The Indiana Colts secured a big victory on Saturday night, pushing through a 13-point deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-13.
The win has temporarily placed the Colts in a playoff position in the AFC. This is considered a surprising feat since they are reeling from the absence of starting quarterback Anthony Richardson two months ago and Jonathan Taylor’s recent injury setback.
The big win came following the Colts’ concerning performance against the Cincinnati Bengals last week. At Paycor Stadium, the Colts had to endure a 34-14 defeat at the hands of the Bengals, led by quarterback Jake Browning.
The Colts’ playoff scenario faced a pivotal moment. Starting the Steelers game with a 38 percent chance of making the postseason, a loss would have reduced their odds to 19 percent. However, with their recent win, their playoff chances have spiked to 63 percent.
The Colts, now with an 8-6 record and a temporary AFC wild card spot, will face the Atlanta Falcons on December 24 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. After the Falcons, they will have home games against the Las Vegas Raiders and the Houston Texans.
Meanwhile, with their 7-7 record, the Steelers are temporarily out of the playoff picture. They will confront the Bengals next week in a crucial matchup, then travel to face the Seattle Seahawks and the Baltimore Ravens in the season's final two games.
Colts’ robust defense
Even though the Colts had a tough start on Saturday, they rallied and scored 30 consecutive points while keeping the Steelers scoreless for the final 44 minutes.
Indiana delivered a commendable performance even though the team was missing some key players on Saturday. The match started without Taylor and Braden Smith, and the Colts had to lose running back Zack Moss and wide receiver Michael Pittman during the game.
Even so, quarterback Gardner Minshew, running backs Tyler Goodson and Trey Sermon, and pass-catchers Mo Alie-Cox, D.J. Montgomery, Josh Downs and Alec Pierce stepped up.
The Colts averaged 6.0 yards per play, scoring on six of their final nine drives after a missed field goal and a blocked punt to start. Minshew especially shone, completing 18 of 28 passes for 215 yards. He also had three touchdowns distributed to Moss, Montgomery and Mo Alie-Cox.
Journeyman Sermon and practice-squad call-up Goodson combined for 157 rushing yards on 28 carries, with a pivotal 70-yard drive taking nearly 9 minutes off the clock in the third and fourth quarters.
Indiana’s defense was robust and opportunistic, limiting Steelers running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren to 3.3 yards per carry. The Colts forced Harris to fumble and intercepted quarterback Mitchell Trubisky twice.
The defense stifled Pittsburgh’s offensive efforts, pressuring Trubisky and forcing three turnovers. The Colts also racked up four sacks against the struggling Steelers
The turning point came when the Colts, down 13-0, orchestrated a 75-yard, 7-play drive, with Minshew connecting with Moss for a crucial touchdown.
Despite their comeback win, there are concerns about Colts kicker Matt Gay, who has missed four kicks in two weeks. On Saturday, Gay faltered from 56 yards to 43 yards, marking only his second miss inside 50 yards this season.