Quenton Nelson didn’t try to soften it after the Colts’ 34-22 loss to the Steelers. Indianapolis’ run game was off, and he said as much.
“I feel like we're capable of so much more than what we have been doing,” Nelson said in a postgame interview shared by WISH-TV on X.
That sentiment fit the way Sunday unfolded in Pittsburgh. The Colts ran for just 66 yards and finished at 2.8 yards per carry, a flat showing that left their offense leaning too heavily on quarterback Daniel Jones, who threw 44 times.
Jonathan Taylor, who had previously discussed his future with the Colts, had a quiet day against the Steelers’ defense. He gained 45 yards on 15 carries and averaged three yards per attempt. His longest run went for 20 yards, which means the other 14 carries produced only 25 yards.
Indianapolis did find the end zone once through Tyler Warren, who scored the Colts’ only touchdown on a one-yard run. Spencer Shrader added five field goals, helping the offense put points on the board even as drives stalled short of touchdowns.
The bigger issue was balance, or the lack of it. With the ground game struggling to do its part, the Colts couldn’t keep Pittsburgh guessing and wound up with another frustrating loss. The defeat dropped Indianapolis to 2-3, adding more urgency to fixing a rushing attack that didn’t hold up against the Steelers and has become a concern after the earlier loss to Kansas City.
In Other News...
Aaron Rodgers Made The Colts Loss Even More Annoying Afterward
The Colts frustration from Sunday carried into the hours after the game when Aaron Rodgers turned a Steelers win into one more reminder of how well Pittsburgh handled the moment. Rodgers was efficient throughout the afternoon, completing 22 of 31 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns, and the victory helped keep Pittsburgh at 3-2 as the social-media chatter shifted from the box score to what he wore afterward.
Rodgers showed up in a shirt nodding to a longtime Mike Tomlin coaching reminder, a detail that only added another layer to an already aggravating result for Indianapolis. Even if the on-field damage was done, the postgame tribute gave the Steelers a little extra edge in the conversation and left the Colts with one more irritant from a loss they would have preferred to leave in the rearview. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Still Have One Big WR Problem After Passing On Harrison Jr
The Colts spent the week circling a wide receiver market that had familiar urgency for a team still searching for answers on the outside. Indianapolis was reportedly in the mix for Marvin Harrison Jr. before Houston swooped in, and the move served as another reminder that the Colts are still trying to stabilize a position group that has been hit by injuries and uneven production.
For now, the depth chart remains thin enough to keep the issue front and center. With Alec Pierce still sidelined by a heel injury, Josh Downs, Keenan Allen and Laquon Treadwell are carrying the top load in the passing game, which leaves Indianapolis in a familiar spot: needing help at receiver, knowing it, and still waiting to find the right addition. [Read more 🡒]
Colts May Need A Trade Ballard Rarely Makes To Save This Defense
The Colts defensive issues have pushed a familiar front-office question back into the conversation: whether Chris Ballard will be willing to break from his usual in-season caution and chase help at edge rusher. Indianapolis has been searching for more impact off the edge, and the trade market is starting to look like one of the few places where the roster could get a real jolt before the season moves much further along.
Ballard has never been known for midseason swaps, which is part of why this feels like such a significant test of how desperate the Colts view the situation. The options on the board come with different levels of production and contract complexity, but the common thread is clear enough for Indianapolis: if the pass rush stays quiet, the defense may need outside help, and soon. [Read more 🡒]