Pittsburgh Steelers Scouting Report: What to Expect From the Indianapolis Colts
Following a come from behind victory over the Miami Dolphins on Monday night, the Steelers look to stay hot and keep their win streak going this Sunday. Unfortunately, they can’t play Miami every week. Pittsburgh has a tough task ahead of them as they will face a very good football team in the Indianapolis Colts. While the Steelers are looking to get themselves back in the playoff picture, the Colts are sitting at 5-2 and looking to stay at the top of the AFC South. With that being said, let’s take a look at this week’s opponent, the Indianapolis Colts.
Injury Report
Like a lot of teams in the league at this point in the season, the Colts have several key injuries to pay attention to going into this game. On offense, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (Calf) and tight end Eric Ebron (Ankle) are listed as questionable and did not practice on Thursday. Offensive guard Quenton Nelson is also list as questionable with a hip injury. Fortunately, Nelson was able to have limited participation in Thursday’s practice.
On the defensive side of the ball, safety Malik Hooker (Knee) and cornerback Pierre Desir (Hamstring) are both listed as questionable. Desir did not practice on Thursday while Hooker was limited. Defensive end Justin Houston (Calf) and defensive tackle Carl Davis (Hamstring) are also both listed as questionable but were able to have limited participation in Thursday’s practice.
Jacoby Brissett has proven that he is a legit starter
After the shocking retirement announcement from quarterback Andrew Luck, a lot of people, myself included, counted the Indianapolis Colts out as far as being contenders. However, this Colts team has proved the doubters wrong so far. This is largely due to the play of starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett. While Brissett was brought in to basically hold things down while Luck was out in 2017 and be his back up just in case, he has proven that he is a legit starter in this league. He has thrown for 1,590 yards, 14 touchdowns, and only three interceptions so far this season. His leading receiver has been T.Y. Hilton, who has 32 receptions for 360 yards and five touchdowns this season. If Hilton can’t go, Brissett will be relying on a wide receiver core consisting of Deon Cain, Zach Pascal, Chester Rogers, and rookie Parris Campbell, along with tight end Jack Doyle if Eric Ebron can’t play.
Another pleasant surprise for this Colts offense has been running back Marlon Mack. Mack has proven that he can be a lead back this season as he is currently eighth in the league in rushing. He has 138 carries for 590 yards and three touchdowns so far.
Colts defense looks to have a breakout game
While the Colts have one of the better defenses in the league from a talent standpoint, they have been average when you look at the numbers. They currently rank 15th in the league in total defense, allowing 349.4 yards per game and 21.6 points per game. Their strong suit has been against the passing game, ranking 15th in passing defense. Their secondary has allowed 238.1 yards per game through the air, with 11 total passing touchdowns while coming away with four interceptions so far. Their secondary consists of their young star Malik Hooker, along with Clayton Geathers at safety. Kenny Moore II and Pierre Desir are listed as the starters at corner but if Desir can’t play, rookie Rock Ya-Sin will likely fill in at his spot.
Although they definitely haven’t been the worst in the league, the Colts have struggled at times against the run. They rank 20th in run defense, allowing 111.3 yards per game on the ground. Middle linebacker Anthony Walker leads the team with 44 tackles. He is joined in the linebacker core by star outside linebacker Darius Leonard and Matthew Adams. In front of them, the defensive line will consist of Justin Houston and Jabaal Sheard at the defensive ends, along with Margus Hunt and Denico Autry at the defensive tackles.
Final Thoughts
While there is still a lot of football left to be played, this game could have a big impact on the AFC playoff picture. Regardless of the difference in records, both of these teams are still very talented and very much in the hunt. Unfortunately, it’s looking like the Steelers will be without running backs James Conner and Benny Snell Jr., along with offensive guard Ramon Foster, so the running game could take a huge hit.
However, I think Jaylen Samuels cam step up and have a solid game on the ground. I also believe JuJu Smith-Schuster could have another good game as he seemed to finally be finding his groove on Monday. Regardless of who wins this game, I believe it will come down to the very end. I have the Steelers scoring a go-ahead touchdown and the defense stepping up on the final drive to win this game 28-24.
