Indianapolis Colts @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Final Score: Steelers 27, Colts 20
Writer: Cesar Escajeda
The red-hot Indianapolis Colts got off to a fast start on the road offensively, but the Pittsburgh Steelers randomly summoned some name-brand defense en route to six takeaways in a surprisingly dominant victory over one of the NFL’s top teams.
Two Up
- Alec Pierce — Pierce was at the tip of the spear for the league’s No. 1 offense in the early minutes, bringing in three targets in rapid succession for big-play yardage to help the Colts get the first touchdown of the day. It got ugly after that for Indy, but despite their offensive woes Pierce remained involved as the go-to option in what should have been a blowout that was kept oddly close. It’s been slightly inconsistent this season for the veteran receiver, but two 10-plus-target games in the span of three weeks is something to make note of.
- Jaylen Warren — Despite looking ridiculously ineffective for most of the afternoon, a two-touchdown day buoyed what would be an otherwise abysmal performance (1.9 yards per carry — yikes) and helped pace the Steelers in a hard-fought victory against a premiere opponent.
Two Down
- Daniel Jones — This was the version of Indiana Jones that New York Giants fans had warned about. It took nine weeks into the season, but the turnover issues reared their ugly head once again, with Jones responsible for five(!) turnovers (three interceptions, three fumbles — two lost). What’s worse is that despite that, the Colts kept this game a close affair for most of the afternoon. It’s unlikely that this is suddenly Indianapolis’ new norm, but a concerning and frustrating day probably gave fans a rude awakening to start the Sunday slate.
- Jonathan Taylor — The top performer in fantasy football to date finally crashed back down in this one. The Steelers’ defense stiffened up after the first Colts’ possession, sure — but what was frustrating to see was the total abandonment of the run game with the score relatively close going into the fourth quarter. Taylor didn’t average the otherworldly numbers he’s been accustomed to this, but you’d still think coach Shane Steichen would want to keep the ball in the hands of his best player. Instead, despite the struggles of Jones, he elected to give his QB 50 passing attempts. Not great, Jim.
Indianapolis Colts
Quarterback
Daniel Jones: 31/50, 342 Yards, TD, 3 INTs, 3 Fumbles (2 Lost) | 3 Carries, 4 Yards, TD
It’s been a fun and refreshing year for Daniel Jones in his new digs, and his opening drive showcased that in grand fashion as he capped it off with a dominant endzone sneak. Pittsburgh then quickly brought him back to vintage form in this one. His five total turnovers were outright egregious, with his interceptions coming at the worst possible times on some exceedingly questionable decision-making. The five sacks didn’t help settle him into the pocket either, with T.J. Watt getting the fumbling started early. The three picks matches his entire season total, and while his yardage helped to soften the blow for fantasy owners, it was a far cry from what we’ve seen Jones do.
Running Back
Jonathan Taylor: 14 Carries, 45 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 12 Yards
The Steelers quickly found a way to mitigate what Jonathan Taylor could do against them early, though the Colts didn’t exactly help themselves with the playcalling either. The running game was quickly set aside after the first few turnovers, and Taylor could not establish himself as a safety blanket for a flailing Jones to keep himself involved. His average of 3.2 yards per carry wasn’t rough, but it was ineffective enough to force the game away from him. It was a nice dud for the hopes of many a fantasy manager riding his numbers to dominant wins of late.
Ameer Abdullah: 1 Carry, 3 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 2 Yards
Rodney Thomas II: 1 Carry, 3 Yards
Tyler Goodson: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 8 yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Alec Pierce: 13 Targets, 6 Receptions, 115 Yards
A surprise to say the least, but surely a welcome for Colts’ fans and waiver-wire enthusiasts alike. Alec Pierce started hot and kept it going, leading the Colts in targets and tying for yardage. A number of his receptions were well placed, though most were even better fought for — with corner coverage not exactly lacking (hence the sub-50% completion percentage here). Still, it was an impressive outing for the upstart veteran, and one that might springboard him to even better days going forward.
Michael Pittman Jr.: 12 Targets, 9 Receptions, 115 Yards, TD
The Colts’ WR1 remained heavily involved himself in Jones’ 50 attempts, reeling in a healthy nine of them in a tie for the team lead in yards at 115. Pittsburgh’s formidable trio of corners seemingly focused on taking Michael Pittman Jr. out of the game plan for Indy, though the veteran wideout seemed to get the better of the matchups for the majority of the afternoon. The situation and volume obviously helped to pad the stats, but make no mistake — Pittman put out a tough performance.
Josh Downs: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 57 Yards, TD | 1 Fumble (Muffed Punt)
Josh Downs played third fiddle for most of the afternoon, but his stats remained productive offensively. His lone score was a jolt of hope for the late comeback effort, capping off a nine-play drive that covered three quarters of the way downfield. Too bad his muffed punt got the turnover party started.
Tyler Warren: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 26 Yards
The rookie TE also benefited from volume, seeing heavy involvement as a safer option in the middle of the field throughout — though like most of the Colts’ offensively, disappointing would be the word of choice here. Twenty-six yards and a goose egg in the TD category sits in stark contrast to the performances he had put on of late.
Adonai Mitchell: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
Mo-Alie Cox: 1 Target
Pittsburgh Steelers
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers: 25/35, 203 Yards, 2 TDs, INT | 2 Carries
Despite the score, Aaron Rodgers had himself a pretty pedestrian day, and the Colts’ defensively gave him nothing easy. The majority of the Steelers’ output obviously came off of the takeaways, but it was the positive field position Rodgers and Co. found themselves in that really made the difference. Still, even then nothing was a given, as Indianapolis made sure to be as stingy as possible so the veteran QB could not make it happen — no matter how close to the end zone the offense started. He managed the game soundly enough, and tacked on a TD to make the numbers look decent — but it wasn’t dominance by any means.
Running Back
Jaylen Warren: 16 Carries, 31 Yards, 2 TDs | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, -2 Yards
It was very tough sledding for Jaylen Warren, though two scores is enough to make most people forget about how rough it truly was. The RB1 in Pittsburgh was exactly that, dominating touches no matter how pitiful his average per carry was. Again, the short fields really made the difference here, and with the starting proximity to the red zone on multiple drives there wasn’t much of a second guess handing the rock to Warren to punch it in. His involvement in the passing game needs work though.
Kaleb Johnson: 1 Carry, 4 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards
Kenneth Gainwell: 3 Carries, -1 Yards | 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 35 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Calvin Austin III: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 56 Yards
Calvin Austin III has inconsistently been the better receiver in the room for Pittsburgh, and it was clear that he has Rodgers’ trust downfield. He tied for the team lead in targets while leading the Steelers in every other passing category aside from TDs on the day. The Colts took DK Metcalf out of the equation early, so Austin and the TEs were happy to manage the load.
Darnell Washington: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 43 Yards
Arthur Smith loves his TEs, and Darnell Washington‘s size and athleticism put on a show for the home crowd with a number of tough, contested (and sometimes acrobatic) catches. Good luck picking which one is the go-to for that particular week, but against Indy it was Washington’s time to shine.
Pat Freiermuth: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 27 Yards, TD
Washington led, but the fan favorite Pat Freiermuth refused to be outdone. His TD followed the Colts’ second turnover in quick succession and put the Steelers up for good with a back shoulder strike from Rodgers down the middle.
DK Metcalf: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 6 Yards
The game plan seemed to call for getting the ball to DK Metcalf in a variety of ways early which was encouraging — but the shutdown nature of Indianapolis’ corners, the blowout status of the game, and perhaps even the shorter fields the Steelers’ offense found themselves in just eliminated the need for Metcalf to really see much of the ball down the stretch. He vanished rather quickly in this one.
Jonnu Smith: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 25 Yards
Roman Wilson: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 4 Yards, Fumble (Lost)