When the Pittsburgh Steelers take the field at 4:30 EST at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, they could be playing for their playoff lives against the fellow playoff-hopeful Indianapolis Colts. The Steelers and Colts are two of six AFC teams with a 7-6 record with 11 teams currently sitting above .500 in the conference. With a loss dropping one team to 7-7 and only seven playoff spots available, this game is almost a must-win for either team if they want to control their playoff destiny.
That’s the way Steelers CB Patrick Peterson portrayed this upcoming matchup against the Colts while talking with his cousin and former Steelers CB Bryant McFadden on the All Things Covered podcast. Peterson mentioned that the defense feels revitalized after taking a hard punch on the chin against the New England Patriots last Thursday night, knowing fully well it’s do-or-die time for the Steelers if they want to get into the big dance.
“On the defensive side of the ball, I feel like we’re gonna play faster than we ever have before because the guys on the defensive side of the ball who I get to be with in the meeting rooms, they just feel, they feel that urgency that we need to have in order for us to win ball games,” Peterson said on All Things Covered, which aired on the show’s YouTube channel. “Do your job that is required for that play and everything else to take care of itself. And I really feel like guys have really taken heed into that conversation that we’ve been having, our defensive coordinator [Teryl Austin] and the position coaches have been harping on about these last couple days.”
The defense struggled mightily against the Patriots last week as they put 21 points on Pittsburgh by the halfway point of the second quarter. New England came into the game with the worst-ranked offense in football, but TE Hunter Henry torched Pittsburgh over the middle while RB Ezekiel Elliott managed to turn back the clock. Looking like his younger self, he got it done on the ground and through the air for 140 total yards of offense, including a receiving touchdown.
Austin stated on Wednesday that the defense can’t be concerned about what’s happening on the offensive side of the football and that his unit must do a better job of keep the opposing team from moving the ball and scoring points. It appears that message has been sent loudly and clearly to the players.
Pittsburgh’s defense has shown that it can keep the score down and hold opposing offenses in check, having held opponents below 20 points in seven games this season. Given the state of the offense with QB Mitch Trubisky starting in place of the injured Kenny Pickett and its most recent performances, the defense will likely need to keep the Colts below 20 points in this game for the Steelers to have a realistic chance at victory. Peterson stated that the defense is ready for the opportunity to do just that.
“So guys are just excited to have the opportunity to get back on the grass and also the opportunity to feel this playoff atmosphere on a Saturday evening on Indianapolis,” Peterson said.
