The Colts and Steelers come into Sunday’s game at Acrisure Stadium with matching 2-2 records, but that’s about where the similarities stop.
Indianapolis has won two straight and walks into this one with the kind of confidence that comes from stacking wins. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has dropped two of its last three, and the mood around the team this week sounded a lot more brittle.
A big part of that tension centered on Mike McCarthy’s recent line, “Our house is not clean,” a comment that caught Jon Conahan off guard.
“When I first saw these comments from McCarthy, I was shocked and confused. While I don’t think the Steelers are much of anything as a team, I wouldn’t expect much drama with a veteran-led team.
The one thing I’m looking for is whether McCarthy meant that about TJ Watt after going after DC Patrick Graham. Graham and Watt said it wasn’t as big of a deal as it was made out to be on social media, but I can’t imagine McCarthy took that well.”
The Steelers’ defense is still the part of the roster that demands attention, even with all the age concerns floating around it. Conahan doesn’t see that group as some unit in decline.
“The defense is weird to me because we know what type of football Pittsburgh has played throughout much of its existence, which is a focus on the defensive side of things. I get the age question, but this is a legitimate unit to me. Watt, Jalen Ramsey, Cam Heyward, Patrick Queen, and others might be past their “prime,” so to say, but they’re good enough to win games.”
Even with that, the broader national read on Pittsburgh may be too generous. Conahan said the common mistake is treating the Steelers like a true contender when they’re more likely headed toward a familiar kind of season.
“Honestly, I think I’m in a similar boat as most of the national media when it comes to this team. I get the idea that many view the Steelers as a team others have to watch out for each week, but the reality is they aren’t good enough to win a Super Bowl.
I wouldn’t say this team is better or worse than the Mike Tomlin teams over the past few years. Would you be surprised to see this team win 9-10 games and lose in the Wild Card round?
That’s what I see happening.”
If there’s a name that may not get enough attention in the Steelers’ offense, Conahan pointed to Roman Wilson. He noted that Wilson’s role is already meaningful, even if the production has been uneven.
“I’m going to stick with one, though it might be unfair to say that he’s flying under the radar at this stage. That guy is Roman Wilson.
Look, Wilson doesn’t have the best tools in the world, but when Aaron Rodgers loves a receiver, we know they’re going to make an impact. Wilson has 24 targets, the second-most behind DK Metcalf’s 33.
Wilson has just 14 receptions for 188 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 47 yards per game. That’s not great, but he has an impact breakout in any week.”
One area where Indianapolis has clearly separated itself is in the red zone. Conahan said he had not fully appreciated how efficient the Colts have been finishing drives until it was pointed out, and he sees that as a major matchup point.
“I didn’t realize how good Indianapolis was at finishing its red zone trips until you mentioned it. At a 75% TD rate in the red zone, the Steelers absolutely have to respond to that when they have a chance to score. The Steelers ranked 29th of 32 in red zone scoring percentage (TD only), and that could be a problem here.”
Sunday’s game kicks off at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
In Other News...
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There is a little history here for Colts fans to keep in mind, too. Gardner has already shown he can disrupt Metcalf when their paths cross, even if his season so far has not matched his best work, which makes this one of those matchups worth watching closely for Indianapolis. When a receiver sounds this unconcerned and a corner has something to prove, the first few snaps can tell you a lot about where the day is headed. [Read more 🡒]
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Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes to keep Pittsburgh on schedule, and the decisive plays came from Jaylen Warren, who repeatedly turned routine opportunities into damaging gains. Indianapolis will be left sorting through another one of those games it had a real chance to win, with the late breakdowns overshadowing the positives and leaving the Colts with more frustration than answers. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Suddenly Have A Big Defensive Void Before Steelers Game
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Jaylon Carlies and Ashton Dulin are also out, and Keenan Allen along with Charvarius Ward Sr. are both listed as questionable, so the Colts will have to navigate the game with several moving parts. Pittsburgh has its own injury concerns as well, which may make availability as important as matchup plans when the teams kick off. [Read more 🡒]