Colts offense went immediately to work, marching down the field reaching Pittsburgh’s 7 in just three minutes. Tight ends have tortured the Steelers defense this season, and on 3rd and 2, Daniel Jones targeted Colts tight end Tyler Warren.

Jalen Ramsey having none of that, Jalen Warren laid in the wood:

Jalen Ramsey, Tyler Warren, Steelers vs Colts

Jalen Ramsey lays in the wood on Tyler Warren. Photo Credit: Alysa Rubin, Steelers.com

Warren only got 1 of the 2 yards he needed.

22 plays, 11 minutes and 2 possessions later, a similar scene unfolded. On third and 8 Jones targeted wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. Brandon Echols hit him immediately. Mitchell neither moved nor went down. Darius Slay joined him. Mitchell remained standing. Kyle Dugger hit him next. At that point it was clear that Mitchell was going down, but Patrick Queen added his push to make sure the pile fell backwards. It did.

Darius Slay, Brandon Echols, Kyle Dugger, Adonai, Patrick Queen, Steelers vs Colts

Darius Slay, Brandon Echols and Kyle Dugger gang tackle Adonai. Photo Credit: Alysia Rubin, Steelers.come

Mitchell only got 7 of the 8 yards he needed.

Context is critical here.

After Ramsey’s hit, the Colts converted a 4th down, ran several plays, then converted another 4th down to score. The Steelers offense sputtered (again), but Brandon Echols recovered a muffed punt. But the Steelers offense couldn’t punch it in on their own 4th down try.

  • None of that deterred the Steelers defense.

After the Echols, Slay, Dugger, Queen gang tackle, the Colts converted another 4th down. Nine plays later after the Colts had reached Pittsburgh’s 38, T.J. Watt strip-sacked Daniel Jones for the game’s second turnover.

This time and the Steelers offense hit pay dirt. Aaron Rodgers marched them down the field smartly, on a drive that included a Connor Heyward tush push and a finished with a one-yard Jaylen Warren touchdown.

The Steelers defense had given up an opening drive touchdown. Allowed 3 4th down conversions. The offense had punted twice. It had failed to convert a special teams turnover into a touchdown.

  • Yet, with 6 minutes left in the 2nd quarter, the Steelers had tied the game 7-7.

And there’s a reason why they’d never be behind again….

Teryl Austin’s Defense Tames Taylor

Jonathan Taylor has attacked the NFL this year like a franchise running back from yesteryear. “What’s a ‘Franchise Running Back’?” you ask? Google names like Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, or if you want to prioritize Pittsburgh Franco Harris or Jerome Bettis.

The concept of a “Franchise Running Back” has faded over the last 15 years as NFL teams and fantasy football fans have focused on the passing game. But as Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry did in 2024, Jonathan Taylor is threatening to revive the concept in 2025.

In just 9 games he’s scored 14 touchdowns, or 1 more than Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis scored in all of 2004. He’s also already rushed for 895 yards, just 45 fewer than Bettis rushed for in all of ’04.

But that 45 yard figures 45 carries a touch of irony, as that’s Taylor’s total yardage against the Steelers. Here’s how his first set of carries against the Steelers went:

  • Tackled for a 1-yard loss on 1st and 10 by Alex Highsmith
  • Tackled by Keeanu Benton after gaining 2 yards on 4th and 1
  • Gained 4 yards on 2nd and 5 only to be tackled by T.J. Watt

Down 10 to 7 at the half, the Colts wisely tried to begin the 2nd half by putting the game into Taylor’s hands. On their second play from scrimmage on 2nd and 2, they handed it to Taylor – Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton stopped him for a gain of one. The Colts immediately went back to him on 3rd and 1. Benton and Payton Wilson stopped him for no gain.

T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Jonathan Taylor, Steelers vs Colts

T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith tame Jonathan Taylor. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.come

Taylor’s best series came late in the third quarter. He pounded out 5 and 7 yard runs on successive carries. Then he got stopped for no gain. Daniel Jones threw and incomplete pass and then converted a 4th and 3 with a 16 yard pass. Taylor then ripped of a 9 yard run.

On the next play, Payton Wilson deflected a pass which rookie Jack Sawyer hauled in. Six plays later the offense was finding the end zone for a third time.

Yes, it was that kind of a day for the Indianapolis Colts.

Opportunistic Offense

Fantasy Football owners who focused on starting Pittsburgh Steelers this week likely came away disappointed.

Jonathan Taylor actually out rushed the Steelers entire offense with 7 more yards, with Jaylen Warren getting 31 of those on 16 carries.

D.K. Metcalf had two catches for 6 yards. The only time the Steelers offense went the length of the field on its own was at the tail end of the first half, and on that drive they were forced to settle for a Chris Boswell Field goal.

But, as it so often does, winning in the NFL hinges on capitalizing on your opponent’s mistakes.

Calvin Austin, Steelers vs Colts

Calvin Austin hauls one in. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Steelers.com

And that’s something that Arthur Smith’s offense did with tremendous efficiency. The Steelers offense transformed 4 of Indianapolis’ 6 turnovers into points, three of which were touchdowns. IN truth, there were no superstars on offense for the Steelers.

Yet, Warren, Kenneth Gainwell, Darnell Washington, Calvin Austin, and Pat Freiermuth all came up with critical plays when their numbers were called.

Steelers Must Maintain Focus Moving Forward

The Pittsburgh Steelers needed this win. But it’s even more true that the defense needed this kind of win. The unit hadn’t just suffered figurative knockouts at the hands of the Bengals and Packers, the secondary was hemorrhaging safeties so badly that new arrival Kyle Dugger had to start.

But by focusing on fundamentals, the Steelers set themselves up to secure 5 turnovers and delivered a shut down performance against the NFL’s offensive juggernaut.

  • Credit last week’s whipping boys Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin for the turnaround.

Now they must see that the team sustains that. When asked if his team had turned a corner Mike Tomlin retorted:

“We keep writing that story. We responded today. See you next week.”

That’s exactly attitude the Steelers need to take away from the win over the Colts.

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Steelers Report Card for Loss to the Colts A Bad Snap Does Ruin the Barrel Edition

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Taken from the grade book of a teacher who hopes his students learned that one bad snap can ruin the whole barrel, here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for the 2024 loss to the Colts.

Justin Fields, Justin Fields Bad Snap, Steelers vs Colts

Justin Fields is sacked after an errant 4th quarter snap. Photo Credit: CBS47 and KSEE24

Quarterback
Justin Fields displayed both good and bad. He was 22 of 34 for 314 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. After some rough patches, he rallied the team leading 3 4th quarter touchdown drives. All encouraging positives. On the negative side, he scuttled one drive with a very negative sack and then had yet another snap hit him in the face following the 2-minute warning. We don’t grade on a curve, and those mistakes carried a dear price. Grade: C-Steelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
In going 6-43 Cordarrelle Patterson didn’t simply run well, he had the look of a back who might take over the game. Alas, he got hurt, giving way to Najee Harris. Running behind the same line against the same defenders Harris put on a display of “Sludge Ball” at its worst. ON paper, he had a good day catching the ball, going 3 passes for 56 yards, but on his last one he failed to get out of bounds. Practice squader Aaron Shampklin had one carry for 5 yards. Patterson’s performance brings the group grade up. Grade: C-

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth had 5 catches for 57 yards and a touchdown while Darnell Washington had 2 grabs for 31 yards, including a 20 beauty. Arthur Smith still doesn’t seem able to make Connor Heyward into a weapon. The tight ends were above the line. Grade: C

Wide Receiver
George Pickens had 7 catches for 113 yards on 11 targets – a great day statistically. However, his fumble late in the 2nd quarter cost the Steelers at least 3 points if not 7. Calvin Austin had a nice 17 yard catch and Van Jefferson took off his invisibility cloak to make 2 catches for 21 yards. But between Pickens’ fumble and the lack of a true number 2 wide out, this group’s grade suffers. Grade: D

Offensive Line
Yes, losing James Daniels hurts. And yes, they were starting a rookie. And yes this unit is now down to 2 of his 5 projected starters. But NFL games don’t get graded on a curve. The Colts front seven both out muscled and out maneuvered the Steelers offensive line early in the game. Things improved in the second half, but why was their yet another errant snap? Grade: F

Defensive Line
The surprising thing about Jonathan Taylor’s state line is that its only for 88 yards and 4.2 yards a carry – he certainly was averaging better than that in the first half. When Cam Heyward can wrap Joe Flacco only to see Flacco squirm out and complete a pass, you know its been a difficult day for the Steelers defensive line. The line got batter later in the game, but it was too little, too late. Grade: D

Linebackers
T.J. Watt was held without a sack, literally, for the first time this year. Nick Herbig did get his, but the Steelers missed Alex Highsmith’s presence against the run. Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts and Peyton Wilson shoulder some of the blame for the Colts rushing success. Grade: C-

Secondary
Minkah Fitzpatrick’s penalty wasn’t fair, but it was certainly costly. Joey Porter Jr. had a rough outing, and that doesn’t include his letting an interception slip through his fingers in the end zone. The Colts were 8 of 15 on third downs and had two touchdowns through the air. Grade: D

Special Teams
Corliss Waitman’s 34.4 average might not impress, but he did land two inside the 20. Calvin Austin had a strong return that should have set up a 2nd half score. In other news Chris Boswell kicked another 50 yarder. Grade: B

Coaching
Credit the Indianapolis offensive staff:  They clearly came prepared to take it to the Steelers defense, and for too long Teryl Austin’s unit struggled to make the adjustments. They did hold the Colts at the end when it counted, but that simply wasn’t enough.

Arthur Smith’s offense remains a work in progress.

When Najee Harris wasn’t getting the job done on the ground, he switched up to Patterson and it worked. Without a running game he guided Justin Fields to an incredible 21 point 4th quarter effort, effectively using tight end and running backs to make up for the deficiency at wide receiver. Still, the unit took too long to show life.

Mike Tomlin likes to say, “Players play, coaches coach.” Fair enough. But errant center-quarterback exchanges are becoming a staple of this offense. Tomlin needs have Zach Frazier and Justin Fields rep this for as long as it takes to get it right.

Deshon Elliott, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Steelers vs Colts

DeShon Elliot. Photo Credit: Steelers.com

For the record, this one didn’t have the feel of a “Tomlin Trap” game – and Steelers coaches and players did make adjustments. But the Colts hit the ground running in this game while the Steelers took too long to find their footing, and that falls on Mike Tomlin’s shoulders. Grade: D

Unsung Hero Award
In a game where a lot of things went wrong, there was one player who consistently crossed the field to help make things right and in doing so he led the team in tackles. And for that DeShon Elliott wins the Unsung Hero Award for the Steelers 2024 road loss to the Colts.

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Beating Themselves: Sloppy Steelers Fall to Colts 27-24 as Mistakes Take Their Toll

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The 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers are no longer perfecting, having dropped a 27-24 decision to the Indianapolis Colts on the road at Lucas Oil Stadium. This was a wild one:

  • Players from both teams left the field early and often with injuries
  • Big special teams plays feigned changes of momentum, only to fizzle away
  • The Steelers were down for the count several times but kept fighting back

In the end, the Steelers came up short for one simple reason: Time and time again, they proved they couldn’t get out of their own way.

George Pickens, Nick Cross, Steelers vs Colts

George Pickens fumbles at the 5 yard line. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

First Half Walk Off Goes as Scripted. But for Who?

The Steelers waltzed into Lucas Oil Stadium having decimated the NFL’s leading rushing attack and leading rusher last week against the Chargers.

The Colts have a strong ground attack and a star running back of their own. On the flip side, the Steelers rushing attack appeared to find its legs last week, and the Colts run defense had struggled.

  • Was a walk off in the making?

For the first half it was, but not for the Steelers. Anthony Richardson opened with a 32 yard bullet to Michael Pittman Jr. and on the next snap Jonathan Taylor ripped off a 14 yard run. In the blink of an eye Indianapolis was 4 yard’s shy of Pittsburgh’s Red Zone.

Jonathan Taylor, Cameron Heyward, Nick Herbig, Steelers vs Colts

Jonathan Taylor runs for a touchdown. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

It only took the Colts six more plays to find the end zone and, ominously, they round out those yards on the ground. In contrast, the Steeler first 3 plays netted negative 6 yards, although the officials gifted the Steelers a first down with a questionable roughing the passer penalty.

It didn’t matter much. Although a 17 yard pass to Calvin Austin put the Steelers into Colts territory, another negative run and a 15-yard offensive unnecessary roughness call conspired scuttle drive that ended in a punt.

The Colts next drive unfolded much as had the first. They did lose their quarterback, but Joe Flacco quickly found the end zone for a touchdown, and on his next drive saw to it that the Colts got a field goal to go up 17 to 0 and over 12 minutes remained in the first half.

In between, the Steelers tried and failed to go for it on fourth down.

Playing Behind the 8 Ball, Steelers Foreshadow Finish

The Steelers have played from behind in 2024, but they’ve never faced such a dramatic deficit. To their credit, they embraced the challenge head on.

With just over 8 minutes remaining in the first half, Cordarrelle Patterson ripped off 41 yards in four consecutive plays. Darnell Washington got into the action with 20 yard catch of his own, showing yet again how much of a force he can be with the ball in his hands.

  • Patterson then ripped off two more runs, the first went for 9 yards and the second for 10.

He seemed to be getting stronger each time he touched the ball – except he wasn’t – he got injured on the play and was out. But worry not. On the next play Justin Fields stepped up and hit George Pickens for a ten yard gain which brought the Steelers to Indy’s 5, where Pickens promptly fumbled.

The Steelers defense forced a punt and Chris Boswell got Pittsburgh on the board at the half, but being 14 points behind at the half is a meager consolation prize when you’ve squandered a shot at cutting the lead to 10.

But that was a sign of things to come.

The Come Back that Could Have Been

Justin Fields had never won three games in a row during his three years as a starter for the Chicago Bears. He did that in his first three weeks in Pittsburgh. But Fields had never had to rally his team form this far behind.

  • Early in the 2nd half it looked like he wasn’t up to it.

After opening the second half with an exchange of punts, Calvin Austin delivered an electrifying 30 yard punt return, giving the Steelers prime field position and Indy’s 33. After 2 plays went nowhere, Fields took the snap on third and 10 and proceeded to lose 20 yards in a sack before fumbling the ball away.

Justin Fields, Steelers vs Colts

Justin Fields runs for a touchdown. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

  • Yet Fields did anything but fold.

Without a running game to speak of, Najee Harris was excelling at “Sludge Ball,” Fields led three straight touchdown drives. Twice he scored with his legs, and on his third trip to the Red Zone he found Pat Freiermuth in the end zone for an 8 yard touchdown pass that saw the tight end extend his body for the 3 three yards while being tackled.

  • In the mean time the Colts had scored ten more points.

While the Steelers defense slowed their running game, they still left their share of plays on the field, with Cam Heyward getting Joe Flacco in his grasp only to lose him, and Minkah Fitzpatrick getting flagged for unnecessary roughness (yes, it was questionable, but that’s why they call it a makeup call.)

But with the Steelers down by 3 and with 3:40 remaining, he defense did their duty.

  • Payton Wilson stuffed Trey Sermon on first down
  • Cam Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi sacked Joe Flacco on second down
  • On third down Flacco misfired to Adonai Mitchell with Donte Jackson almost intercepting

The Steelers had the ball with 2:39 remaining and one time-out. Fields caught the Colts off guard by running for 12 to get the action started. He hit Van Jefferson for 9 yards. Najee Harris ran four 4 for a first down following the 2-minute warning, for a fresh set of downs with 1:43 remaining.

Then the Steelers did what they’d done all day – self-destruct.

  • The snap on 1st and 10 hit Justin Fields in the face, causing a sack for an 12-yard loss.
  • A deep pass on 2nd to George Pickens went nowhere
  • On third down Najee Harris advanced 11 yards on a check down pass but failed to get out of bounds

To no one’s surprise, the Steelers failed to convert the fourth down, giving the ball back to the Colts for the final kneel down.

Conclusions from the Colts Game?

Games like these tempt us to jump to conclusions. But the Steelers past two games against the Colts should caution us against that.

Two years ago much if not most of Steelers Nation went to bed on Monday night after the Colts used the 3rd quarter to erase an 11 point Steelers lead. When they woke up, they discovered that the Steelers had won.

Benny Snell, Steelers vs Colts 2022

Benny Snell celebrates after scoring the go ahead touchdown. Photo Credit: AJ Mast,. AP via The San Diego Tribune.

  • Kenny Pickett had authored his first 4th quarter comeback
  • Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland had been the stars of a rejuvenated running game

But what did that signal? Nothing.

Snell and McFarland are both out of football while Kenny Pickett is holding a clipboard in Philadelphia.

Last season the Steelers went to Indy and came out of halftime one point down and proceeded to author the worst 30 minutes of football in the Tomlin era this side of 2009’s 5 game losing streak. Everyone (including me) left the Steelers for dead, and on a Steel City Insider podcast veteran Ed Bouchette said he expected Mike Tomlin to be gone and even floated the idea of trading T.J. Watt.

  • Yet, the Steelers won their next three, snuck into the playoffs and Mike Tomlin has a new contract.

So what was the conclusion to take from the Colts loss? This Pittsburgh Steelers team is perfectly capable of playing winning football, but they have to not beat themselves first.

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Steelers Report Card for Meltdown vs Colts: Who DIDN’T Get an F Edition

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From the grade book of a teacher who is in no mood for mercy here is the Steelers Report Card for the meltdown loss to the Colts.

Mol Alie Cox, Mark Robinson, Steelers vs Colts

Mol Alie-Cox burns Mark Robinson for a touchdown. Photo Credit: AP, via Tribune Review

Quarterbacks
Mitchell Trubisky was 16 of 23 for 169 yards with one touchdown and 2 interceptions. His first interception shifted the momentum to the Colts. His second one basically killed any chance the Steelers had of a comeback. How terrible was Tribusky? Mason Rudolph went 2 for 3 for 3 yards and a sack in mop up duty and he’s starting next week. Grade: FSteelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
The Steelers totaled 74 yards on the ground with Jaylen Warren getting 40 of those while Najee Harris was held to 33. Harris’ fumble knocked the bottom out of the game for the Steelers. Grade: F

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth had 3 catches for sixteen yards as the tight ends were inconsequential. Grade: F

Wide Receivers
Diontae Johnson had 4 catches for 62 yards to lead the team. George Pickens had 3 for 47 yards. Allen Robinson had 3 for 19. While those number read more like the type of stat line you’d expect from Louis Lipps, Dwight Stone and Drew Hill the real crime here was Pickens non-block on what should have been a Jaylen Warren touchdown. That’s part of the malaise that infects this offense. Grade: F

Offensive Line
The Colts registered 4 sacks and 9 QB hits. And Indianapolis, known for their terrible rushing defense, stoned Steelers running backs at regular intervals. Grade: F

Defensive Line
Larry Ogunjobi had a nice sack to wreck a drive early, but the Colts ran on the Steelers at will when it counted – indeed a pair of practice squad running backs made it look like Marshall Faulk AND Eggrein James were both still playing in Indianapolis. Grade: F

Linebackers
T.J. Watt had two sacks, but Mykal Walker and Mark Robinson both go burned for touchdowns. Grade: F

Secondary
Damontae Kazee’s ejection and ultimate disqualification might be a little harsh, but it cost the Steelers dearly. As did Joey Porter’s pass interference call with 35 seconds left in the first half that gave the Colts the ball on Pittsburgh’s 14. Grade: F

Special Teams
Between Chris Boswell missing an extra point, Pressley Harvin erratic punting and leaky punt return coverage, the Steelers special teams weren’t very special. Grade: D

Coaching
So Matt Canada has been gone for over a month and the Steelers offense not only hasn’t gotten better, it has regressed. This is disappointing but not surprising.

The Steelers lack talent on offense. They lack coordination on offense. They lack motivation and leadership on offense.

  • The Steelers defense IS deeply depleted.

But what’s damning about their performance isn’t the 3 touchdown passes that they gave up, but rather than the Colts were one play shy of running the ball 13 straight times – and the Steelers defense lacked the ability, or worse the willpower to stop them.

Steelers vs Colts, Nick Herbig, Connor Heyward, blocked punt

Connor Heyward blocks a punt! Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

In the past, even through the earlier parts of this season, Mike Tomlin excelled at coaxing the most the talent he has at hand and getting his players to respond when their backs were to the wall.

This year the opposite is happening. Grade: F

Unsung Hero Award
They teamed up on what should have been a game-turning, blocked punt and recovery for the Steelers and for that Connor Heyward and Nick Herbig win Unsung Hero Award honors from the Steelers meltdown at Indianapolis.

 

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Meltdown in Indy: Steelers 30-13 Loss to Colts Is a Microcosm for Entire Season

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The Pittsburgh Steelers 30-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium was a debacle in every sense of the word.

And perhaps that is how it should be.

Because even with three games remaining on the schedule, the Steelers meltdown in Indy serves as a perfect microcosm for the 2023 season.

Zack Moss,

Zack Moss gets Indy on the board. Photo Credit: AP, via Tribune Review

Strong Start Signals Sinkhole to Come

The Steelers had lost two ugly games against bad teams that had no business beating Pittsburgh, at home no less. Yet, Jim Wexell reported on WESA, that the Steelers had had a strong week of practice.

And as beat writers will tell you, performance in practice during the week is almost always indicative of performance on Sunday. And besides, Mike Tomlin always rallies the men when their backs are two the wall. Doesn’t he?

Mike Tomlin boldly elected to take the ball to open the second half, giving his offense a chance to grab the proverbial bull by the horns….

And, he was rewarded by a Najee Harris run for no gain (wasn’t the Colt’s rushing defense supposed to be weak?), a Mitch Trubisky sack (what was it about the Colts not blitzing), and a 4 yard pass to Jaylen Warren on 3rd and 14. Oh, and Pressley Harvin only managed 42 yards on his punt.

But T.J. Watt wrecked the Colt’s next possession with a sack, and Indy’s Matt Gay bounced a 56 yard field goal off of the crossbars. The Steelers had won several games earlier in the season by combining big plays on defense and capitalizing on opponent’s mistakes.

Might they be reverting to form. For the next 8 minutes or so, that seemed to be the case.

  • But as always is the case with the 2023 Steelers, there was a big “BUT” attached to it.

Mitch Trubisky moved the team effectively following the blocked field goal. Nothing spectacular. But the Steelers keeping the sticks moving. But even then there were danger signs, both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren were getting stopped regularly.

After a one yard run by Harris, Trubisky moved the Steelers into the Red Zone with a 14 yard strike to George Pickens. Jaylen Warren followed by ripping off a 6 yard run on 1st and seven in a play that saw Pickens…

…Stand there and watch instead of blocking, costing Warren at least a yard if not a touchdown.

Mitch Trubisky, Steelers vs Colts,

Mitch Trubisky fumbles after scoring. Photo Credit: AP via Tribune-Review

Two plays later, Mitch Trubisky’s second attempt to sneak the ball into the end zone succeeded, but only after replay ruled he had crossed the goal line before fumbling.

But all’s well that ends well, right?

  • Maybe not, because Chris Boswell’s extra point bounced off the cross bar.

Given the way the defense and special teams were playing it looked like Boswell’s missed extra point might be a mere footnote. Larry Ogunjobi wrecked the next drive with a sack and Connor Heyward blocked Rigoberto Sanchez with Nick Herbig recovering at the one.

Najee Harris 3 yard loss on first and goal at the one might have been ugly, but Mitch Trubisky hit Diontae Johnson for a touchdown one play later to put the Steelers up 13-0.

Barely a minute had elapsed in the 2nd quarter and the Steelers had already made it a 2 score game.

Anatomy of a Meltdown

How does a team go from starting a game 13-0 in the first 16 minutes to losing 30-13? Let’s count the ways:

1. Getting burned deep
The Steelers defense is hurting. But even before losing their two starting safeties, Gardner Minshew burned the Steelers for two deep strikes to Michael Pittman.

2. Being Soft in the Middle
There’s a reason why Mykal Walker was unemployed in October. The Cardinals and Patriots exploited him in the previous two weeks, and the Colts followed suit.

The Colts got their first touchdown courtesy of items number 1 and 2.

3. Turnovers I
The faults of the Steelers offense are legion. But one of the things they did not do was this: Turnover the ball.

That was early in the season. For the last 3 weeks? Not so much. Pittsburgh seemed primed to answer the Colts’ score, as both Harris and Warren had a couple of strong runs. Then Mitch Trubisky thought it was a good idea to target George Pickens in triple coverage. He almost pulled it off, but the ball was a bit high and napped by Nick Cross.

The Colts didn’t covert that turnover into a penalty, but did back the Steelers up to their own won.

4. Attrition I
The game of football has changed. Back on November 15th 1993 the Steelers were already leading the then-AFC Alpha male Buffalo Bills, Gary Jones laid this hit on Don Beebe:

Beebe left the game, there was no flag, no fine just Gary Jones getting his 15 minutes of Steelers history fame. Now compare this to the hit that Damontae Kazee laid on Michael Pittman.

There are some difference in the mechanics of each play, but the big difference is what came after, not only did Kazee get a 15 yard personal foul, he got thrown out of the game. That forced 4th string safety Trenton Thompson into the game.

On the next series Minkah Fitzpatrick got hurt and left the game, leaving the Steelers with Miles Killebrew to play.

5. Penalties
While still behind, Gardner Minshew hit D.J. Montgomery over the middle, for a 42 yard pickup. Joey Porter Jr. gave them another 26 yards on pass interference on Alec Pierce. Two plays later Minshew was connecting with Montogmery to put the Colts ahead. For good.

6. Turnovers II
It is easy to pinpoint where the bottom fell out for the Steelers in this game. The Colts got the ball to start the second half, but the short-handed Steelers forced a three and out.

Najee Harris fumbled the ball right back to them, and the Colts scored on the next play.

7. Penalties II
Steelers responded with a punt, the Colts got a field goal and on the next drive Pittsburgh held the ball for nearly six minutes. Good. They also suffered 3 holding penalties on that same drive. They reached Indy’s 39, but Mike Tomlin opted to punt rather than try a 57 yard field goal.

At this point it serves no narrative purpose to enumerate the Steelers breakdowns, because they simply repeated themselves. The Colts ran the ball down the Steelers throats, with Pittsburgh knowing it was coming an unable to stop.

Mitch Trubisky threw another ugly interception. The Steelers kept killing themselves with penalties. Mason Rudolph came in for mop up duty and managed to complete 2 passes, one for negative yards and get himself sacked.

For the record this game wasn’t the worst loss of the Mike Tomlin era – a couple of candidates from the 2009 5 game losing streak would top this – but it clearly makes any top 5 list.

Can the Steelers Recover from Shell Shock?

The Steelers offense lacks talent at some positions and desire at others (see wide receiver.) It lacks coordination. Despite some of the results of the last week, the defense is in much better shape, or at least it would be if it weren’t so deeply depleted.

  • But even that doesn’t account for Pittsburgh’s poor performance against the Colts.

This team is shell shocked. It is playing with zero confidence and self-destructing as a result of it to the extent that one would be surprised if they win another game this year.

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Like It or Not: “Benny Snell Football” Was Vital to Steelers Win Over Colts

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There was a lot of hype and hope surrounding running back Benny Snell after the Steelers selected him in the fourth round out of Kentucky in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Why so much hype for a fourth-round pick? For starters, Snell had a very productive collegiate career, rushing for 3,873 yards in three seasons, while eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark in each one.

  • Also, Snell had a cool personality, a cool nickname — Benny Snell Football — and an infectious smile.

Lastly, Snell was drafted during the height of social media, and the bells and whistles that accompany draft choices on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram, etc. in this day and age make every single one seem like a future Hall of Famer.

Benny Snell, Steelers vs Colts 2022

Benny Snell celebrates after scoring the go ahead touchdown. Photo Credit: AJ Mast,. AP via The San Diego Tribune.

Snell actually did show a lot of promise during his rookie season, rushing for 426 yards on 108 carries while filling in for the oft-injured James Conner.

Snell’s sophomore season got off to an incredible start when he rushed for 113 yards on 19 carries in a Week 1 win over the Giants. Snell came into the game for Conner, who was, you guessed it, injured, and the calls for him to become the Steelers’ new starting running back were quite audible.

Unfortunately for Snell, he never did overtake James Conner as the Steelers’ starting running back and would only carry the football 92 more times for an uninspiring 255 yards over the final 15 games of the 2020 campaign.

James Conner left as a free agent after 2020, and the Steelers decided to make Najee Harris their 2021 first-round pick, as well as their bell-cow running back.

  • Just how much of a bell-cow back was Harris in 2021? Such a bell-cow, that Snell had just 36 carries for 98 yards.
Najee Harris, Steelers vs Browns, Ben Roethlisberger last game Heinz Field

Najee Harris en route to 188 yards. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.come

As is usually the case with underperforming mid-level draft picks, the attitude of the fans toward Snell had totally soured by Year 3. Heck, it was going downhill even after 2020, as the faithful began to refer to the former Kentucky workhorse as Benny Snail.

It didn’t matter that Snell had turned himself into a valuable special teams player, the fans simply wanted him gone at the conclusion of the Steelers 2022 training camp.

  • Why did the fans turn on Snell?

He just didn’t live up to the social media hype. Also, that’s mostly how fans are. They’re a lot like college head coaches. They’ll kiss a player’s butt and charm him during the recruiting phase of the relationship, but they have no problem chewing him out and tearing him down the moment he screws up on the football field.

Snell survived the final cut in training camp, but he was dropped to third on the depth chart behind Harris and rookie Jaylen Warren.

  • Snell came into Monday night’s game against the Colts without a single carry in 2022.

Warren missed Monday’s game with a hamstring injury, but the Steelers seemed intent on using Anthony McFarland, a third-year back out of Maryland who was just signed from the practice squad, as the primary backup to Harris.

But then Harris had to leave the Colts game with an abdominal injury, and that forced Snell to be the next man up in the backfield.

Sure, McFarland had a decent night for himself in limited action, tallying 30 yards on five carries, but it was Snell who became the primary back and the workhorse to close out the game. All-in-all, Snell had 12 carries for 62 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

  • Snell looked decisive and strong during most of his 12 carries on Monday night.

What happened? Did he suddenly feel inspired? Did he feel motivated to prove the “haters” wrong?

Or, perhaps, his skills could finally shine thanks to an offensive line that has seemingly figured out a way to open holes in the running game on a consistent basis.

  • It’s critical to remember that Benny Snell came to the Steelers right as the offense was going from a strength to a weakness.
Benny Snell, Steelers offensive line

Bell Snell rushing through the holes opened by the Steelers offensive line. Photo Credit: Robert Gauthier

The offense has been in a rebuilding phase since 2019, complete with a total overhaul on the offensive line, as well as everywhere else, including at quarterback and offensive coordinator.

The Steelers offense has been a chaotic and controversial mess during Snell’s entire career in Pittsburgh. It’s hard enough for a first-round pick to thrive in such an environment–just ask Harris–let alone a fourth-rounder.

Does Monday’s performance mean that Snell should get a bigger role in Pittsburgh’s offense? Not necessarily. I believe Warren has what it takes to be an effective backup behind Harris.

  • I am suggesting that perhaps Snell was never as bad as you think.
  • Maybe he was just a victim of circumstance.

Maybe calling him Benny Snail was a bit unfair and uncalled for.

 

 

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Steelers Report Card for MNF Win Over Colts: Going Old School Edition

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Taken from the grade book of a teacher pleased as punch to see his students go “Old School” here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Report Card for win over the Colts on Monday Night Football.

Arthur Maulet, Matt Ryan, Steelers vs Colts

Arthur Maulet sacks Matt Ryan in the 4th quarter. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.come

Quarterback
Kenny Pickett authored his first comeback win by going 20 of 28 for 174 yards and no interceptions. Pickett is making progress, but still needs to perform better on third downs and in the Red Zone. Grade: B+Steelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Najee Harris was off to a solid start with 35 yards on 10 runs and a touchdown before getting hurt. Benny Snell stepped in and reminded everyone of why he was on the team with 62 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown. Anthony McFarland, looking like he belonged in the NFL for the first time, had 30 yards on six carries plus 2 catches for 11. Derek Watt converted a fourth down with a 4 yard run. Grade: A

Tight Ends
Pat Freiermuth had 3 catches for 39 yards while Zach Gentry had one catch for 4 yards. Grade: B

Wide Receivers
George Pickens made some nice catches and is developing a rapport with Pickett, but he still made some rookie mistakes. Diontae Johnson continues to disappoint. He had 5 catches but didn’t bring in a catchable ball in the end zone and ran backwards on a play where he could have gotten a first down. Steven Sims had 2 catches for 9 yards while Gunner Olszewski ran a reverse for 9. Grade: B-

Offensive Line
Kenny Pickett had better protection than he’s had of late, but still got sacked on a few critical third downs. But protection improved as the game wore on and The run blocking continues to improve. Grade: B

Defensive Line
Larry Ogunjobi led the team in tackles while Montravius Adams came in second with three with Cam Heyward getting three hits on Matt Ryan. The Steelers contained Jonathan Taylor well enough and that started with the line. Grade: B

Linebackers
Devin Bush led the unit in tackles and came up with a critical pass defense. Myles Jack came in second, and T.J. Watt had a quiet night, but did help deflect a pass. Alex Highsmith had the play of the night when he strip sacked Matt Ryan during the two minute drill, costing the Colts precious time. Grade: B

Secondary
James Pierre made an excellent interception to help set the tone for the night. Terrell Edmunds made a sack in the first quarter and Arthur Maulet logged one in the 4th. Outside of the pass he defensed Cam Sutton had a quiet night which was good for a cornerback. The Colts went 3-12 on third downs. Grade: B

Isaiah Rodgers, Matthew Wright, Steelers vs. Colts

Matthew Wright helps tackle Isaiah Rodgers. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com

Special Teams

You know things are bad when the special teams section features a photo of a kicker making a tackle on a kick return that wasn’t the worst one of the night. Yet, that’s what happened. The Steelers gave up two a 45 yard return to Isaiah Rodgers that should have set up a score and an 89 yard one to Dallis Flowers that not only set up a score, but let Indianapolis.

Yes, the Steelers had a blocked field goal. Yes, Presley Harvin boomed off two punts of over 50 yards, the second of which pinned the Colts at the 7 to start their final drive. And Matthew Wright made all of his kicks. So that keeps this unit’s grade in passing territory. Barely. Grade: D

Coaching
While many if not most fans can’t or won’t see it, Matt Canada’s offense continues to improve. Yes, the Steelers still seldom pass deep, although it is clear there are down the field options. Yes, there are puzzling play calling decisions – such as the screen ton Gentry, but it is also clear that there are execution errors. And offensive penalties are down.

On defense Terryl Austin’s unit limited the Colts to on first half field goal and to two touchdowns in the second half. Is this unit dominating at the level one would expect it to given its star power? No, it isn’t.

  • But the defense continues to give the offense chances to win.

The Steelers entered the game 3-7. But if you look at the intensity that reserves Anthony McFarland and Benny Snell played with, you’d have thought Pittsburgh was contending for a playoff bye week. That’s the environment Mike Tomlin has established to his credit. Grade: B

Unsung Hero Award
It is often said that fumble recoveries come down to luck. And a lot of times that’s true – sometimes the ball just bounces or doesn’t bounce, your way. But even when the bounce doesn’t come your way, a heads up player can turn a lose ball into an opportunity. So after the Colts had held the ball for nearly 8 minutes and gone 87 yards they looked poised to score again. But Matt Ryan could get the handoff right, the ball came out. He tried to dive on it, but Chris Wormley out muscled him and for that he wins the Unsung Hero Award for the 2022 MNF win over the Colts.

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Steelers Report Card for Comeback over Colts: Roethlisberger Rebound Edition

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From the grade book of a teacher crossing his fingers that his struggling students are rebounding as finals approach, here is the Steelers Report Card for the win over the Colts.

T.J. Watt, Mike Hilton, Philip Rivers, Steelers vs Colts

T.J. Watt strip sacks Philip Rivers and Mike Hilton is there. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Quarterback
At the half, Ben Roethlisberger had completed just over 50% of his passes for less than 100 yards. After intermission Roethlisberger let it rip 23 of 29 passes for 244 yards, including touchdown passes of 25, 34 and 39 yards. Those deep balls fueled a stunning turn around that lifted the entire team and, if sustained, will make the Steelers a championship contender. Grade: ASteelers, Report Card, grades,

Running Backs
Twenty yards rushing. That was the Steelers total for the game. That includes two victory formation kneel downs, a 2 yard sweep, six Benny Snell rushes for a net zero yards and 5 James Conner runs for 20 yards and a touchdown. As has been the case too often this season, there was nowhere to run. James Conner did catch 5 of 5 passes that were thrown his way, completions which sustained drives. Grade: C

Tight Ends
Eric Ebron caught 5 of seven balls thrown to him including the Steelers 3rd touchdown. Vance McDonald caught one pass for 5 yards and could be seen throwing quality blocks. Grade: B

Wide Receivers
Diontae Johnson continues to be a work in progress dropping a pass early and running the wrong route just before the first half ended. But he atoned, burning the defense for a spectacular 39 yard touchdown and turning in a strong day. Chase Claypool re-emerged, coming up with a big catch that stretched the field and changed the tempo. James Washington had two catches for 20 yards. The leader of the group JuJu Smith-Schuster had 9 catches for 96 yards on 13 targets including the go ahead touchdown. Grade: A-

JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers vs Colts

Ju-Ju Smith Schuster scores the go ahead touchdown. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune Review

Offensive Line
So the Steelers rally included a return to road grading for the running game an diary writing for the quarterback, right? Not quite. During the first half the running blocking was atrocious. There was some improvement, on Kevin Dotson’s side, but nothing to rave about. Both of Roethlisberger’s deep strikes came out fast but he did have time to throw in the 2nd half. The line was above the line. Grade: C

Defensive Line
The Steelers rally started with Stephon Tuitt’s sack of Philip Rivers. Cam Heyward ended their first drive of the 4th quarter with a sack of his own on a drive when he and Tyson Alualu set up the 3rd and long by stuffing Jonathan Taylor. The stats for this group were fine, but what stands out is the plays they made when it counted. Grade: A-

Linebackers
T.J. Watt set up the Steelers first score with a strip sack and added another tackle for a loss and two more QB hits for good measure. Vince Williams returned and logged 5 tackles. The real star of the unit? Avery Williamson. He stuffed Johnathan Taylor at the goal line for a 1 yard loss and then sacked Philip Rivers on the Colts next possession after the Steelers touchdown. Grade: A

Avery Williamson, Philip Rivers, Steelers vs Colts

Avery Williamson closes in on Philip Rivers. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review

Secondary
Minkah Fitzpatrick not only led the team in tackles, his coverage also set up Heyward’s sack and he deflected a late ball. Steven Nelson had a strong game although a PI penalty converted a 4th down for the Colts. Joe Haden gave up a touchdown while Terrell Edmunds and 5 tackles. The real star of the show was Mike Hilton who returned a fumble to the 3 and picked off Philip Rivers. Grade: B+

Special Teams
Matthew Wright was fine in relief of Chris Boswell and Jordan Berry punted well. Ray-Ray McCloud return averages weren’t exceptional, but he seem to recover some of the confidence he was lacking since his fumble against Washington. The Steelers kick coverage was OK but punt coverage was a bit shaky. This trend cannot continue in the playoffs. Grade: C

Coaching
At this point in his tenure, what you see is what your get from Randy Fichtner. You’re not going to see hand-crafted Joe Gibbs-like game plans nor will you see Kyle Shanahan’s innovations. His play calling might be predictable. Generally that’s a bad thing.

  • But you know what? Tom Moore’s play calling was plenty predictable.

Against the Colts it did not matter as the Steelers were able to out execute. The turn around authored by the Steelers defense was just as important. Every time they had to, Keith Butler’s boys step up and made plays in situational football. They were able to do so because guys were where they needed to be.

Facing the most punishing losing streak of since the four game skid of mid-2016 many were calling for Mike Tomlin to make changes. After a putrid first half change had to be tempting. But at halftime Mike Tomlin told CBS his plan was to “get the guys on the grass going.”

Alex Highsmith, Philip Rivers, Steelers vs Colts

Alex Highsmith pressures Philip Rivers. Photo Credit: Gene J. Puskar, Herald Bulletin

  • In doing so Tomlin stuck to one of his core coaching principles: But the game in the hands of your best players.

Tomlin did that, and those players delivered, snapping a 3 game losing streak in the process. Grade: A-

Unsung Hero Award
Splash plays. Bit hits. Stats. Those drive conversations about defensive football. But defensive players often make impact that isn’t covered on the stat sheet. Twice Philip Rivers faded back to pass in attempting a comeback and twice his pass flew errant due to pressure. Both times it was Alex Highsmith on the pass rush and for that he wins the Unsung Hero Award for the win over the Colts.

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Roethlisberger Lets It Rip vs Colts Proving Steelers Right All Along

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If you are a Steelers fan who is used to “experts” telling you that you don’t know what you’re talking about, you may have been confused as to why the team kept on trying to grind it out with an ineffective short-passing game during its recent three-game slide.

  • The Steelers went from 11-0 to 11-3, while the offense went from looking unstoppable to seeming totally anemic.
Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers vs Colts

Ben Roethlisberger prepares to let it rip against the Colts. Photo Credit: Chaz Palla

The short-passing attack, one that had clearly been figured out by opposing defensive coordinators, was a bone of contention with just about everyone who watched and covered the team the previous month or so heading into Sunday’s game against the Colts at Heinz Field.

Even while head coach Mike Tomlin, offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger were stating that execution was the problem, it appeared that scheme and predictability were the real culprits.

Throughout the first half of Sunday’s showdown against the Colts, Pittsburgh’s offense continued to try to execute its short-passing game vs. yet another defense that didn’t seem all that interested in adhering to social distancing.

  • The receivers were surrounded by defenders with each quick pass, and the offense accounted for a measly 98 yards in the first half.

“Why aren’t they changing anything,” you may have been screaming at your television, as the Colts opened up a 24-7 third-quarter lead. In fact, you may have no longer had a television following Pittsburgh’s pathetic four attempts to score after securing a first and goal from the one.

But, just like that, as if the Steelers were Rocky to Indianapolis’s Apollo when the former switched back to a lefty in the 15th round of Rocky II, the passing game began to open up. Roethlisberger started to go for the deep pass and hit receiver Diontae Johnson for a 39-yard score.

There were more deep throws — including one that led to a defensive pass interference penalty — and everything began to feel different. Roethlisberger’s arm didn’t look so lifeless. His supposedly injured knee didn’t seem so injured. In fact, he even moved around in the pocket a time or two.

Tony Romo, the now famed color analyst for CBS’ number one announcing crew, even mentioned that the Colts’ defenders were starting to back off. They could no longer dare Roethlisberger to beat them with intermediate-to-deep passes because he was doing precisely that.

The Steelers’ 17-point deficit had transformed into a 28-24 victory, complete with an AFC North crown that looked like a mere formality weeks ago before that puzzling slide began.

There was much speculation as to why the Steelers were so reluctant to move on from their short-passing attack that had proven to be quite successful early in the year before it no longer wasn’t.

Was it Roethlisberger’s health? Was it Roethlisberger’s reluctance to stand in the pocket behind a once-formidable line that had perhaps seen its best days? With a playoff berth already secure, were the Steelers simply protecting their most valuable asset at the expense of a few regular-season games?

We may never know for sure. But we do know a problem when we see one. NFL head coaches are fond of telling us that football is a simple game, that it’s not rocket science. Maybe that’s why we get so angry when a simple solution isn’t explored.

The Steelers did in the second half of Sunday’s game what so many fans had been insisting that they must do to get the offense moving again–and it worked.

Take a bow if you’re a Steelers fan who is reading this. Football isn’t so complicated, after all, and the answers to problems are often as simple as they seem.

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