The Indianapolis Colts will look to make it three in a row when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5. It's a tough scheduling spot, as they'll be back from London while the Steelers have a long week after playing on Thursday night.
However, the Colts' defense has everything they need to make this a long day in the office for Aaron Rodgers and company. The future Hall of Famer looked like a statue in Week 4, and the Cleveland Browns just gave them the perfect blueprint to follow.
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is already familiar with playing in Pittsburgh and some of their personnel, and given how much they struggle against interior presence, this should be a fun one to watch.
The Indianapolis Colts' defense can keep Aaron Rodgers in hell
Let's start by reminding everyone that Rodgers has never been the most athletic or mobile guy out there. Now, after losing some bouts with Father Time, he's even more heavy-footed in the pocket than he was in his heyday.
The Browns sacked him five times in Week 4, with most of the pressure coming inside. Their defensive tackles feasted against the Steelers' shaky offensive line, and that's with young star Mason Graham missing most of the game with an injured knee.
DeForest Buckner and Adetomiwa Adebawore have been spectacular to watch in the past couple of games. They're bringing the heat from the jump, getting in the quarterback's face, and combining for 3.5 sacks in those contests.
The Colts' pass rush has been better than anticipated, but not necessarily because of the edge rushers. They're still struggling to set a hard edge and turn the corner. Fortunately for them, Rodgers isn't doing his line any favors by standing still for 20 minutes, until they just can't keep a clean pocket.
Of course, this doesn't mean the old man can't sling it. He was one yard shy of breaking the Browns' streak of not allowing a 300-yard passer, and with Sauce Gardner and AJ Haulcy seemingly not being on the same page communication-wise, that can be problematic.
But with a running game that hasn't taken off and the Colts' usually solid run defense, an interior offensive line that crumbles under pressure, and an aging quarterback who can't run to save his life, the Colts' defense should be able to keep the team in this one.
Granted, that's just half of the job. Daniel Jones hasn't looked good without Alec Pierce, and there's only so much Jonathan Taylor can do on his own. But with the defense constantly taking Rodgers down and keeping him off the field, Shane Steichen's guys should love their chances here.
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