Colts’ Week 16 matchup vs Steelers couldn’t come at a better time

The Colts’ once-daunting road matchup vs Pittsburgh in Week 16 doesn’t look so scary anymore.

It’s pretty astonishing to think just how much can change in the NFL across a three-week span. As far as the Indianapolis Colts are concerned, their playoff hopes were hanging by a thread at 7-4 after suffering a humbling blowout loss to Tennessee.

Since then, however, Indy has rattled off three straight wins and currently have a greater than 90% chance to qualify for the playoffs. The AFC South crown, though not probable, is even in the realm of possibility if they win their final two games and see the Titans lose one.

To do that, the Colts will have to dispose of the free-falling Steelers in Week 16. Remember how this mortifying matchup was supposed to potentially derail their playoff surge? Well, as evidenced by Pittsburgh’s last three performances, it really couldn’t come at a better time for Indianapolis.

At this point three weeks ago, the Steelers were undefeated and in the driver’s seat to clinch the top seed in the AFC, which would’ve earned them a first-round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Fast forward to present day, however, and they have now lost three in a row. That stretch includes getting demolished by Buffalo in primetime and losing to two vastly inferior teams (based on talent) in Washington, who couldn’t score if their life depended on it, and a previously two-win Cincinnati side, who lost their franchise quarterback to a torn ACL back in Week 11.

Not to mention that the week before Pittsburgh’s losing streak started, they narrowly escaped a ravaged Ravens team that had a cavalcade of key starters, including quarterback Lamar Jackson, shelved on the COVID-19 reserve list.

Their run game is a non-factor, and Ben Roethlisberger has seemingly forgotten how to play quarterback. Over the last three weeks, the 38-year-old veteran is completing just 57.2% of his passes for 662 yards (220.6 per game) and five touchdowns and five interceptions. The most damning stat? He’s averaging a heinous 5.09 yards per attempt during that stretch.

If we said this three weeks ago, our reputation as an impartial party would’ve been done for. However, this is simply the reality of things: the Colts’ defense should be licking their chops at the thought of facing Roethlisberger, who either takes back-breaking sacks or throws the pigskin up for grabs when faced with pressure, and the Steelers’ floundering offense.

We obviously aren’t guaranteeing a win for Indy, but we’d by lying if we said we aren’t feeling confident after watching Pittsburgh lose to the lowly Bengals on Monday night with a chance to wrap up the AFC North title.

Colts: What would a Darius Leonard contract extension look like?

With linebacker Darius Leonard continuing to prove his importance to the Indianapolis Colts' defense, what could a contract extension for him look like?