5 Keys to an Indianapolis Colts Victory Over Pittsburgh Steelers

The Indianapolis Colts are in must-win mode as they face off against the fellow playoff-hopeful Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers will face off on Saturday in a game that has a lot on the line for both teams. Sitting at equal 7-6 records, and coming off of bad losses, these teams have a lot to play for.

Can the Colts return to their winning ways that paved a four-game win streak? Or, will the Steelers continue to add to their impressive eight-game win streak against Indianapolis that spans years of football?

It’s time to discuss the five keys to victory for the Colts as they do everything they can to hold onto a spot in the postseason against the always-tough Steelers.

#1. Get Back to Pressuring the Quarterback

Oct 15, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive end Samson Ebukam (52) pressures Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) during the first half at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

The Steelers won’t have starting QB Kenny Pickett (ankle) on Saturday. Instead, it will be the shaky, but explosive field general Mitch Trubisky.

The Colts were bludgeoned by the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14 by a score of 34-14. In this loss, they recorded no sacks after going into the contest with the second-most in the league (42).

After a hollow performance, look for Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam, Dayo Odeyingbo, and DeForest Buckner to come out extra motivated against a Steelers offensive line that is reeling after a bad outing against the New England Patriots.

Given how Trubisky typically responds to pressure, the Colts must put an imperative on getting to the veteran passer. He had several bad throws against the Patriots, so the Colts will look to get Trubisky to return to those habits, forcing turnovers in the process.

#2. Get Zack Moss Back on Track

Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

After starting the 2023 NFL season with the biggest bang possible, Colts running back Zack Moss has come down the Earth in recent weeks, even possibly falling off a cliff, in a sense.

Against the Tennessee Titans and Bengals, Moss had only 79 rushing yards on 32 carries for an average of 2.5 yards per tote. If the Colts want to relieve the pass-rushing of Steelers stalwart T.J. Watt and counterpart Alex Highsmith, then they must run the ball effectively or Minshew will be under pressure all day. Something to note on this, per Pro Football Focus, is the overall pressures from Watt (65) and Highsmith (51) on QBs this season. This displays how often they disrupt passers.

The Steelers aren’t the best at defending the ground attack, even having a bruiser like Cam Heyward, ranking 22nd in the NFL in rushing yards per game allowed (117.9). Given that the Colts couldn’t get anything going against the Bengals (similarly bad in run defense), look for Shane Steichen to put an imperative on attacking this defensive front and getting Moss back on track again.

Speaking of Watt and Highsmith…

#3. Contain T.J. Watt & Alex Highsmith

Dec 7, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) celebrates a tackle of New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. The Patriots won 21-18.

Now that both Steelers linebackers Watt and Highsmith are cleared to play on Saturday, it means that Steichen’s entire offensive gameplan will likely be molded around accounting for these two.

While everyone knows the name Watt, many overlook Highsmith. However, as a tandem, they can wreak havoc. Below are some notable metrics from the season and PFF.

T.J. Watt: 90.2 pass-rush grade; 14.0 sacks; 52 tackles; 14 tackles for loss; 3 fumbles forced; 1 interception
Alex Highsmith: 83.5 pass-rush grade; 6.0 sacks; 49 tackles; 7 tackles for loss; 2 fumbles forced; 1 interception; 1 defensive TD

As the numbers show, the Colts’ offensive line must account for these two, plain and simple.

After Colts tackles Bernhard Raimann and Blake Freeland felt the wrath of Trey Hendrickson of the Bengals, they’ll look to bounce back quickly. But, they don’t get a chance to breathe with this duo on deck. They’ll both need to bring their best if they hope to keep Minshew and the ground game operating well.

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