The Pittsburgh Steelers have played physical teams to start this season. The Los Angeles Chargers have proven to be one of the most physical teams in the league, and the Atlanta Falcons also tried to grind away at the Steelers by running the ball. However, the Steelers’ defense handled both soundly, shutting down their strong rushing attack. This week, they face another great rushing team in the Indianapolis Colts. DeMarvin Leal believes they’re similar to those other teams, besides the consistency in their offensive line.
“I wouldn’t say different,” Leal said Wednesday via the team’s website. “I would just say that the offensive line, they’ve been together for three years, for a good amount of time, so that knowledge that they have, we’re gonna have to break them down bit by bit.”
The Colts do have a very stout offensive line. They’re led by guard Quenton Nelson, a perennial Pro Bowl player drafted in 2018, but the rest of that unit shouldn’t be overlooked. Center Ryan Kelly has been a great player for them since being drafted in 2016. Tackle Braden Smith is on the injury report, but he’s been consistent with them since 2018.
The two newest starters on their offensive line have also been there for some time now. Guard Will Fries was drafted by them in 2021, and tackle Bernhard Raimann was drafted in 2022. Leal is correct that they’ve spent the last three years building chemistry together. That’s huge for a team with a young quarterback that relies on their run game.
Smith and star running back Jonathan Taylor did miss the game between the Colts and Steelers last year. While some familiarity may exist because the teams just recently played each other, those players could make a serious difference. The Steelers lost that matchup last year, but hopefully, they can avenge that loss this week.
However, as Leal says, the Steelers do have the pieces to dissect them. Their front seven has been their biggest strength, and even though they’re missing Alex Highsmith, they’re still dangerous. Nick Herbig should still be a disruptor, and Leal should have chances to make plays as the primary backup at outside linebacker.
That doesn’t mean this game is going to be easy, though. Facing a tight-knit, veteran offensive line like the one the Colts have is always challenging. They’ve only allowed four sacks so far this year, and while they’ll face a huge test in the Steelers, they aren’t pushovers at all.
Once again, stopping the run will likely be a priority this week, so that battle in the trenches should be fun to watch. They don’t have the star power the Chargers had, but they might be a better overall unit. It won’t be long before we see if the Steelers can break down another opponent’s offense.
