The Indianapolis Colts had an opportunity to reel off a few victories in a row after beginning the season with two straight losses. Last season, the team began 7-1 until injuries took a brutal toll. Assuming the team could stay healthy in the second half of this season, getting a victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5 could be one more step toward the playoffs.
It wasn't. Instead, Indy lost 34-22 to a Steelers team that has a lot of issues. Once again, Indy's defense was bad, allowing a bad Pittsburgh offense to average 7 yards a player well into the fourth quarter.
Indy was also 4-for-15 on third downs and 1-for-3 in the red zone. That is losing football, and that is exactly what the Colts are after losing to Pittsburgh.
Winners and losers from the Indianapolis Colts battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Winner: Spencer Shrader
Blake Grupe could have been the kicker for the Colts pretty easily this season, but the team chose to go with Shrader because he was better in preseason games. Keeping Shrader was one of the best moves Indy made before the season.
Against Pittsburgh, he made two more kicks well beyond 50 yards and is the weapon many people didn't think he would be. He made five field goals in the game, tying a franchise record.
Winner: Tyler Warren
The tight end had a couple of touchdowns entering the game, but he was averaging less than 6 yards per catch. He was excellent as a rookie, of course, but the team hadn't used him much on intermediate routes. That changed against Pittsburgh, and Warren was back to being the player he was through much of last year, including a nifty 29-yard reception in the third quarter.
Loser: Bryce Boettcher
Boettcher got the start at inside linebacker next to Akeem Davis Gaither, but in the first quarter, the linebacker had the assignment to cover running back Jaylen Warren on a short pass in the flat. Not only was the pass caught, but Boettcher then whiffed on the tackle, allowing Warren to sprint for an 80-yard touchdown.
Loser: Daniel Jones
Jones didn't get much help from the Colts' rushing attack, but that was expected entering the game. The Steelers were stout against the run, but Jones couldn't do his part well enough. He finished 24 of 44 for 267 yards, no touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of just 72.8. He didn't turn the ball over, but his attempt to complete long passes late in the fourth quarter was just sad.
Loser: Jaylahn Tuimoloau
Needing to step up with veteran edge rusher Arden Key out of the game after a Week 4 injury, the Indianapolis Colts' second-year edge rusher only had one tackle. Worse, he was completely duped by 736-year-old Aaron Rodgers on a scramble that resulted in a first down for Pittsburgh. After a couple of decent games, Tuimoloau chose a bad time to revert to his rookie season form.
Loser: Shane Steichen
The Colts had a real chance to make a run for a few weeks. After winning their last two games, they should have been able to defeat a not-great Steelers team. Instead, Indy is back to a losing record with a tough stretch against the Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Dallas Cowboys beginning in Week 7.
2-3 is unacceptable for a team supposedly needing a sense of urgency. Steichen just cannot seem to get his team to be anything above mediocre.
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