The Indianapolis Colts enter Week 9 with an NFL-best 7-1 record. But they will have to get past the Pittsburgh Steelers if they want to stay at the top. Led by future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers are going to be able to move the ball against the undermanned Colts’ defense. So, it will be up to the red-hot Indianapolis offense to keep up.
Daniel Jones has the offense rolling right now, and he’s clearly earned the respect of Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin. The Steelers are going to do everything they can to slow down Jones, starting by going after him with their explosive defensive front. Standing in their way will be the Colts’ dominant offensive line.
Whoever wins that battle could swing the game in their favor. Given plenty of time in a clean pocket, Jones will shred the Pittsburgh defense and deliver yet another high-scoring performance. However, if the Steelers can make Jones uncomfortable, they might be able to flip the script.
Colts’ matchup with the Steelers will be decided in the trenches
This season, the Pittsburgh front seven has really turned up the heat. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has embraced a new and more gung-ho style of defense. Reminiscent of their “Blitzburgh” days, the Steelers are blitzing at the third-highest rate in the league, wreaking havoc on opposing QBs.
Clearly, the aggressive play-calling is paying dividends. The Steelers are ninth in the league in sacks, third in QB knockdowns, and fifth in pressures. They have already had three games with at least 5 sacks — and they won all three.
Eleven different Pittsburgh players have recorded a sack this year. Star linebackers T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig lead the pack with 9.5 sacks between them. The Steelers have also gotten key contributions from another linebacker Alex Highsmith as well as defensive linemen Keeanu Benton, Derrick Harmon, and Cam Heyward.
There’s a lot of star power in Pittsburgh, but the Colts’ offensive line has plenty of talent, too. The line is anchored by five-time All Pro selection Quenton Nelson. A pair of up-and-coming second-year pros Tanor Bartolini and Matt Goncalves join Nelson in the interior, while two stud veteran tackles Bernhard Raimann and Braden Smith, round out the starting group.
So far this season, the Indianapolis offensive line has been playing at a ridiculously high level. In eight weeks, the Colts have only given up nine sacks — second-fewest in the NFL. And PFF currently ranks Indianapolis as the No. 1 offensive line in the entire league.
Jones has been the biggest beneficiary of the Colts’ dominance at the line of scrimmage. The former Giants QB was sacked, on average, three times per game during his woeful tenure in New York. Now that he has elite pass protection, Jones suddenly leads the NFL in passer rating, while also having the fourth-most passing yards and third-best completion rate.
In Week 9, something has to give. Either Pittsburgh’s unstoppable pass rush gets stuffed or Indianapolis’ impenetrable offensive line gets wrecked. Whatever happens could prove decisive.