The Indianapolis Colts kept their playoff hopes alive with a 30-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday. Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew was the star of the matchup, throwing for 215 yards and three scores to three different receivers.
Indianapolis trailed 13-0 midway through the second quarter following a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Mitch Trubisky and a four-yard touchdown by Diontae Johnson. But the Colts (8-6) would score 30 unanswered points to cruise to a crucial home victory that would, as of Saturday, have them in the postseason.
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Steelers quarterback Trubisky was 16-of-23 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss as they fell to 7-7 on the season. He was replaced with 1:53 left in the game by Mason Rudolph, who finished 2-of-3 passing for three yards.
Coach Mike Tomlin’s squad has now dropped four of their last five games. After the game, he would not commit to Trubisky as the starter next week but did say the team must make major changes overall.
Saturday’s matchup also saw several key players go down with injuries.
Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. was ruled out with a concussion after taking an illegal hit by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee. Kazee was ejected for the hit, which occurred midway through the second quarter. Colts players took a knee as Pittman lay on the field after the hit. The 26-year-old walked off the field under his own power and was taken to the locker room.
Pittman led Indianapolis with 78 yards on four receptions before exiting. He entered the game with 984 yards and four touchdowns this season.
Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was also ruled out of the game with a knee injury he sustained in the second quarter. Fitzpatrick walked off the field without assistance before heading into the medical tent. He recorded one pass defended before exiting.
Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward is also in concussion protocol.
Colts backup running back Zack Moss, who sustained an arm injury, was also forced out of the game following an illegal defensive play. The four-year pro scored on a 16-yard reception in the second quarter, but he was taken down near the goal line on a horse collar tackle by Steelers linebacker Mykal Wallace. Moss briefly stayed on the ground before getting up and clutching his arm. He eventually went back to the locker room and was ruled out for the rest of the game. Tyler Goodson, called up from the practice squad this week, takes over as the Colts’ top ball carrier.
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Minshew, practice squad standouts lead Colts past Steelers
The Colts started sloppy Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium, and after injuries to two of their top playmakers, it looked like they were on their way to a second straight loss.
But Minshew had other plans.
Indianapolis’ veteran signal caller put together arguably his best game of the season to help the Colts secure a 30-13 victory over the Steelers. Minshew finished 18-of-28 passing for 215 yards and three TDs as Indianapolis improved to 8-6. With three games left in the season, the Colts continue to inch closer to their first playoff berth since 2020.
The Colts’ defense forced three turnovers, including two interceptions from Trubisky. Indianapolis safeties Nick Cross and Julian Blackmon picked off Trubisky in the second and fourth quarters, respectively. — James Boyd, Colts staff writer
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Significant injuries and career days
Colts star receiver Pittman and running back Moss were both knocked out of the game following illegal defensive plays in the second quarter. Pittman sustained a concussion after being drilled in the head by Kazee, who was ejected for the hit. Moss was taken down on a horse collar tackle by Steelers linebacker Wallace while scoring on a 16-yard reception, and he suffered an arm injury that sidelined him for the rest of the game.
In their absences, practice squad players Goodson and D.J. Montgomery stepped up. Goodson, who had never recorded an NFL carry prior to Sunday, finished with 11 carries for 69 yards (6.3 yards per carry). Montgomery, after dropping a TD pass in the second quarter, bounced back by scoring the first TD of his career on a 14-yard reception in the closing seconds of the first half. He totaled two catches for 48 yards. — Boyd
Colts linebacker E.J. Speed gets last laugh
With Pittsburgh going for it on fourth-and-goal from the Colts’ 1-yard line late in the first quarter, E.J. Speed thought he had stopped a touchdown. The Colts linebacker smashed Trubisky near the goal line as he tried to reach the ball over, knocking it free, and although Pittsburgh running back Najee Harris recovered it, he couldn’t advance it since it was fourth down. The play was initially ruled a turnover on downs until the replay showed that Trubisky got the nose of the football in the end zone before Speed knocked it out.
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The bang-bang play put Indianapolis in an early 13-0 hole, but Speed would get the last laugh. After Indianapolis clawed its way back and took a 14-13 lead into halftime, Speed opened the second half by forcing Harris to fumble on the Steelers’ first drive, and this time it stood. Blackmon recovered the loose ball, and one play later Minshew threw an 18-yard TD pass to tight end Mo Alie-Cox that widened the Colts’ lead to 21-13.
After missing last week’s game due to a knee injury, Speed, who’s assumed a full-time starting role ever since Indianapolis waived four-time All-Pro Shaq Leonard a few weeks ago, finished with a team-high 10 tackles in his return. — Boyd
Steelers’ true identity revealed in recent losses
This week, Joey Porter Jr. said the Steelers were approaching their matchup with the Colts like a “playoff game.” Well … about that. The resounding loss doesn’t completely eliminate the Steelers from playoff contention, but it does show that this is in no way a playoff-caliber team. The Steelers were able to scratch and claw their way to seven wins thanks to an opportunistic defense and a couple of clutch Kenny Pickett drives. But water was bound to find its level — and it did.
The true identity of the Steelers has been revealed over the last three games. After losing twice in five days to the two-win Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots, the Steelers were unable to answer the bell on Saturday against a backup quarterback and a Colts team barely above .500. It will take a major surprise for the Steelers to salvage the season. Given the fact that the offense continues to get worse and the defense keeps losing key contributors, why would anyone have faith that will happen? — Mike DeFabo, Steelers staff writer
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Steelers dominated at the line of scrimmage
Fitzpatrick (knee) got hurt and Kazee was ejected in the second quarter severely compromising the Steelers’ defense, but how do you explain an offense where their top two running backs and top two tackles smack them in the face in a game that the Steelers needed to win to have any real chance at the playoffs? The Steelers were pushed around, especially with a fourth-quarter drive in which the Colts ran the ball 13 straight times on a 14-play drive.
The Steelers still had T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi and Patrick Peterson so they weren’t devoid of talent. The way the Steelers got pushed around late in this game may have been more disheartening than an offense that couldn’t move the ball at all with Trubisky at quarterback, who was later pulled. — Mark Kaboly, Steelers staff writer
How the hit on Pittman happened
Pittman had already gashed the Steelers for catches of 21 and 42 yards, and he was on the verge of making them pay again until Kazee knocked him out of the game. As Pittman dove for what would’ve been another first-down catch, Kazee cracked him in the helmet with his left shoulder to knock the ball loose. The big hit was a textbook case of teeing off on a defenseless receiver and resulted in Pittman lying on the ground for a few minutes while Kazee was ejected. Kazee will likely be fined as well.
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Pittman was eventually able to walk off the field under his own power. After briefly sitting on the medical table on the sideline, he walked back to the locker room with an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant and was later ruled out with a concussion. — Boyd
What it means for the Colts
Pittman eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards on the season Sunday and was one reception shy of reaching 100 catches, which would’ve made him the second NFL receiver to reach that mark this year. The four-year pro is having the best year of his career with 99 catches for 1,062 yards and four TDs, positioning himself for a massive pay day when he becomes a free agent this offseason.
But as for now, Indianapolis must find a way to win without him, which has become a theme for its top skill position players this year. Dual-threat rookie QB Anthony Richardson sustained a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5, star running back Jonathan Taylor has missed his third straight game after undergoing right thumb surgery on Nov. 29 and now Pittman is unavailable. In his absence, second-year pro Alec Pierce takes over as the Colts’ top wideout and rookie Josh Downs assumes the No. 2 role. D.J. Montgomery, who was called up from the practice this week, stepped in as the third receiver and gave Indianapolis a huge boost with a 14-yard TD reception in the closing seconds of the first half. — Boyd
Required reading
(Photo: Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
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