In taming the Colts, did the Steelers show they can match up with anybody?
The Steelers just suffered two rough losses in which the defense looked anything but championship-caliber, but does the win over the Colts change that perception? Indianapolis came into the day with the best record in football. Not only did it lose, but so did the team with the second-best record in football—the Packers.
Of course, many have questioned whether the Colts are “for real” or not, but the Steelers have other quality win. They might not have seemed as obvious then, but they beat the Patriots, who are 7-2. And the 6-2 Seahawks beating them, each week, seems to look less objectionable.
Still, this seems to be a team that is allergic to playing a complete game. At least one thing isn’t going to go right, and even that showed up yesterday. Against the Colts, for example, the Steelers couldn’t run the ball. They had been on a good streak in that regard, seemingly cleaning that issue up and hitting their stride. Then they ran into Indianapolis and couldn’t even average two yards per carry.
The Colts put up a lot of yards against the Steelers, and did score 20 points, but of course, that was a lot of “garbage time”. They picked up almost 150 yards and 10 points in the final seven minutes, beginning that run while trailing by 17. Through three quarters, after their opening drive, they didn’t do much.
But how much does it tell us about the Steelers to get a quality win over a quality opponent like the Colts at home? Are we supposed to forget about everything we’ve seen for the past two weeks? Should we believe that all of those issues are magically gone?
It seems the Steelers did change some things around, partly due to necessity, for example thanks to DeShon Elliott’s injury. Jalen Ramsey played safety, and they also acquired Kyle Dugger, shifting their coverage patterns. But is even that a temporary benefit thanks to the novelty of the personnel and scheme? That’s on tape now, so Jim Harbaugh is going to be looking at that closely.
After another disappointing season and months of retooling, the Steelers are set to try it all again in 2025. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers isthe quarterback question. They settled in on Aaron Rodgers, but we still have a lot to learn about him. The2025 NFL Draft class could play a big role, but veteran additions like Jalen Ramsey will be paramount.
Now we are in the regular season. From Rodgers to George Pickens to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ramsey, we’ve seen the Steelers make some big changes. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and figuring out how it all works out.
Recommended for you