Pittsburgh Steelers collapse in brutal loss to Colts

PITTSBURGH – After a 3-0 start, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost 24-27 to the Indianapolis Colts due to a rough defensive performance. The 27 points the Steelers conceded are the most they conceded all season. Fields passed for 312 yards on 22/34 passes and one touchdown and rushed for 55 yards and two touchdowns.

On the first play from scrimmage, Colts second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson completed a 32-yard pass to wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. Richardson, a fourth overall pick last season, averaged the most air yards per pass attempt Failure to get an immediate deep shot should come as a surprise. Colts running back Jonathan Taylor pushed the Steelers’ touted run defense into the end zone to give the Colts an early 7-0 lead.

After giving up quick points, the Steelers had to answer. Quarterback Justin Fields suffered a brutal sack on third-and-9, but a generous passer penalty gave the Steelers new momentum. After getting the exact down and distance position, Fields found wide receiver Calvin Austin III for a whopping 17-yard gain. Despite being in Colts territory, the Steelers decided to punt after a good first drive.

Disaster struck for the Colts on their next drive. Richardson kept the ball himself for a first down, but the Steelers’ new safety DeSean Elliot took the ball away from Richardson. While the Steelers failed to recover the fumble, Richardson slowly stood up and grabbed his right hip. Richardson remained on the sideline for one play, but was taken to the locker room after a play and a tackle. Backup quarterback Joe Flacco stepped in and found Josh Downs, giving the Colts a 14-0 lead.

Because the Steelers had to score points, they couldn’t even get a first down. On fourth-and-1, Fields couldn’t get past the stick, resulting in a turnover on downs in Steelers territory.

With Richardson sidelined, Taylor’s role was expected to increase. Flacco’s first full drive was full of pass attempts that took the Colts into the redzone, but the Steelers bend-don’t-break defense held the Colts to a field goal, extending the hosts’ lead to 17 early in the second quarter: 0 out.

Despite giving up points on the first three drives, the Steelers defense finally warmed up. The Steelers stopped three consecutive touchdowns from Taylor and forced their first three-and-out.

This was the momentum the Steelers needed. Running back Cordarrelle Patterson started at the four-yard line and got the ball on four straight snaps for three first downs. Then tight end Darnell Washington pushed one defender to the ground and outran another for a 20-yard gain, the Steelers’ largest lead of the day.

Unfortunately, Patterson, the driving force of the Steelers’ longest drive of the day, was injured in the red zone. On the next play, wide receiver George Pickens broke a tackle, tried to break another, and fumbled the ball on the board five yards short of the Steelers’ first point.

The Steelers defense did a good job of getting the ball back into the hands of the offense. With 1:14 left in the first half, the Steelers tried to avoid the shutout. Under intense pressure, Fields recorded two sacks that eliminated any chance of a touchdown. But Boswell, the most accurate kicker of all time from more than 50 yards, got the Steelers on the field with a 50-yarder.

The Steelers trailed 17-3 at halftime.

With the Steelers trailing by two points, they had to take advantage of starting the second half with the ball. Great catches from Pickens and Washington provided some momentum, but the Colts’ defense, a unit that has struggled all season, forced another Steelers punt inside Indianapolis territory.

The Colts, deep in their own territory, stumbled for the third straight game. Two Taylor rushes and a rare Flacco scramble weren’t enough for a first down, giving the Steelers offense a chance to quickly get back on the field.

But the turnover bug that the Steelers had avoided in the first three weeks of the season finally hit the Steelers’ offense. After gaining no yards, Fields was blitzed, ran backwards 20 yards and fumbled before being knocked down by a defender. Those 20 yards immediately put the Colts within field goal range.

The Steelers would have held the Colts to another three-and-out, but since they were generously sent into field goal range, they ran the ball conservatively, resulting in a 54-yard field goal attempt. Luckily for the black-and-goal, the attempt was pushed wide left, meaning Fields’ fumble only cost one yard and no points.

With all the bad football out of his system, Fields was ready to find the end zone. After a 17-yard pass to Pickens and a climb into the redzone, Fields extended the third-and-goal attempt for his second rushing touchdown as a Steeler. Boswell completed the paperwork and the Steelers trailed 10-17 with 2:53 left in the third quarter.

Flacco gave the Colts punter a break and converted on third-and-long twice, once against Pittman and once on downs. A nasty, unnecessary roughness penalty on Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick helped put the Colts in the red zone. On another third-and-long, Flacco found tight end Drew Ogletree for his second passing touchdown.

The Steelers were still two points behind and had their best performance of the day. After eight plays and 70 yards, Fields crossed the goal line for his second touchdown, cutting the Steelers’ deficit to 17-24 with 11:23 left. The drive was highlighted by a 32-yard reception by Harris, which was extended by Fields drawing another rough passing penalty. Unfortunately for the Steelers, Harris was injured on the drive, forcing the Steelers to rely on their fourth running back. Since his fumble on two scoring drives, Fields hasn’t had any negative plays and threw just three incompletions.

Flacco was brilliant in third place all day. On another third-and-long, Flacco found downs for ten yards, putting the Colts just outside the red zone. The Steelers’ defense, the best in the league to date, simply couldn’t get it together for more than a few downs. After giving up an average of less than ten points per game, the Steelers gave up ten to the Colts in the fourth quarter alone.

Fields was really great after his fumble. Fields led another 70-yard drive, but this time in just seven plays. A 37-yard completion to Pickens down the sideline put the Steelers within field goal range, but Fields found tight end Pat Freiermuth for his first touchdown of the season, cutting the Steelers’ deficit to 24-27.

Linebacker Nick Herbig gave the Black and Gold and their fans a hint of hope by sacking Flacco in the second half. But from the start of the game, Flacco was nearly perfect on third and second. On third-and-15, Flacco’s deep pass fell harmlessly and Fields was back on the field with 2:39 left, hoping for his fourth straight touchdown.

This hope has not been fulfilled. A mistimed snap led to a third-and-long pass for the Steelers, and two consecutive pass attempts failed to get the offense past the post.

The Steelers host the Dallas Cowboys next week to try to bounce back.

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