To put things lightly, the first half did not go as planned for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Indianapolis Colts came out energized and ready to go and the Steelers floundered for much of the half. On all three scoring drives for the Colts, the Steelers had opportunities to turn the ball over. Joey Porter Jr. dropped two interceptions and Patrick Queen failed to recover a fumble right in front of him.
They now trail 17-3 and have a number of worrisome injuries they are dealing with. OLB Nick Herbig, OG James Daniels, and RB Cordarrelle Patterson all suffered ankle injuries. Meanwhile, QB Anthony Richardson suffered a hip injury and was ruled out.
Patteron was the Steelers’ only source of offense, so his departure is not great with Jaylen Warren ruled out on Friday.
On the positive side of things, Chris Boswell nailed a 50-yard field goal to make it a two-possession game. The Steelers get the ball after halftime, so they have a chance to claw their way back.
START OF 2ND HALF
The kickoff resulted in a touchback.
1st and 10, offsides on the defense. 1st and 5, Harris off left tackle for 3 yards. 2nd and 2, Justin Fields didn’t see anything downfield and tried to scramble before getting sacked. 3rd and 3, Fields to George Pickens for 9 yards.
1st and 10, delay of game. 1st and 15, Harris up the middle for no gain. 2nd and 15, Fields complete to Darnell Washington for 11 yards. 3rd and 4, Fields fired over the middle for Pat Freiermuth, but it was deflected into the air and incomplete.
The punt went 36 yards to the 12-yard line. Now, can the Steelers’ defense adjust and make things happen?
1st and 10, Jonathan Taylor off right tackle for 4 yards. 2nd and 6, Taylor off left tackle for 1 yard. 3rd and 5, Flacco scrambled for 4 yards. The punt was returned by Austin for 30 yards to the 33 yard line.
The offense wasted the opportunity with a three-and-out with Fields fumbling on a 20-yard sack. The ruling stood after replay. His elbow was down and they let that play stand? That is a very rough call for the Steelers.
Fields hadn’t been killing the Steelers with his play through two games, but now that he is forced to throw the ball more, it seems he is starting to show some of the issues that plagued him. Too many sacks, and now the ball security.
1st and 10, Flacco sacked by Beanie Bishop Jr. and Cam Heyward for a loss of 6. 2nd and 16, Flacco complete to Alec Pierce for 9 yards. 3rd and 7, Taylor up the middle for 3 yards. The defense forced a field goal, but now it will be a three-possession game once again. The field goal is no good. The Steelers get the ball back at the 36.
1st and 10, Harris off left tackle for 1 yard. 2nd and 9, Fields complete to Pickens for 38 yards!
1st and 10, Fields complete to Harris for 11 yards.
1st and goal, Mason McCormick called for a false start. 1st and goal from the 11, Fields scrambled for 6 yards. 2nd and goal from the 5, incomplete to Pickens with the defender all over him. No flag. 3rd and goal, Fields tucked it and ran it in for a touchdown. 17-10 Colts.
Some how, some way, the Steelers are within a score before the end of the third quarter.
1st and 10, Flacco incomplete under pressure. 2nd and 10, Flacco nearly sacked by Heyward, but he somehow tossed the ball away. 3rd and 10, Flacco complete to Pittman for 12 yards to convert.
1st and 10, Trey Sermon up the middle for no gain. 2nd and 10, Flacco incomplete and Minkah Fitzpatrick called for a big penalty. What an awful call. AD Mitchell was pulling up on the route or it probably wouldn’t have been called.
1st and 10, Jonathan Taylor off right tackle for 3 yards. 2nd and 7, Flacco complete to Taylor and DeShon Elliott tackled the catch for no gain. 3rd and 7, Flacco complete to Downs for 25 yards with Nick Herbig in coverage.
1st and 10, Flacco incomplete to Mitchell near the end zone. 2nd and 10, Flacco incomplete to Pittman. 3rd and 10, Flacco complete to Alec Ogletree in the middle and he was wide open for a touchdown. 24-10 Colts.
1st and 10, Fields complete to Freiermuth for 5 yards. 2nd and 5, Fields scrambled for 8 yards.
1st and 10, Fields complete to Harris for 32 yards and roughing the passer made it half the distance to the goal. Harris was shaken up on the play.
1st and 10, Fields threw the ball away. 2nd and 10, Fields to Pickens for 9 yards. 3rd and 1, from the 3-yard line. Harris is back on the field, and he went airborne to convert.
1st and goal from the 1-yard line, Fields scrambled and threw a dart to Pickens, but it slipped through his hands. 2nd and goal, Justin Fields lowered his shoulders and punched it in. 24-17 Colts.
1st and 10, Taylor rushed around left end for 2 yards. 2nd and 8, Flacco complete to Downs for 13 over the middle with Payton Wilson in coverage.
1st and 10, Taylor off left tackle for 21 yards.
1st and 10, Taylor off left tackle for 2 yards. 2nd and 8, DeShon Elliott came downhill to shut down the run for just a yard. They are in field goal range, but Matt Gay already missed one from shorter. 3rd and 6, Downs slipped Jackson’s tackle to gain 11 and convert.
1st and 10, Trey Sermon gained 1 yard around the left end. 2nd and 9, Sermon around the left end for 6 yards. 3rd and 3, tackled Sermon for a loss in the backfield. Queen tried to rip the ball out, but no luck. Timeout No. 1 called by the Steelers. A field goal makes this game extremely difficult to win, but its a chip shot from 35 yards out. The field goal is good. 27-17 Colts.
1st and 10, Fields’ pass was batted down by rookie Laiatu Latu. 2nd and 10, Fields designed run for 8 yards. 3rd and 2, Fields to Pickens for 37 yards. That was needed, but still a long way to go.
1st and 10, Fields to Van Jefferson for 12 yards.
1st and 10, Harris up the middle for 5 yards. 2nd and 5, Fields incomplete to Pickens near the end zone. Fields to Freiermuth in the middle and he fought through contact for a touchdown. 27-24 Colts.
The kickoff went for a touchback. Jonathan Taylor is questionable to return to the game.
1st and 10 with 3:40 left in the game, Sermon up the middle for 3 yards after a broken tackle in the backfield. 2nd and 7, Cameron Heyward and Nick Herbig in for the sack. It looks like full credit to Heyward. Timeout No. 2 called by the Steelers. 3rd and 15, incomplete pass. The Steelers get to retain their timeout.
The punt was fair caught by Austin at the 17. A long field for this offense, but this is what you play the game for. 2:39, a timeout and a two-minute warning. Everything is in play.
1st and 10, Fields designed run for 12 yards.
1st and 10, complete to Jefferson for 9 yards.
TWO-MINUTE WARNING
Justin Fields just reached 300-plus passing yards with that completion to Jefferson before the two-minute warning. Najee Harris up the middle for 3 yards to convert.
1st and 10, another aborted snap fumble. Fields recovered, but a loss of 12. 2nd and 22, Fields escaped pressure, set his feet and the pass fell incomplete to Pickens. 3rd and 22, Harris didn’t get out of bounds and the clock is running with 11 to gain. 4th and 11, Fields nearly picked off, but it fell incomplete. That is the football game. The comeback fell just short.
END OF GAME: 27-24 COLTS
