The Pittsburgh Steelers are 3-0, and their defense has been a huge part of that. They’ve been dominating opposing teams, not giving them any room to breathe. They’ll be in for another physical contest against the Indianapolis Colts this week. The Colts have a powerful running game featuring both their running back and quarterback, so the Steelers must come prepared. Colts head coach Shane Steichen recently said that his players are fired up to prove themselves against the Steelers’ defense.
“They’re playing good defense right now,” Steichen said Wednesday via the team’s YouTube channel. “I know it’s three games in, but I think they’re only giving up like 8.5 points a game. It’ll be a heck of a challenge. I know our guys are fired up for the challenge going against them. It’ll be fun come Sunday.”
Steichen was a successful offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles, and he managed to keep the Colts competitive last year despite losing their starting quarterback early on. They’re only 1-2 right now, but they have a good cast of characters on offense.
Jonathan Taylor is one of the best running backs in the league, and Michael Pittman Jr. has seen success as a receiver. Their offensive line is very consistent. Their biggest question is quarterback Anthony Richardson, who has struggled to start this year. However, he is incredibly gifted physically.
The Steelers’ defense has already seen its fair share of physical offenses, though. The Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers are both teams that place a big emphasis on the ground game, and the Steelers shut them down. The Colts sound like they want to prove that the Steelers’ defense can’t do the same to them, but they better be careful what they wish for.
With Alex Highsmith out with a groin injury, the Steelers’ imposing front won’t be at full strength, but Nick Herbig hasn’t looked like a regular backup player. He went wild against the Chargers, helping to seal victory for the Steelers. This week, he could do similar things.
T.J. Watt also looked like a man on a mission this year, and Cam Heyward looks back to his old self now that he’s healthy. The Colts seem ready to try to contain the mayhem those players could cause, but when the bullets start flying, they could be in trouble. Richardson has already thrown six interceptions this year, the most in the league. That’s blood in the water for the Steelers.
Nothing is certain, though, and maybe the Colts will be the team to prove the Steelers’ defense isn’t as tough as it seems. It looks like that’s going to take a monstrous effort, though. Whatever the case, this week’s game is shaping up to be another physical battle.
