Steelers vs. Colts: what to watch

The Steelers host the Colts on Sunday night and here are the things to watch during the game.

Ben Roethlisberger is listed as probable for the game, and that’s the biggest thing to watch. Ben suffered a head injury late in the game against the Seahawks and did not return. If Ben doesn’t play or is less than one hundred percent, then the Steelers will be a different team.

Ben has been able to tear apart defenses this year. The Colts look ripe for the picking. Last year, the Steelers’ quarterback embarrassed the Colts’ secondary to the tune of six touchdown passes. He’ll need to be at the top of his game to repeat that success.

Also keep an eye on Steelers’ receiver Markus Wheaton. Wheaton exploded for the biggest game of his career against the Seahawks. He’ll need to show if he can maintain the success the rest of the season. There is no doubt that Wheaton has the talents to succeed, but he’s had an inconsistent career so far.

Antonio Brown shouldn’t struggle this week as he did against the Seahawks’ Richard Sherman, but an increased involvement for Wheaton will only make the offense more potent.

Speaking of receivers and exposed secondaries, the Steelers have some issues of their own. The Steelers were victimized by Russell Wilson and his receivers. If there isn’t an improvement in the play of the secondary, then a strong offense might not be enough for the Steelers to come out with a win.

There should be change ups in the defensive secondary and that will be a big thing to watch. The performance of this unit has been in question all year, and rightly so. If there is no improvement, then the Steelers will have a liability for the rest of the season.

In addition to the things going on at Heinz Field, we’ll be paying attention to the other AFC match ups as well. The Steelers have a chance at the playoffs, but a lot can happen and they need to win as many games as possible. It starts against the Colts on Sunday.