Effectively, that was brutal.
The Pittsburgh Steelers bought off to a sluggish begin, struggled to get into gear, after which had points staying out of their very own approach, botching a late comeback try and fall to 3-1 on the season after a 27-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts Sunday inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
A vaunted protection by no means confirmed up in opposition to a Colts workforce that needed to flip to backup Joe Flacco within the first quarter whereas the Steelers’ offensive line had points getting something going within the run recreation. Steelers quarterback Justin Fields shook off a troublesome begin to play very nicely down the stretch and provides the Steelers a shot, however the lack of ability to get constant stops or power turnovers defensively merely wasn’t adequate.
Let’s get to some grades from the loss.
QB — B
By way of the primary two-plus quarters, Justin Fields reverted again to some dangerous habits from his time in Chicago. He held onto the soccer too lengthy a few occasions and took dangerous sacks, one in all which practically value the Steelers factors late within the first half.
Then, he tried to play hero ball on a 3rd down, misplaced 20 yards on a scramble and fumbled the ball away, taking an opportunity at a subject purpose away in what was in the end a three-point loss, one thing he lamented after the sport.
However after that essential fumble, Fields performed nice soccer the remainder of the sport. He completed with 312 passing yards and one landing, including two speeding touchdowns on 10 carries for 55 yards. Fields made performs along with his legs, prolonged performs, made some vital throws down the sector and actually regarded dialed till the ultimate fateful drive through which a botched snap doomed the Steelers.
It was a really encouraging efficiency from Fields by means of the air. He took over the sport at factors and regarded like that dynamic franchise quarterback.
However that fumble actually looms giant. Nonetheless, lots to construct from shifting ahead.
RB – C-
Coming into Sunday, the expectation was the Steelers would be capable to run the soccer in opposition to the Colts, and that Najee Harris would have a giant recreation. That didn’t precisely occur.
Harris completed with simply 19 yards on 13 carries and had Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin name him gentle after the sport. Time and time once more, Harris was operating in opposition to a packed field the place the Colts had a number of free defenders to get after him.
He made some performs within the passing recreation, ending with three receptions for 54 yards, and had a pleasant 32-yard catch and run to place the Steelers in scoring place. Nevertheless it was disappointing to see the dearth of manufacturing within the run recreation from Harris.
It was encouraging to see Cordarrelle Patterson have success earlier than exiting with an ankle damage. Patterson was the lone spark offensively within the first half, speeding for 43 yards on six carries. He was ripping off some good runs and actually helped the Steelers get into rhythm.
Shedding him was a giant blow, which is one thing I wouldn’t have anticipated to say within the run recreation. Follow-squad elevation Aaron Shampklin had one carry for 5 yards and had some points in go safety when on the sector. This workforce wants a wholesome Jaylen Warren again, and shortly.
WR — C-
George Pickens’s stats look fairly darn good, the third-year WR ending with seven receptions for 113 yards on Sunday. However his one essential mistake value the Steelers dearly.
Pickens broke a deal with and bought contained in the 5-yard line, however then fumbled the ball away, maintaining factors off the board. It was a significant mistake and in the end value the Steelers. To Pickens’s credit score, he bounced again properly and had an enormous day by means of the air, making performs down the sector, persevering with to mix with Justin Fields for a dynamic passing duo.
Outdoors of him although, the broad receiver room is basically non-existent.
Van Jefferson had two catches for 21 yards within the loss and wasn’t a lot of an element. Calvin Austin III – one week after a near-100-yard efficiency with an enormous landing — had only one catch for 17 yards.
The Steelers need to get extra manufacturing from the room shifting ahead.
TE — B
It was good to see Pat Freiermuth get extra work on Sunday. The fourth-year tight finish hauled in 5 passes for 57 yards and a had a giant eight-yard landing late within the fourth quarter to make it a three-point recreation. He was regular over the center of the sector and difficult after the catch.
Hopefully that’s an indication of issues to come back within the passing recreation as groups begin to focus an increasing number of on the perimeter on Pickens.
Darnell Washington had a pleasant recreation, too, hauling in two passes for 31 yards, together with a highlight-reel 20-yard catch and run through which he buried one defender with a stiff arm after which hurdled one other defender. He’s getting extra work in current weeks within the passing recreation and is rewarding the Steelers there.
OL — D+
The Steelers rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries, however for a lot of the sport it actually didn’t really feel that approach.
Their offensive line actually struggled to create lanes for Najee Harris and had been overwhelmed early within the run recreation because the Colts had been ultra-aggressive in opposition to the run, firing downhill snap after snap. They actually gave the Steelers suits.
Within the passing recreation, it wasn’t as dangerous because it was made out to be. Sure, the Steelers gave up 4 sacks and 9 quarterback hits, however Justin Fields took a minimum of two dangerous sacks, holding onto the soccer too lengthy. He had time late within the recreation once they had been largely one-dimensional.
The botched snap is an actual concern although. Being unable to constantly snap the soccer cleanly is an actual situation. Shedding James Daniels early to an damage, too, was a significant blow.
DL — D-
The Colts hammered away on the defensive entrance on the bottom early and actually did no matter they wished in opposition to the Steelers. It was a matchup that the Steelers had been trying ahead to all week, they usually simply weren’t able to go.
Keeanu Benton bought pushed round far too usually in opposition to a rookie middle making his first NFL begin whereas Cameron Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi had been sluggish to get going.
Happily, the 2 veterans locked in and made performs all through the remainder of the sport, notably within the second half. Heyward completed with six tackles, a sack and three quarterback hits, however his missed sack within the fourth quarter through which Joe Flacco was capable of throw the ball away was a killer. He finishes that, it may be a distinct recreation.
Ogunjobi had six tackles, half a sack and one deal with for loss and was a disruptive go rusher on the inside, notably within the fourth quarter. That was encouraging.
Benton had three tackles and a deal with for loss, however he was largely non-existent for stretches in a matchup that he ought to have dominated. Isaiahh Loudermilk and Montravius Adams had been slightly quiet in rotation, too. DeMarvin Leal performed fairly just a few snaps rotating alongside the line of defense and at exterior linebacker and wasn’t an element in any respect. No go rush generated from him.
LB — F
Towards a run-heavy offense that has athletic offensive linemen who can get to the second stage, the Steelers’ linebackers actually struggled.
Patrick Queen had a troublesome time getting off blocks in opposition to the run and was seemingly out of place usually in protection. Communication points had been rampant, too, which he owned after the sport. By way of the primary 4 video games it hasn’t been what many had been hoping for from the addition of Queen.
Rookie Payton Wilson performed fairly a bit on Sunday, too, and struggled to remain clear and get off blocks, very like Queen. Wilson had six tackles, however he wasn’t very impactful in opposition to the run. Elandon Roberts wasn’t all that impactful, both, with simply three tackles.
Actually regarding efficiency from the within linebackers, interval.
Identical for the skin linebackers, too.
With Alex Highsmith out attributable to damage, Nick Herbig had an actual alternative in entrance of him as a starter. He didn’t do a lot. Herbig had simply two tackles on the day, didn’t do a lot in opposition to the run and failed to essentially generate a lot of a go rush. Perhaps he was restricted greater than anticipated after sustaining an ankle damage, but it surely wasn’t an excellent recreation from Herbig.
Identical for T.J. Watt. The Colts chipped him and despatched further consideration time and again at Watt and it restricted him. He had simply two tackles on the day. No quarterback hits, no tackles for loss, nothing. Ugly recreation.
DB — D
I preferred what I noticed from safeties DeShon Elliott and Minkah Fitzpatrick. The 2 mixed for 21 tackles on the afternoon. Fitzpatrick and Elliott helped power a fumble within the first half, too, however the Steelers couldn’t get better it.
They had been the 2 greatest defenders on the day for the Steelers, which is dangerous once they’re the final line of protection.
At cornerback, Joey Porter Jr. had a forgettable recreation. He had a go interference penalty in opposition to him, didn’t get a hand on the primary go of the sport on a play he ought to have made, and later dropped an interception ultimately zone that led to a Colts landing.
Donte Jackson had an honest recreation in protection, however his missed deal with within the fourth quarter on a 3rd down loomed giant because the Colts transformed and went on to kick a subject purpose. Beanie Bishop Jr. had half a sack on the day, combining with Ogunjobi.
Particular Groups — B+
Calvin Austin III might need been the very best weapon for the Steelers on the day due to his 30-yard punt return. With the Steelers trailing 17-3, Austin got here up giant with an excellent 30-yard punt return. Three performs later, although, the Steelers fumbled the soccer away, losing the chance.
Austin has been so near breaking one, and he practically did once more on Sunday. A punt-return TD is coming.
Kicker Chris Boswell drilled a 50-yard subject purpose and was good on further factors. Nevertheless it was unusual to see the Steelers go on a subject purpose within the first half in Colts’ territory and punt. Corliss Waitman wasn’t all that good punting the soccer.
He averaged simply 34.3 yards on three punts, and whereas two had been downed contained in the 20-yard line, he didn’t get as a lot distance on these punts as he ought to need to pin the Colts again a bit additional.
