The Colts left Pittsburgh with the kind of loss that exposes exactly where the cracks are, and Quenton Nelson’s message afterward pointed straight at the offense’s biggest problem: Indianapolis didn’t lean hard enough on the run game.
That issue was easy to see in a 34-22 loss to the Steelers. Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes, Daniel Jones had none, and the Colts’ scoring never kept pace. Indianapolis settled for field goals, with Spencer Shrader providing three points at a time, but that wasn’t enough once Pittsburgh started finding the end zone.
What stands out is how far the Colts drifted from their most reliable strength. Jonathan Taylor has been the bright spot on offense this season, even if he still hasn’t topped 100 rushing yards in any game through five weeks.
He remains among the league leaders in rushing touchdowns, but against the Steelers he was held to 45 yards on 16 carries. One run went for 20 yards; the rest totaled just 25.
The rest of the ground game didn’t offer much relief. Seth McGowan had 16 yards on five carries, while Jones and tight end Tyler Warren combined for only five rushing yards. As a team, Indianapolis averaged just 2.8 yards per carry and finished with 66 rushing yards.
After the game, Nelson made it clear he wants the Colts to do more than just sprinkle the run in here and there. “I feel like we're capable of so much more than what we have been doing,” Nelson said to the Colts media.
“We want to be rushing the ball well, and we gotta start fast. We had some good rushes in the second half; against Washington we had some good rushes in the second half.
We gotta start fast and execute from the start, from the jump; you can't dip your toe in the water, you gotta be ready to go from play one, and I think that's what we gotta do.
That criticism lands because the Colts’ run game had been the one thing that kept them afloat in earlier weeks. In this one, though, they never established it, and once the offense fell behind, the margin for error disappeared. Granted, Rodgers and the Steelers’ offense were scoring touchdowns while the Colts were kicking field goals, so it makes sense to have to change the game plan to keep up offensively.
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Quenton Nelsons Frustration Sums Up A Growing Colts Problem
The Colts came out of Pittsburgh with a 34-22 loss, but the bigger concern was how little they got done on the ground. Indianapolis never established the kind of run game it usually wants, and guard Quenton Nelsons frustration after the game reflected a problem that has been building rather than one bad afternoon.
Jonathan Taylor was held to 45 yards on 15 carries, and the lack of balance left Daniel Jones throwing 44 times to keep the offense moving. For a team that wants to control games with its front and its rushing attack, the result was a familiar kind of pressure, one that makes every missed crease and stalled series feel bigger as the season goes on. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Have A Steelers Problem Fans Wont Ignore After That Game
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The most glaring issues came on the defensive side, where the linebacker rotation drew heavy criticism and the overall unit was framed as lacking the instincts needed to keep up in an NFL game. Add in the growing doubts about confidence and aggression, and the result was less a one-off dud than a reminder that Indianapolis has some real Steelers-sized problems to clean up before the next meeting. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Still Have One Big WR Problem After Passing On Harrison Jr
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Indianapolis still has work to do there, because the current group has not fully answered the need. Alec Pierce remains sidelined with a heel injury, leaving Josh Downs, Keenan Allen and Laquon Treadwell as the main options for now. The Colts were reportedly involved in the Harrison talks, but they came away empty-handed, and the bigger question is whether they can find a receiver solution before the season keeps pressing the issue for them. [Read more 🡒]