The Indianapolis Colts have seemingly had the Pittsburgh Steelers’ number over the last few years. Head coach Shane Steichen has been able to run all over Mike Tomlin’s defense. That’s supposed to be the strength of their team, but against the Colts, it’s been a weakness. Former Steelers corner Patrick Peterson said that it just feels like bad news when the Steelers play in Indianapolis.
“I only played with the Steelers one year, and I felt that going into that game,” Peterson said of the Colts game in 2023 on his podcast, All Things Covered. “When we got to the stadium, I’m like, ‘It feels kind of eerie in here.’
“You know how you walk into some stadiums, and you get that feeling, like something just don’t feel right? Then [Damontae] Kazee get thrown out of the game, we change quarterbacks. Just what I felt ended up happening in that game.”
Peterson was only with the Steelers in 2023, but he’s correct that their game against Colts had bad mojo surrounding it. The Colts were missing star running back Jonathan Taylor, and they still rushed for a total of 170 yards. They registered five yards per carry, and although the Steelers were dealing with injuries on defense, that’s no excuse.
Then safety Damontae Kazee got thrown out of the game for a brutal hit on receiver Michael Pittman Jr., things going from bad to worse. The Steelers did go from Mitch Trubisky to Mason Rudolph at quarterback in that game, but they didn’t make the switch until there were basically only two minutes left in the game.
The Steelers were hoping to avenge that loss this year, but instead, it was just more of the same. The Colts ran all over the Steelers, and they adjusted their game plan too late. At the moment, it does feel like the Steelers have had some bad luck in Indianapolis.
However, it might not be fair to say that Indianapolis is kryptonite for the Steelers. Since 2005, they are 5-3 in Indianapolis, including a victory in the playoffs. Before 2023, they had only lost one game there in the last 20 years. For the most part, they’ve been successful there. They would probably need to lose there a few more times confirm Peterson’s theory.
Either way, the Steelers did more to beat themselves than anything this year. They had chances to win that game, but they wasted those opportunities. They’re still 3-1 though, so that loss doesn’t end their season. They just need to adjust. That’s life in the NFL. There’s a reason only one team has ever won every game on the road to winning the Super Bowl.
