The Colts have already shown they can dig out of a hole. After two straight losses, they answered with back-to-back wins, and now they head into Week 5 with a chance to keep the streak moving against the Steelers in an AFC matchup.
That doesn’t mean everything is tidy. Indianapolis has gotten the results, but the execution still has some rough edges.
Shane Steichen may not be in immediate danger, but the pressure around him can change fast if the Colts stop stacking wins. Week 5 is a clean place to keep building, and these are the areas that matter most.
Daniel Jones has to protect the ball. He’s flashed the version of himself that can make every throw and keep the offense on schedule, but he’s also had those costly lapses that swing games the wrong way.
This isn’t about the scheme or the roster, and it isn’t about his health. It comes down to Jones making smarter decisions and not putting the ball in harm’s way.
The pass rush also has to bring more. Aaron Rodgers is a sitting target these days, and the Browns exposed that in their loss by getting to him five times.
Even with Mason Graham out for most of the game, Cleveland still created heat, mostly from the middle. That gives DeForest Buckner and the Colts a chance to attack the interior and make Rodgers uncomfortable all afternoon.
Then there’s Sauce Gardner, who knows he hasn’t delivered his best football yet. He’s said himself that he hasn’t met the standard this season, especially last week, and he still doesn’t have that signature outing.
Rodgers is the kind of quarterback who usually avoids trouble, so Gardner may not get a ton of chances to gamble. But Indianapolis doesn’t necessarily need a takeaway here.
Simply not getting beat would do the job.
The passing game needs somebody to step forward, too. Keenan Allen is back after missing the London game with a groin injury, while Alec Pierce remains out.
Pierce’s absence has taken a real bite out of the vertical game and forced too many short throws. Laquon Treadwell finally showed a little something in a bigger role last week, but Josh Downs and Tyler Warren both came up short against a bad pass defense.
Jones has to do his part, but someone else has to seize the moment and lighten the load.
In Other News...
Marvin Harrison Jr. Just Became A Real Cardinals Deadline Story
When the trade buzz around Marvin Harrison Jr. started to widen, Indianapolis found itself right in the middle of it. According to ESPN reporters Josh Weinfuss and Stephen Holder, the Colts are among the teams doing due diligence on the Cardinals receiver and would be interested if he ever became available, a noteworthy bit of background for a franchise always keeping tabs on young pass-catchers with a familiar name attached.
For now, though, the situation remains hypothetical from Indianapolis side. Arizona is not actively shopping Harrison, who was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and has appeared in four games this season, and he has said he is focused on playing for the Cardinals. Still, once a player of that pedigree enters deadline conversation, even quietly, it is the kind of thread front offices rarely ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Rookie Class Is Already Creating A Chris Ballard Debate
The Colts went into the 2026 NFL Draft without a first-round pick, so Chris Ballard had to lean on volume and patience when he used eight selections from rounds 2 through 7 to restock the roster. Four games into the season, the early returns on that class have been uneven, which is hardly unusual for a group this deep but still enough to keep Ballards draft approach under the microscope.
Some of the rookies are already carving out roles on special teams or in reserve duty, while others are barely getting on the field as the staff sorts out who can help right now and who will need more time. Deion Burks, in particular, has had a limited offensive footprint so far, and George Gumbs, Jr. has yet to dress for a game, leaving the Colts with an early puzzle on which young pieces are actually moving the needle. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Face A Huge Week 5 Question Ahead Of Steelers Clash
The Colts are trying to sort through a tricky injury picture as they get ready for a Week 5 matchup with the Steelers, and the biggest question hanging over the offense is whether Keenan Allen will be available. Shane Steichen has not said if the veteran wideout will play after Allen sat out Week 4 with a groin injury and was limited in practice this week, leaving Indianapolis to plan with more uncertainty than it would like at this point in the season.
There are other absences already on the books, with Ashton Dulin, Arden Key and Jaylon Carlies ruled out for the game. Center Tanor Bortolini is also still in limbo, which only adds to the sense that the Colts may be piecing together a lineup while trying to stay on track at 2-2 against a Pittsburgh team that is usually unforgiving when opponents are short-handed. [Read more 🡒]