On Saturday, the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers will face off in a huge Week 15 matchup. Currently, both teams are 7-6. Pittsburgh is the No. 6 team in the AFC and Indy is No. 7. If the playoffs started today, these will be the final two AFC Wild Card teams. However, there are four other 7-6 teams in the AFC, all trying to claim a playoff spot, so the outcome of this game will be crucial.
Despite both teams being 7-6, the Colts are currently in a much better spot than the Steelers right now. Indy did lose to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14, but Pittsburgh has lost back-to-back home games to the Arizona Cardinals and the New England Patriots— both two-win teams before playing the Steelers. Because of that, the Colts should be expected to take care of business.
History says otherwise, though. Historically, the Colts struggle with the Steelers. These franchises have played 33 times and Pittsburgh leads the series 27-6. Going into Saturday’s meeting, the Steelers have won their last eight games against Indianapolis.
Somehow the Colts are still the 7 seed. Pittsburgh is a MUST win. Colts are 0-8 v Pittsburgh since 2008. Colts haven't beaten Pittsburgh at home since 2005 on MNF. This has to change Saturday.
— Jason Spears (@ForTheCOLTure_J) December 11, 2023
Colts haven’t won against Steelers in over a decade
For whatever reason, Indianapolis hasn’t been able to get wins against Pittsburgh. Whether at home, on the road, playoffs, regular season, Sunday, Monday, Thanksgiving, you name it; the Steelers have owned the Colts since 2008— and throughout history. The good news for Indy, though, is that history doesn’t win football games.
Throughout the eight-game winning streak over Indianapolis, the Steelers were often one of the top teams in the league. They were loaded with Hall of Famers on both sides of the ball and were contending for championships yearly. That’s not the case this season. Pittsburgh is still scrappy, but no one sees them as a contender.
When the Steelers come into Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, the Colts shouldn’t see them as a team that has defeated them eight straight times. Indy should see Pittsburgh as a vulnerable franchise clinging on to its past glory days. Currently, the Steelers are an inferior team in Indianapolis’ way of a postseason appearance. The Colts must treat them like such and put them away on Saturday.