Pittsburgh (3-0) at Indianapolis (1-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
BetMGM NFL Odds: Steelers by 2
Series record: Colts lead 24-19
Against the spread: Pittsburgh 3-0, Colts 2-1
Last meeting: Colts won 30-13 in Indianapolis on Dec. 16, 2023.
Last week: Steelers beat Chargers 20-10 in Pittsburgh; Colts beat Bears 21-16 in Indianapolis
Steelers offense: overall (24), rush (12), pass (29), scoring (24)
Steelers defense: overall (1), rush (2-T), pass (5), scoring (1)
Colts offense: overall (17), rush (11), pass (24), scoring (17-T)
Colts defense: overall (31), rush (31), pass (18), scoring (13-T)
Turnover differential: Steelers plus-4, Colts minus-2.
QB Justin Fields. The former Chicago Bear is starting to find his footing in Pittsburgh. He's undefeated through three starts and is coming off his best performance of the season, throwing for 245 yards and a touchdown while running for another in a win over the Chargers. He's also starting to build a case that he should remain the starter even after Russell Wilson's calf heals.
WR Michael Pittman Jr. The previous time these teams met in December, Pittman was knocked out of the game on a hit to the head from Steelers S Damontae Kazee, who was suspended the rest of the season. This time, Anthony Richardson and the Indy passing game need a jump start — and Pittman could be just the guy to make it happen.
Steelers run defense vs. Jonathan Taylor. Pittsburgh's stifling defense is ranked in the top five in total defense, run defense, pass defense and scoring defense and, like previous Steelers teams, prides itself on playing big — regardless of the opponent. Taylor seems to be rounding into the form that helped him win the 2021 rushing title. He has back-to-back 100-yard games and three TD runs in three weeks. It could be an interesting matchup.
Steelers will be without OLB Alex Highsmith (groin). Nick Herbig, who had two sacks last week against Los Angeles, will get the start. Pittsburgh LG Isaac Seumalo (pectoral) will also likely miss a fourth straight game. QB Russell Wilson continues to rehab a calf injury and is expected to serve as the emergency (third) quarterback. RB Jaylen Warren (leg) was limited during the early part of the week. ... Three-time Pro Bowl DT DeForest Buckner (sprained ankle) and starting CB JuJu Brents (knee) are already on injured reserve for the Colts and they lost two more starters late last week's game. Decisions on Pro Bowl CB Kenny Moore II (hip) or starting DE Kwity Paye (quadriceps) may be made later this week.
Indy's win last season snapped Pittsburgh's eight-game winning streak in this series. The Steelers won nine straight over the Colts from 1985-2002. ... Pittsburgh has won all four postseason matchups. The Steelers went on two play in two Super Bowls after those victories. ... These franchises represent two of the three teams that moved from the NFL to the AFC as part of the 1970 AFC-NFL merger. The other was Cleveland.
Pittsburgh is 3-0 for the ninth time since 1970. The Steelers have gone on to win the division title in seven of the eight previous years they started 3-0. ... The Steelers have won six straight regular-season games going back to last season. That's the second-longest active streak in the league. Pittsburgh's most recent regular-season loss was to the Colts last December. ... The Steelers are the fifth team since 2000 to allow 10 points or fewer in each of their first three games. ... Pittsburgh LB T.J. Watt enters the game with 99 1/2 sacks. The perennial All-Pro has one sack in each game this season. ... Fields is taking care of the ball, one of the main reasons the Steelers are unbeaten. Fields has thrown one interception and has yet to fumble in three games. He had 41 turnovers in 40 games in Chicago. ... Pittsburgh needs more production out of receivers not named George Pickens, though there were signs of progress last week against the Chargers. Calvin Austin III caught four passes for 95 yards and a TD and Scotty Miller made a pair of clutch third down grabs. ... The Steelers offensive line remains in flux, with Spencer Anderson and Mason McCormick splitting snaps at left guard in place of Seumalo. The young line features three starters in their first or second seasons. ... Steelers star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is in the midst of a career-long turnover drought. Fitzpatrick doesn't have an interception or a fumble recovery since Week 16 of the 2022 season. ... The Steelers have had the fewest coaches of any team in the NFL (three) since 1969 while the Colts have had the second-most (20) during the same span. ... Indy has scored at least 20 points in 15 of its past 20 games and has 12 plays of 20 or more yards this season. ... The Colts are one of five teams that has not lost a fumble in 2024. ... Colts QB Anthony Richardson has thrown one TD pass and five interceptions over the past weeks. He's only been sacked four times in three weeks. ... Taylor previously had three straight 100-yard games from Weeks 15-17 in 2021. ... WR Josh Downs returned last week from an ankle injury that kept him out since early August. He had a franchise rookie record 68 catches in 2023. ... LB Zaire Franklin has the league's second-highest totals for tackles (378) and solo tackles (223) since 2022. ... LB E.J. Speed extended his franchise record of consecutive games with 10 or more tackles to seven last week. ... S Nick Cross, Speed and Franklin are each in the NFL's top five in tackles this season. Cross has 39, Speed has 34 and Franklin has 33.
Steelers defense. The Steelers will likely try to take away the run and make Richardson beat him with his arm. But with Richardson's early propensity for interceptions and incompletions (49.3% completion rate), this could be a low-scoring game and could allow Pittsburgh's defense to feast.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl