There were so many things that went wrong in the Indianapolis Colts’ 27-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9 that it’s hard to remember several things actually went right. That may not provide much comfort after such a frustrating performance, but it is still just one game.
The way in which Shane Steichen and his troops respond to the biggest loss of the season will be far more important than the loss itself.
New York Giants’ fans have been holding up the caution sign all season. “Just wait,” they said. “Daniel Jones will let you down.” Jones played a very poor game on Sunday. Despite having some fine moments, he did not protect the ball, either throwing it or simply holding onto it.
It isn’t all gloom and doom after the Steelers’ decisive win over the Indianapolis Colts
He was seriously let down by his offensive line – the same line which had been so dominant through the first half of the season. The Steelers have a tough defense, recent results notwithstanding. Matt Goncalves simply could not handle Cameron Heyward.
Both tackles were overmatched by T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Nick Herbig was barely a factor, and it didn’t much matter. That’s how good the Steelers’ defensive line was.
So, with the QB and offensive line having their worst games of the year, what were the positives?
Well, there are some small, hidden silver linings.
Jaylon Jones' return will be key. He was up and down in his first game since Week 1, but he did manage a few pass breakups and showed a feistiness that should benefit the defense down the road.
The Colts were five out of five on fourth down conversions. That’s extraordinary. The number itself is not sustainable, but what it says about Steichen’s confidence in his offense matters. The fact that they convert so frequently means that this confidence is not misplaced. Indianapolis may not have a tush push, but its ability to convert gives it a huge advantage.
In fact, though it did not matter against Pittsburgh, Steichen’s willingness to go for it on fourth down led directly to the Steelers wasting a timeout. That kind of thing will matter at some point this season.
Those are the minor points. Let’s get to the bigger ones.
The Colts' defense performed extremely well. Allowing 27 points when your offense commits six turnovers is actually exceptional. And several of those turnovers were deep in Colts territory. Indy’s defense gave up just 225 total yards and 3.7 yards per play. Those are outstanding numbers.
Of course, it wasn’t perfect, but the defense clearly played well enough to win. That has not always been the case this year.
The defense even got the ball back late when there was still an outside chance of a comeback. That was the work of Kenny Moore, who had several spectacular plays on the day. On consecutive plays in the first half, Moore handled DK. Metcalf and Darnell Washington – two players who outweigh the Colts’ slot corner by approximately a thousand pounds.
That type of effort constitutes a silver lining.
But here’s the biggest one. This is a wake-up call. I know coaches will never say there is a “good loss.” Football is often a game of momentum and confidence. You want to keep steamrolling everyone you play.
But Indianapolis is not good enough to do that right now, and learning that lesson in a mid-season road loss against a solid team like Pittsburgh isn’t the worst thing in the world.
Daniel Jones got a reminder of how important it is to protect the ball. The line learned that they are not yet the Packers of the ’60s or the Cowboys of the ‘90s. Steichen got some pretty clear evidence that his offense has to run through Jonathan Taylor.
As a team, the Colts got smacked in the face by a traditionally tough opponent and now know that if they play sloppy football, they are not going anywhere this year.
It is possible that a loss like this will undermine Jones’ confidence and will give other defenses the key to slowing the Indy juggernaut. But I don’t think that is where this team is headed. This was just a bad game. One that Steichen and his troops can learn from.
We’ll find out soon enough which direction this team goes now, but if this loss leads to some additional self-awareness, then it actually may serve as a crucial springboard into the second half of the season and a very good run in the playoffs.
Sometimes, getting a wakeup call is the best thing that can happen in the middle of the season.