Behind the Steel Curtain
When the Steelers’ schedule came out, you’d have been forgiven if you saw this Colts game wedged in between a stretch that includes two Bengals games, the Packers, and the Chargers, and thought it would give the team a bit of respite. You’d have been silly, considering the Colts beat the Steelers just a year ago, but that’s how little the NFL community thought of the Colts heading into the season.
Much of that Colts skepticism revolved around a middling defense and what was perceived as an even worse quarterback situation: a camp battle between the thus far disappointing Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, a quarterback with a less-than-stellar reputation and a history of injuries.
Richardson, though athletically gifted, came into the league with little starting experience and questions about his accuracy. Those issues persist, while Richardson has also struggled with injuries and questions about his leadership abilities.
Jones has been an oft-criticized figure since the night he was drafted. Draftniks believe he was overdrafted compared to his skill level, and while he is a sneaky gifted runner, his accuracy, arm strength, and ability to handle pressure have all been questionable. The Giants were mostly bad while he was there, save for a lone playoff appearance in 2022, and some serious injuries to his neck and knee in 2023 had many wondering if his best days were behind him.
Colts fans and media were mostly skeptical once Jones was named the Week 1 starter.
What a difference a couple of months makes, huh? But it isn’t just the quarterbacks. While the middling defense I mentioned earlier is still flawed, people underestimated how many tricks former Bengals DC Lou Anarumo still had up his sleeve. The Colts’ defense can still be had, but they are a much more functional group than they were a year ago, when they were bottom-10 in rushing, passing, and points allowed.
Presently, the Colts are 7-1, and the surprise of the NFL season. Skeptics will question Indianapolis’ schedule thus far. They’re one loss cam to the Rams, while their victories have come against the Dolphins, Titans (twice), Raiders, Cardinals, an injured Chargers squad, and the Broncos via a field goal as time expired to give the Colts a one-point lead.
There’s a little bit of “yeah, but who have you beat?” to Indianapolis’ hot start. Upcoming games against the Chiefs, Seahawks, and the stout defense of the Texans (twice) will put Indianapolis’ title hopes and powerful offense to the test.
But regardless of whether you view the Colts as a paper tiger or not, this will not be an easy match-up for the Steelers. At least for the version of this team we’ve seen since the bye.
Rushing YPG: 134.4 (6th)
Passing YPG: 250.9 (6th)
PPG: 33.8 (1st)
RP: To further understand what the Colts do well and why they have been such a surprising success to start the year, I think we need to understand a few...
