The Indianapolis Colts (8-6) got back into the win column with a dominating 30-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7) on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
It was ugly early as the Colts were down 13-0 a few minutes into the second quarter, but Shane Steichen continued to prove why he should be the favorite for the Coach of the Year award.
The Colts stormed back to score 30 unanswered points after Diontae Johnson’s touchdown reception early in the second quarter. Despite injuries to Michael Pittman Jr. and Zack Moss, the Colts bullied the Steelers in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
This was a must-win for the Colts considering the playoff implications of the outcome.
Here’s our instant analysis of the huge 30-13 win over the Steelers:
What went right
- The Colts won the turnover battle, 3-0, with two interceptions and a fumble.
- Despite allowing two early sacks to T.J. Watt, the Colts offensive line allowed 3.0 sacks and five quarterback hits on the day.
- The offensive line also paved the way for RBs Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson to combine for 157 rushing yards on 28 carries (5.61 average).
- The defensive line was dominant as well. DEs Dayo Odeyingbo and Samson Ebukam each had 1.5 sacks while DTs Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner each had a split sack.
- In total, the Colts had nine quarterback hits and five tackles for loss.
- QB Gardner Minshew had his best game in a while, completing 18-of-28 passes for 215 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 123.4 passer rating.
- LB E.J. Speed was all over the place, leading the way with 10 tackles (nine solo), a handful of run stops and a forced fumble that resulted in a touchdown on the ensuing offensive drive.
- After committing a season-high nine penalties, the Colts turned around to commit just two accepted penalties.
- The defense as a whole limited the Steelers to just 4.0 yards per play.
What went wrong
- The Colts struggled with a few drops, two of which came in the end zone from D.J. Montgomery and Mo Alie-Cox.
- K Matt Gay missed two field-goal attempts—one from 56 yards and another from 43 yards.
- WR Michael Pittman Jr. (concussion) and RB Zack Moss (arm) both left with injuries.
- The Colts special teams unit allowed a blocked punt in the second quarter that resulted in a touchdown for the Steelers on the ensuing drive.
The Bottom Line
We shouldn’t get too hung up on the things that went wrong outside of maybe the Matt Gay struggles. This was an impressive win. To come back after being down 13-0 early in the game was impressive in itself. Doing so without Jonathan Taylor and Braden Smith, who were inactive, and then after Michael Pittman Jr. and Zack Moss exited due to injuries makes it even more impressive. Shane Steichen should be the favorite for Coach of the Year. The offensive and defensive lines were the stars of this game, and it was encouraging to see Gardner Minshew play well. They control their own destiny still as they hit the road in Week 16 for what will be a physical road matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.
