PITTSBURGH - If the Colts are going to make life miserable for the Steelers on Sunday, Jonathan Taylor looks like the safest bet to do the heavy lifting.
The weather is setting up for a wet one at Acrisure Stadium, with temperatures expected in the mid-60s and rain that could get heavy at times thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Isaias. Indianapolis spent the week getting ready for that kind of game, even with practice taking place under mostly sunny skies.
“Wet-ball drills, all the different things we need to be ready for with the weather that it’s going to look like on Sunday,’’ coach Shane Steichen said Friday. “We did a lot of different things this week in practice to get ready for that.’’
The field conditions may get even trickier because Acrisure Stadium also hosted the University of Pittsburgh’s game with North Carolina. Still, the Colts aren’t treating the forecast like some exotic challenge.
“At the end of the day, it’s a football field,’’ center Tanor Bortolini said. “We’ve all played in rain games before.
“I don’t think it’s anything any of us are too worried about.’’
Bortolini, who missed Wednesday’s practice with an ankle injury, was a full participant Friday after being limited the day before.
“Should be good to go for the game,’’ he said.
The Colts enter Sunday trying to end a six-game losing streak to the Steelers in Pittsburgh, and Taylor gives them a chance to tilt the game in their favor if the weather pushes Steichen toward a more ground-heavy plan.
Through four games, Taylor’s production has been steady rather than dazzling. He has six rushing touchdowns, tied for second in the league, but he’s averaging 4.1 yards per carry and 88.3 yards per game. That puts him on pace for 1,500 yards, but the signature bursts haven’t shown up often enough yet.
He has only two runs of at least 20 yards, and he hasn’t broken off anything longer than 12 yards since his 24-yard touchdown run in Week 2 at Kansas City. That drought has stretched his string of games without 100 rushing yards to 11, the second-longest run of that kind in his career. Even so, he’s come close, finishing with 98 yards against Baltimore, 92 at Kansas City and 95 last Sunday against Washington in London.
Taylor said his approach stays rooted in the details: alignment, assignment and technique. The big runs may be coming, but he knows the offense can’t wait around for them.
“It’s just going to be a matter of when that opportunity arises, make sure you’re there to capitalize on it. Defenses in this league don’t make too many mistakes, but when they do, can you make them pay for it?’’
He also knows bad weather changes the equation for everyone involved.
“You always have to just take into consideration field conditions,’’ Taylor said. “Maybe wear certain studs or certain things like that.
Sometimes it’s all about body position. If your legs are too far out (of) your frame, no matter what (cleats) you have on, most likely you may slip.
“Obviously, if you have to go and make the play, you have to do whatever you can to make it work. But when you’re conscious about some of those things, it kind of can eliminate some of those bad plays where you may slip and that leads to other things.’’
That matters against a Steelers front led by T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith. The trio has combined for 7.5 sacks, 13 pressures, 14 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles, exactly the kind of disruptive production that can wreck a passing rhythm and turn a sloppy afternoon into a slog.
Taylor has had his moments against Pittsburgh. In four games, he has 293 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 73 carries, a 4.0 average.
His best day came in the Colts’ 27-24 win in Indianapolis in 2024, when he ran for 88 yards on 21 carries. In the Steelers’ 27-20 win last November, he was held to 45 yards on 12 attempts.
Pittsburgh’s run defense hasn’t been airtight either. It ranks 17th in rushing yards allowed per game at 112.8 and 20th in yards allowed per carry at 4.3.
The only Colt to top 100 rushing yards against the Steelers is Edgerrin James, who had 124 yards on 29 carries in the Colts’ 26-7 win in 2005.
Steichen also ruled out three players: starting defensive end Arden Key (knee), wideout Ashton Dulin (ankle) and linebacker Jaylon Carlies (ribs). Tight end Will Mallory, who is on injured reserve with a thumb injury, started practicing this week but will not be activated.
Wide receiver Darius Slayton had been trending toward being active for the first time since signing as a free agent Sept. 22, but he suffered a knee injury in Friday’s practice and is questionable.
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