Kenny Pickett and the Steelers blow a lead but defeat the Colts.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive that spanned the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter on Monday night proved crucial in their 24-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on a night when both offences battled at times to maintain any momentum.
The Steelers led the Colts 16-3 at halftime thanks to rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett of Pittsburgh and their strong ground game, and despite the Colts’ brief comeback, it wasn’t enough to overturn the Steelers’ advantage.
The Steelers scored early for the second week in a straight, but their lead was swiftly lost due to a subpar second half effort. However, the Steelers managed to win this time. The Steelers had a 0-6 record when behind going into the fourth quarter prior to Monday night. When trailing after three quarters this season, only the Rams (0-7) have suffered more defeats without a victory.
After halftime, the Steelers’ lead vanished as the Colts and Matt Ryan gained 152 third-quarter yards as the Steelers were unable to move the ball. While the Steelers continued to struggle with their red zone efficiency and giving up huge plays throughout the game, they were able to secure the victory by holding the Colts on fourth-and-three and forcing a turnover on downs with 30 seconds left.
QB breakdown: Despite still having some accuracy issues, missing a wide open George Pickens in the end zone, and not having a completion in the third quarter, the rookie quarterback gave the Steelers’ comeback effort his best effort. In addition to throwing numerous lasers at crucial times, like as on a two-point conversion to Pickens to give the Steelers a 24-17 lead, Pickett completed 20 of 28 passes for 174 yards. On second down, with the Colts bringing a blitz, he also connected with Diontae Johnson for an eight-yard gain while maintaining composure under pressure. On the following play, he made a 17-yard gain by hitting Pat Freiermuth on the side-line to make it third-and-six. Benny eventually scored for the Steelers a few plays later.
Unsettling pattern: The Steelers ran just eight offensive plays in the third quarter and gained just 18 total yards, despite leading 16-3 at the half with 232 yards and 16 first downs. The Steelers didn’t get a first down in the third quarter, but they did convert a third down on the opening play of the fourth quarter with a huge bomb from Pickett to George Pickens over the middle. A Colts turnover close to the goal line prevented two touchdowns from being scored as the offence stalled. The defence, which had limited the Colts to 0 yards in the first quarter, became fatigued and lost the game.
One bright spot: After suffering an abdominal injury midway through the second quarter, starting running back Najee Harris, who had just scored his third touchdown in as many games, was unable to participate in the second half. The Steelers’ best backup running back Jaylen Warren was already out due to a hamstring injury, but on Monday night, the depth at running back improved. Benny Snell Jr., a regular on special teams, got 62 yards and his first score since the 2020 season on 12 carries. Anthony McFarland, who was active for the first time all season, concluded with 30 yards on six carries. With 172 rushing yards and a 4.8 yard average, the Steelers concluded the game with their longest streak of two straight rushing touchdowns.
Colts of Indianapolis
The Colts’ memories of this game will include a terrible first half and some odd clock management late in the game. It was amazing how slowly Indianapolis got going. It was the third occasion this season that a team was stopped to 0 yards or less in the first quarter, with the Colts accounting for two of those occurrences (they also did it against the Patriots in Week 9). The Colts were down 16-3 at halftime when they finally woke up from their nap.
However, they came back to take a 17-16 lead before crumbling late. The Colts’ strategy for the last few minutes will be questioned. With two minutes left, they had a fourth down at the Pittsburgh 37, which they converted, but they lost 36 seconds between their next first- and second-down plays. Finally, they made a hasty play on third down before calling a timeout with 30 seconds left. On fourth down, the Colts were stalled out.
Unsettling pattern: Despite the fact that quarterback Matt Ryan was blamed for the fumble, it appeared like running back Jonathan Taylor made a mistake during their ill-fated exchange late in the third quarter near the goal line. This continues Taylor’s season-long problems with ball security. Despite having a reputation of fumbling that extends back to his tenure at the University of Wisconsin, Taylor has only fumbled three times in nine games this season. Taylor had a league-high 332 carries in 2021, but it was followed by four fumbles. He is on track to surpass that figure in 2022.
Breakdown of the quarterback: The Steelers pressed Ryan on 53% of his drop backs in the first half, putting him under constant pressure. Ryan completed 5 of 13 passes for a total of 36 yards. Ryan was able to complete a total of 17 of 21 attempts after halftime as the pressure lessened and the offensive line began to lock in a little bit in the second half. The Colts were also successful in completing two throws of 28 yards each to Jelani Woods and Michael Pittman Jr.
Big play: The Colts’ offensive struggles in the first half gave the idea that Indianapolis would be in for a rout, but reserve defensive back Dallis Flowers contributed by returning the kick-off 89 yards in the second half. This led to a Taylor score four plays later, but more importantly, it gave the Colts the boost they sorely needed on a night when they struggled to gain yards. Flowers’ return gained more yards than the Colts’ entire first-half yardage (71 yards). Steven Holder
The Steelers have now defeated the Colts eight times in a row, which is the second-longest winning run against the Colts by any club. Their lone rival is the Dolphins, who from 1980 through 1987 won 14 games in a row.