Can Steelers continue fine play against TEs?
MEMORABLE SERIES MOMENT
Steelers 21, Colts 18
Jan 15, 2006, at RCA Dome, Indianapolis
The Steelers open the second half of this season as a championship contender, and that鈥檚 when we like to take all roads that have gone through championship seasons. This win may have been the greatest upset in team history. The 14-2 Colts were 9.5-point favorites over the Steelers, who came in with a new game plan and let second-year quarterback Ben Roethlisberger throw six times on 14 first-down plays. Like a pitcher pitching backwards, Roethlisberger guided the Steelers to a 21-3 lead by the end of the third quarter. But the game plan had switched, and Roethlisberger threw only 2 first-down passes in 14 second-half plays as the Colts drew closer with a 50-yard Peyton Manning touchdown pass to Dallas Clark and Edgerrin James鈥� 3-yard touchdown run, capped by a two-point conversion pass to bring the Colts to within three points. A fourth-and-16 sack of Manning at the Colts鈥� 2-yard line by James Farrior and Joey Porter seemed to lock up the game with 1:20 remaining. But Jerome Bettis fumbled on the next play, Roethlisberger made an open-field tackle of Nick Harper at the Colts鈥� 42, and Mike Vanderjagt missed a 46-yard field goal with 21 seconds remaining to allow the Steelers to escape with the win. The next two games weren鈥檛 nearly as challenging and the Steelers won their fifth Lombardi in Detroit.
TALE OF THE TAPE
鈥淲hen you look at the Indianapolis Colts offense, there鈥檚 only one guy you really, really have to focus on and that鈥檚 T.Y. Hilton because he鈥檚 the only one who can kill you. What makes him so effective and such a threat No. 1 is speed, No. 2 is explosiveness, No. 3 is athleticism and No. 4 his hands. He can blow the doors off the top of coverage any time he wants. He is so fast. And what makes him a little bit more dangerous, I think, is Jacoby Brissett has the arm strength to get it to him no matter how far downfield he is. Last week he threw it easy 60-65 yards in the air for a touchdown on a deep post to Hilton. You have to be careful because Brissett can extend plays.鈥� 鈥� Steelers Radio analyst Tunch Ilkin.
TOP QUESTION
Can the Steelers continue their fine play against quality tight ends?
Jack Doyle might sound like an action hero, and he very well could be. The Colts鈥� tight end is second to Travis Kelce by only 1 in the NFL for tight end receptions. Doyle鈥檚 caught 50 passes for 441 yards and 2 touchdowns, but the Steelers have allowed that position only 36 catches for 359 yards and 2 touchdowns this season. Doyle has been targeted 63 times, only one fewer than Hilton. 鈥淗e reminds me of a poor man鈥檚 Gronk,鈥� said Ilkin. 鈥淪ame size, not as dynamic, not quite as athletic, but every bit as tough.鈥�
THREE QUESTIONS:
With RG DAVID DECASTRO
Q: Why have you guys been better in the second halves of seasons over the years?
DD: 鈥淢aybe guys are just sticking with everything and staying focused, especially understanding the urgency in terms of second-half football. These November, December games almost weigh a little more, and we鈥檝e had our backs to the wall the last few years. It鈥檒l be interesting how we do this year. I hope everyone understands that emphasis and focus we need to have, even if we have a couple-game lead in the division.鈥�
Q: Do you fear getting out of routine with a bye and then starting back up?
DD: 鈥淵ou always wonder. We beat two teams coming off byes and you wonder how important it is. Hopefully everyone understands the urgency. I can talk all I want. We鈥檒l see on Sunday how we do.鈥�
Q: Have you sensed that urgency this week?
DD: 鈥淚 think everyone鈥檚 on the same page, treating every week the same. We always have. But it doesn鈥檛 matter what the words are, it鈥檚 how you play on Sunday.鈥�
GAME BREAKDOWN
What to look for from the Steelers today at 1 p.m.:
ON OFFENSE:
Perhaps the best player on the Colts鈥� defense, cornerback Vontae Davis, was released this week due to injury issues. That won鈥檛 help a defense that鈥檚 31st overall in yards allowed, 32nd overall in points allowed and 31st in pass defense, with a 32nd-ranked yards-per-attempt average of 8.3. Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley said, 鈥淚n some ways, it鈥檚 more difficult because we knew if he were playing he鈥檇 generally match up with A.B., and that gives us an understanding going into the game.鈥� The Steelers鈥� offense is healthy with Marcus Gilbert back at right tackle, Vance McDonald back at tight end, and WR Martavis Bryant back from a benching.
ON DEFENSE:
The Colts traded for Brissett on Sept. 2 and the second-year pro has started the last eight games and won three (by three points over winless Cleveland and San Francisco and by six points at Houston) with a passer rating of 85.6. He has a very strong arm and is mobile (in spite of his 4.94 Combine 40 time), but has been sacked a league-high 32 times because he holds the ball too long if the primary receiver鈥檚 covered and also because his offensive line has played poorly.
PREDICTION
The Steelers are rested, healthy and veteran enough to understand how to go about winning a championship. They may start slowly after the bye week but I don鈥檛 see them taking the Colts lightly. 鈥� Steelers, 30-16.
BY THE NUMBERS
1: Number of players who started on the Colts鈥� defense in their last game who also started last season鈥檚 game against the Steelers. The lone survivor is cornerback Rashaan Melvin.
2: Wide receivers in this game are among the three who鈥檝e gained 1,000 receiving yards in each of the last four seasons 鈥� Hilton, Antonio Brown, Demaryius Thomas.
3: Number of receptions needed by Le鈥橵eon Bell to surpass fellow Michigan State alum Plaxico Burress (264) for ninth place on the Steelers鈥� all-time list.
45: Age of Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, who recently passed former Steelers K Gary Anderson for second place on the NFL鈥檚 all-time scoring list. Vinateri鈥檚 still 102 points behind leader Morten Andersen. Vinatieri has converted 17 of 18 field goals this season with the only miss coming from 38 yards. His long is 53 among the four 50-yarders he鈥檚 kicked.
424: Receiving yards by Steelers WR JuJu Smith-Schuster to lead all NFL rookies.
DOWNLOADS
n Ben Roethlisberger has a passer rating of 144.6 in his last three games against the Colts He鈥檚 completed 72.2 percent of his passes at an average of 369 yards per game with 13 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Of course, that鈥檚 much better than his first-half 2017 stat-line of 82.7 rating, 61.1 completion percentage, 258 yards per game with 10 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. 鈥淭his year I really, genuinely don鈥檛 know how my stats are and stack up against other years,鈥� said Roethlisberger. 鈥淏ut I feel like I鈥檝e been as involved and have had as good of a season as I have maybe ever.鈥�
n Colts RB Frank Gore may have lost a step in his 13th season, but the 34-year-old is still a physical runner. While he may not break the long ones anymore, he鈥檒l break away for a first down as his 178 scrimmage yards the last two games will attest. Gore needs 545 more yards this season to join John Riggins and former Steeler John Henry Johnson as the only players in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards twice at the age of 33 or older.
n According to one trusted statistician, the Steelers have already more than doubled their usage of the 6-DB dime defense this season over last. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler pointed to the loss of Lawrence Timmons, who gave the team two 鈥渃overage鈥� backers last season. 鈥淗e was the linebacker staying in there for the most part, Lawrence was, so we played him a little bit more into those situations.鈥� The Steelers have played 42 percent base, 31 percent nickel, 26 percent dime and 1 percent jumbo.
n Ryan Shazier is on pace for 128 tackles and 4 interceptions, but the hidden stats are better: He leads the Steelers with 50 solo tackles and 8 passes defensed. No Steeler since tackles were split into solo and assisted in 1994 ever finished a season with 100 solo tackles and no linebacker since the team began tracking passes defensed in 2001 finished a season with 16. But Shazier said he has much larger goals of 200 tackles and 10 interceptions in one season. 鈥淢y goal is to try to change the game the best way I can,鈥� he said.
n If the Steelers franchise Bell next offseason, the player the Steelers will have the most difficulty keeping might be reserve G-T-TE Chris Hubbard, who鈥檚 started five games for a team that鈥檚 allowed only 10 sacks this season. But would Hubbard find success away from accomplished line coach Mike Munchak? 鈥淣o,鈥� said Maurkice Pouncey. 鈥淗e already has the core values. He knows the base principles of what it takes to be a good offensive line and how Munch 鈥� I wish I could sit here and tell you how he does it but I don鈥檛 want to give it away 鈥� but the way Munch coaches it, we all play as one, and when you see that one guy not doing it than everybody doesn鈥檛 look good. But Hubbs (is) gonna make some good money. He鈥檚 just got to stay healthy. 鈥� But trust me, we鈥檙e going to try to do everything possible to keep him here.鈥�
PARTING SHOT
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the second question you guys have asked me that I hate that you guys ask me about: sacks and injuries. So, I hope we stay as injury free as we can.鈥� 鈥� Ben Roethlisberger.