As we do every week to get you ready for the upcoming game, our X-factor of the week. Sometimes, it’s a player, unit, concept, or scheme. Here’s our X-factor for Saturday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts.
X-FACTOR: Mitch Trubisky
Last week, I picked Mike Tomlin as the X-Factor for the Patriots game. In reality, I should’ve picked Mitch Trubisky. So I’ll select him here. Trubisky is talented. He’s athletic. He’s got a strong arm. He can make plays and seems like a solid teammate who just wants to win.
But he’s not quite good enough to get away with it. The uber-talented guys can. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, a prime Aaron Rodgers. They all made mistakes, too, Allen turns the ball over a lot, but their peaks justify the negative blips on the radar. Trubisky isn’t there. He wants to be aggressive. That’s fine. Aggression just has a time and a place. As one reader listening to The Terrible Podcast referenced, Trubisky has been more reckless than aggressive.
It’s not all on him. He needs help. He needs a running game that wasn’t there against New England, putting more weight on Trubisky than it should have. But he has to play smarter football. He has to work within the confines of the offense, take what the defense is giving, and follow the play’s progression. If the primary read is something underneath and it’s open, hit it. Simple as that.
Pittsburgh needs more big plays. They need to get their outside receivers, George Pickens and Diontae Johnson, the ball more often. But it doesn’t mean risking a turnover for a low percentage completion, especially on possession downs the Steelers have been so bad in throughout the season. Trubisky has to take care of the ball.
The Colts won’t make it easy. Like the Steelers, Indianapolis has 21 takeaways this year. As Dave Bryan pointed out Friday, the Colts have forced at least one turnover in every game this season, the only team in football who can say that. They have an underrated and varied pass rush with 42 sacks, tied for third-most of any defense. Their secondary is young but makes plays, S Julian Blackmon and NCB Kenny Moore with three picks each. They forced a ton of fumbles, 16 in total, and they have a talented defensive line. They’re going to be a challenge.
Trubisky – for one game – has to rise above. Make plays. But make smart plays. Or else the Steelers’ season could wrap up before Christmas.
