The Indianapolis Colts (8-6) snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7) with a dominating 30-13 win Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
In what was essentially a must-win, this game did not start out well for the Colts. They fell 13-0 early in the second quarter, and it appeared we were getting an encore of the Week 14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
However, the Colts kept the energy up and wound up scoring 30 unanswered points over the course of the final three quarters of the game. The Colts put together arguably their most complete game despite Michael Pittman Jr. and Zack Moss exiting, which added to the absences of Jonathan Taylor and Braden Smith.
The Colts continued taking the ball away, winning the turnover battle 3-0, and the pass rush came through in a big way during the second half. This game could have featured a bigger score had it not been for a pair of brutal drops in the end zone during the first half.
Still, the Colts kept their playoff hopes alive in a must-win game and they still control their own destiny with three games remaining.
Here’s everything we know from the Week 15 win:
Final Score: Colts 30, Steelers 13
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final | |
| Steelers | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Colts | 0 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 30 |
It was over when...
The Colts put together a 15-play, 70-yard drive that lasted 8:57 through the end of the third quarter while shaving off almost six more minutes to start the fourth quarter. The Colts offensive line bullied their way down the field on 13 consecutive runs and four first downs before kicking a field goal to extend the lead 27-13.
Keys to the game
- After erasing the 13-point lead, the Colts never looked back. The Colts scored 30 unanswered points after Diontae Johnson scored a touchdown early in the second quarter.
- The Colts won the turnover battle 3-0 with two interceptions and a fumble.
- The defense held the Steelers to just 216 total yards and just 4-of-12 on third downs.
- RBs Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson combined for 157 rushing yards on 28 carries (5.61 average).
- The Colts defense held the Steelers offense to 102 total yards on 25 plays during the second half.
3 Stars of the game
- QB Gardner Minshew: One of his best games of the season, Minshew completed 18-of-28 passes for 215 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 123.4 passer rating.
- LB E.J. Speed: With a team-high 10 tackles (nine solo), Speed was a menace against the run while forcing a fumble that immediately led to a touchdown on the following
- DE Dayo Odeyingbo: The third-year edge rusher continues to make an impact, adding 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hits and one tackle for loss.
A dominant effort
This was the most dominant game we’ve seen from the Colts on both sides of the ball. It started in the trenches. The defensive line got off to a bit of a slow start, but they had their way with the Steelers offensive line. DeForest Buckner, Samson Ebukam and Dayo Odeyingbo each had two quarterback hits. On the other side of the ball, the offensive line had arguably its best game of the season. The unit allowed two early sacks to T.J. Watt but wound up surrendering 3.0 sacks and five quarterback hits in totality. They put on a clinic in the second half, bullying the Steelers defensive line in the run game. With so many pieces out, it was impressive to see the Colts put together such a complete game.
Injuries
- RB Jonathan Taylor (thumb), RT Braden Smith (knee) and LB Segun Olubi (hip) were inactive due to injuries.
- WR Michael Pittman Jr. (concussion) exited in the second quarter after a nasty hit and was quickly ruled out.
- RB Zack Moss (arm) suffered his injury on a 16-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter and was ruled out in the second half.
- DT Eric Johnson II (undisclosed) left the game in the fourth quarter due to an apparent injury.
Quick Hits
- The Colts snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Steelers.
- WR Michael Pittman Jr. reached 1,000 yards on the season, the second time he’s done so in his career (2021)
- The Colts have 19 straight games with a takeaway.
- Colts lead the NFL in turnover margin (+12).
- This is the first win for Colts against Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium since it opened.
- S Julian Blackmon recorded his fourth interception of the season, extending his career-high and team lead.
- WR Josh Downs took over punt return duties, averaging 12.7 yards per return on three returns.
What's next?
Colts head coach Shane Steichen will meet with the media Sunday (or Monday) via conference call before the team prepares for the Week 16 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons (6-7) at Mercedes Benz Stadium.
