The Indianapolis Colts took on the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9, and the defense did not fare well. Mistakes are costly, especially when the opposing quarterback is future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. As fans of the Colts have feared, their defense still looks like a problem.
Things started off well for the Colts' defense. Pittsburgh won the opening toss and chose to take the ball first in an attempt to make a statement. Indy stood strong, forcing a three-and-out, giving the ball to the high-powered Colts offense. A Daniel Jones rushing touchdown put Indianapolis on top early by a score of 7-0.
On the Steelers' second possession of the game, the Indianapolis defense played well again by forcing another 3-and-out. Pittsburgh would get the ball right back, however, due to a muffed punt by Josh Downs. The defense held firm and did not allow the Steelers into the endzone, causing a turnover on downs inside the Indianapolis five-yard line.
Indianapolis Colts' defense couldn't get out of its own way against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh would not get a first down until nearly four minutes into the second quarter. A Daniel Jones fumble, one of his five turnovers on the day, gave the ball back to the Steelers, and the Colts defense was called for a facemask penalty on the first play of the drive leading to said first-down.
Indianapolis would simply self-destruct on both sides of the ball from then on. Pittsburgh could do no wrong; defensive penalties and miscues piled up while the Steelers scored 17 unanswered points to take a 10-point lead into halftime.
The second half saw more of the same. The Indy defense was outplayed in every facet of the game. Missed tackles and a lack of takeaways were a recipe for disaster. Rodgers and the Pittsburgh offense moved the ball at will, which spelled doom for Indianapolis.
Offensively, the Colts could not get untracked, and that tends to happen when a team is playing from behind. We have become accustomed to Indy doing this to teams through the first eight games of the 2025 NFL season. This allowed the Pittsburgh defense to play freely and be more aggressive than the Indianapolis defense.
To be sure, the team as a whole was a complete trainwreck in Week 9. Indianapolis committed turnovers at a rate Colts fans have been all too familiar with in recent seasons. The defense, with potential to be exciting, was on its heels the entire game.
Critics have been slow to warm to Indianapolis' success this season due to their schedule. Week 9 was the start of a three-game road test against playoff-caliber teams. The Colts did nothing to silence those critics against Pittsburgh.