Steelers host Colts in key AFC game
MEMORABLE SERIES MOMENT
Steelers 51, Colts 34
Oct. 26, 2014 at Heinz Field
It was only five years ago when Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck faced each other for the only time. Both are gone, for now, as are Troy Polamalu, Ryan Shazier, Brett Keisel, Heath Miller, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown from the highest-scoring game in Heinz Field history. Coming off a Monday night home win, the Steelers fell behind early but scored five touchdowns in the first half to take a 35-20 halftime lead. Donte Moncrief’s 31-yard touchdown catch brought the Colts to within 42-34, but Miller hauled in an 11-yard touchdown — Roethlisberger’s team-record sixth TD pass — on fourth-and-1 with 5:14 remaining. Roethlisberger completed 40-of-49 passes for a team-record 522 yards. He matched his six-TD record the following week against the Baltimore Ravens.
TALE OF THE TAPE
“You can’t help but be impressed by the Colts offensive line. They’re very, very physical. Anthony Castonzo is the veteran, and he’s good, but the guy next to him, Quenton Nelson, is old-school for a young guy. He’s great in space when he pulls. He’s a mauler who doesn’t shy from contact. And Ryan Kelly, the center, is athletic and takes good angles. Mark Glowinski, the right guard, is pretty good, too. Braden Smith at right tackle is tall with long arms, but he can be bulled. I think T.J. Watt could have a big day against him.” — Steelers Radio analyst Tunch Ilkin.
TOP QUESTION
Can the Steelers stop the Colts’ running game?
With top playmaker T.Y. Hilton out with a calf injury, the Colts will rely on their ground game out of two- and three-TE power sets. Jack Doyle is the best all-around tight end, Mo Alie-Cox is 6-6, 270, and Eric Ebron scored 13 touchdowns last season. They’re all physical and will double an outside linebacker and help on the nose or 3-tech to spring Marlon Mack, a physical 210-pounder with 4.4 speed. The Colts also use a 4.3 speedster, Nyheim Hines, out of the backfield on passing downs.
THREE QUESTIONS: With OT ZACH BANNER
Q: This phenomenon with the fans cheering every time you enter as a third tackle and your name is announced as an eligible receiver, did you notice it building?
ZB: “Yeah, I noticed it when it first happened. It started with the one section and then went through the whole stadium. I didn’t want to say anything. I didn’t ask for it, you know what I mean?”
Q: The last one was especially loud. It seemed like they were cheering the fact there wasn’t going to be a review of a possible fumble. That wasn’t the case, was it?
ZB: “No. It was the whole game. It was awesome.”
Q: You’re playing the Colts, the team that drafted and then cut you. What’s this game mean to you?
ZB: “Oh, man, we’ll talk about that after the game.”
GAME BREAKDOWN
What to look for from the Steelers this afternoon at Heinz Field
ON OFFENSE: With James Conner doubtful and Benny Snell out, the Steelers turn to Jaylen Samuels and Trey Edmunds to handle the running game. They’ll run behind a line bolstered by B.J. Finney at left guard in place of the concussed Ramon Foster. The Colts allow 4.8 yards per rush attempt (25th in NFL), so don’t expect the Steelers to abandon the run game without Conner. It’s been central to the last two wins with the Steelers’ young quarterbacks. The Colts’ top cornerback, Pierre Desir, is doubtful. He was replaced last game by rookie Rock Ya-Sin. “He’s good,” Ilkin said of Ya-Sin. “He’s a good tackler, but he gets beat. He’s a little grabby.”
ON DEFENSE: The Steelers will no doubt look to stop the run first, and that includes QB Jacoby Brissett. “That was the first thing Coach Tomlin said about him. He said he’s tough to go down,” said Samuels. Brissett is part of the reason the Colts have allowed only 11 sacks this season. The other reason is a line led by second-year left guard Nelson. He and Cameron Heyward might be the match-up of the day. Replacing Hilton as the Colts’ top speed threat will be rookie Parris Campbell out of Ohio State. The second-round draft pick ran a 4.31 40 at the NFL Combine.
PREDICTION
It’s the rare game in which the home underdog checks all of my handicapping boxes. The Steelers, over the last five games, against equal opposition, are slightly better at the lines of scrimmage, much better in pass defense, and much more efficient (re: yards per point) overall. Throw in the fact the Steelers need the game more than the division-leading Colts, and are in their comfortable spot of second of back-to-back home games (17-5 under Tomlin), this one has a Pick of the Year vibe. We’ll know it’s that when all of the media “experts” line up to pick the Colts because of their edge at quarterback. … Steelers, 23-17.
BY THE NUMBERS
2: Interceptions by Minkah Fitzpatrick against the Miami Dolphins marked the first time in the Super Bowl era that a player intercepted multiple passes against a team for which he had played earlier in the season, also the second to intercept a quarterback with the same last name (Levi Johnson intercepted Charley Johnson in 1974). Minkah intercepted Ryan Fitzpatrick Monday night.
17: Quarterback hits this season by T.J. Watt ranks second in the NFL behind brother J.J., who had 20 QB hits before his season ended last Sunday with a pectoral injury.
19: Takeaways this season by the Steelers, tied for the most through seven games under Mike Tomlin. The 2010 team also had 19 through seven games and, of course, went to the Super Bowl.
49.5: Career sacks by Heyward, who ranks ninth all-time on the team’s sacks list. Heyward stands third among Steelers interior linemen behind Joe Greene (66) and Keith Willis (59). Heyward has 4.5 sacks this season, second behind Watt (6).
199: Career receptions by JuJu Smith-Schuster. His next catch will put him a fifth of the way to Hines Ward’s team-record 1,000 career receptions. Ward made his 200th reception at 25 years, 9 months old. Smith-Schuster won’t turn 23 until November 22.
DOWNLOADS
n Adam Vinatieri appears to finally be slowing down at the age of 47. The Colts kicker — who first kicked against the Steelers for the Patriots in the 1996 playoffs — is converting career-lows 73.3 percent field goals and 76.5 percent extra points this season. On the road he’s been slightly worse — 71.4 percent field goals and 50 percent extra points. But Vinatieri hasn’t missed a kick at Heinz Field in 14 years. In seven games at Heinz Field, he’s 32-for-34 on all kicks. He missed the only 50-yarders he attempted: the 53-yarder in 2005 and a 50-yarder in the 2001 season playoffs.
n Darius Leonard was drafted by the Colts in the second round in 2018 after four inside linebackers had been drafted in the first. But Leonard, the 36th pick, has outplayed all four. He’s created more turnovers and has more sacks than the other four combined (9-8); has the most tackles-for-loss (14); is second to Tremaine Edmunds in passes defensed (17-10); and is second, by one, in solo tackles to Leighton Vander Esch (135-134). The Steelers needed an ILB, but passed on Leonard in the first round, even though his former college teammate at South Carolina State, nose tackle Javon Hargrave, dropped his name. “Some of the coaches asked me about him. I just told them what I told you, that he’s a guy you want,” Hargrave said. “He’s a competitor. We were dominating that league. He used to tell me he would beat me to the quarterback, stuff like that. We tried to compete with each other all the time. I just knew he was different. He came in, made plays and separated himself from everybody. He got a little swagger about hisself unlike no other. He’s just a playmaker.” The two players combined for 63.5 tackles-for-loss and 39.5 sacks in the two seasons they played together at S.C. State. Leonard led the NFL in tackles last season as a rookie and was named first team All-Pro middle linebacker. This season he’s second on the Colts with 38 tackles. “He’s been nicked this year but he’s still making plays,” Hargrave said.
n The Colts’ Brissett is one of four former North Carolina State quarterbacks starting in the NFL. Raiders backup Mike Glennon is a fifth QB from NC State. Samuels, the school’s all-time leading receiver, also threw three passes in college, completed two, one for a 59-yard touchdown against North Carolina in 2017. Of course, Samuels is 0-for-1 in the NFL after his disastrous interception opened the narrow loss to the Ravens. “I probably should’ve thrown it waaaaaay out of bounds,” Samuels said. “It was a bad decision. I just have to live with it. It sucks.”
n The Steelers signed former Pitt running back Darrin Hall to the practice squad this week. Hall rushed for over 1,000 yards last season, over 2,000 yards in his career and averaged 5.7 yards per carry with 38 receptions. At his pro day last spring, the 5-11, 217-pounder ran a 4.45 40 and also put up impressive numbers in the bench press (27 reps), broad jump (10-2) and 3-cone (6.72). The Youngstown native wasn’t drafted, signed with Cleveland for a rookie minicamp, was claimed off waivers by Cincinnati for OTAs, and was claimed by Green Bay for preseason. He carried 10 times for 39 yards in three preseason games before being released on Aug. 24. He was home working out and taking care of his infant daughter when the Steelers called. “I grew up a Steeler. We shared facilities. This is all familiar with me,” said Hall. “When I was with Pitt, Coach Tomlin was always like, ‘How’s the run game going to be this week?’ and ‘Good luck’ and everything like that. He’s always been coaching and he was not even our coach, so I’m glad to have him as a coach now.”
n Sean Davis said he’s not returning from shoulder surgery this season, and that might be the end for the 2016 second-round pick in Pittsburgh. Davis was injured in the second game, and before the third game the Steelers traded a first-round pick for Fitzpatrick. Since then, the Steelers have played better on defense. Here are the differences in Games 1-2/Games 3-7: points allowed per game 31/17; yards allowed per game 445/297; yards allowed per play 6.4/4.5; pass yards allowed per game 320/199; opposing passer rating 131/69; interceptions 0/10.
n On Saturday afternoon, the Steelers released Moncrief and promoted RB Tony Brooks-James from their practice squad. The release of Moncrief keeps alive the Steelers’ chance of being awarded a third-round compensation pick in the next draft.
PARTING SHOT
“(Samuels) is really unique as a pass catcher, a route runner. He’s nifty in a lot of ways. We know he can be capable of being that one back who can play all three downs. He’s done it before in big games. I think back to New England last year. I mean, he’s had plenty of those moments. So, I’m just excited to have him back.” — Steelers offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner.