How do the Pittsburgh Steelers get past the Indianapolis Colts? It isn’t going to be easy as the Steelers have made sure nothing comes easy. Nevertheless, this is a winnable game for Pittsburgh if they just assert themselves in a few areas. Here are our keys to victory.
Minimize the damage of Jonathan Taylor
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is finally healthy and when he is, is among the best all-around backs in the NFL. Pittsburgh’s run defense must step up and minimize the impact Taylor has and force quarterback Matt Ryan to make plays in the passing game.
Maximize the damage of Najee Harris
The Colts are going to try very hard to force rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett to beat them with his arm. Hopefully, Steelers offensive coordinator has some tricks up his sleeve to get Najee Harris going and keep the Colts defense honest.
Attack the Colts offensive line
If there is a weak point on the Colts roster Pittsburgh can exploit is is their offensive line. Despite investing heavily in this unit, they have underwhelmed. Pittsburgh can throw T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Alex Highsmith at this ground and should be able to really disrupt what Indianapolis wants to do.
Push the football down the field
If the run game is going to work, the Steelers have to take some shots downfield and attack a banged-up Colts secondary. This will push the back four out of the box and give Harris room to run. Diontae Johnson and George Pickens along with Pat Freiermuth have the talent to give this group plenty of trouble if the Steelers offensive line can protect Pickett.
