The Indianapolis Colts will officially be without two key offensive starters on Saturday when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers at 4:30 p.m. as running back Jonathan Taylor and right tackle Braden Smith will miss the pivotal Week 15 matchup.
Taylor and Smith were ruled out for the Colts. Neither Taylor nor Smith logged a practice this week. Taylor will miss his third straight game with a thumb injury while Smith is out due to a knee injury.
DeForest Buckner, one of the better interior defenders in football who was limited yesterday with a back injury, did not practice Thursday for the Colts but has no game status, so he is expected to play.
CB Jaylon Jones, who was limited for Indianapolis on Tuesday with an ankle injury, practiced in full today for the second straight day.
Also practicing in full were LB Zaire Franklin (illness) CB JuJu Brents (quad), TE Will Mallory (rib), and LB E.J. Speed (knee). Franklin was not listed on the injury report Tuesday but practiced in full Wednesday and Thursday. Nor was LB Segun Olubi, who was limited Wednesday with a hip injury and did not practice Thursday. He is questionable for Saturday’s matchup.
The loss of Smith is a big one, especially with Steelers star outside linebacker T.J. Watt clearing concussion protocol Wednesday. In place of Smith, the Colts will turn to rookie Blake Freeland. He has struggled this season, allowing 31 pressures and two sacks on just 336 pass-blocking reps. Saturday, he will get a full dose of Watt.
At running back, the Colts will continue to lean on Zack Moss as Taylor will miss his third straight game after undergoing thumb surgery in late November.
Steelers-Colts kicks off at 4:30 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium. Both teams enter at 7-6 records and are staring down a must-win game from the AFC playoff perspective.
