By looking at the final score, you wouldn’t think the Colts played poorly on Sunday. But their road loss in Pittsburgh was a result of their own doing.
Despite the fact that the Colts were the worse team over 60 minutes, they still managed to only lose by a touchdown in a 27-20 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, their first to an AFC opponent this season.
The fight they showed—while too little, too late—proved that Indianapolis is one of the teams to beat this season.
For the majority of the second half, Pittsburgh led by three scores. But the Colts brought the game back to the seven-point difference with some quick defensive stops and well-executed drives on offense to score 10 points in the final two-and-a-half minutes.
But sandwiched in between those scoring drives was an interception. Actually, quarterback Daniel Jones’ third interception and fifth turnover of the game.
Entering Sunday, Indianapolis ranked second in the league in turnover differential (+8). The Steelers forced six, five from Jones and a muffed punt recovery. The Pittsburgh defense frustrated the Colts, making it difficult to lean on the offensive efficiency which has been so key to their success this season.
To the credit of the Steelers, they had a strong and effective game plan to keep the Colts offense at bay. By playing stingy run defense against potential MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor and unleashing their pass rush, Pittsburgh made it as difficult and frustrating as possible for Jones and the offense to move the ball and build momentum. Whatever yardage they gained, had to be fought for and earned.
The turnovers allowed Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers offense to take advantage of good field position and put up points, forcing Indianapolis to play from behind and become one-dimensional. Jones had 50 pass attempts—16 more than his previous high this season. Taylor, on the other hand, had just 14 carries for 45 yards, good for just 3.2 yards per carry, his lowest of the year.
Knowing the Colts had to throw the ball, Pittsburgh unleashed its pass rush, making Jones uncomfortable and thus creating the giveaways which, to state the obvious, resulted in the offensive struggles we haven’t seen from the Colts in 2025.
While the Steelers created the conditions to produce takeaways, the turnovers were more due to the Colts’ own errors than the Steelers’ impressive defense. Just like the loss in Los Angeles, self-inflicted wounds resulted in a close loss.
And even still, while giving the football away six times, Indianapolis still only lost by one possession. It begs the question—if the Colts can remain this competitive while continuously shooting themselves in the foot, what will it take to beat them straight up?
It feels like, now halfway through the season, the Colts will never be out of a game. Even if Indy is punched in the mouth over and over like in Pittsburgh. When games are close or don’t go in their favor, it’s because of their own doing. So as long as Indy can stay out of their own way, they’ll continue to be at the top of the pile in the AFC playoff race.
Looking at the rest of the AFC, only the New England Patriots seem to be playing at a similar level to the Colts. The Denver Broncos, the other 7-2 team in the conference, lost to the Colts in a close Week 2 matchup and have continued to find themselves in tight, competitive games this season with just two victories coming by more than a single possession.
At 5-3, Pittsburgh proved themselves a competitor, but have struggled to find consistency at times this season. Looking at the three wildcard teams in the current picture, the Jacksonville Jaguars have struggled to find their footing like the Steelers and the Los Angeles Chargers have been hampered by injuries on their offensive line. The Buffalo Bills are still as advertised at 6-2.
Of the teams on the outside looking in, just the reigning conference champion Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, who appear to be working their way out of an early season rut, appear to have the quality needed to truly push for the postseason.
All this to say that the Colts, comparatively, are more dangerous than the majority of the conference; there are very few teams who pose a legitimate threat.
Both Colts losses so far this season have featured uncharacteristic mistakes. So is the way to take down the current leaders in the AFC by catching them on an off day? Until proven otherwise, Indianapolis will remain the team to beat.
