After an embarrassing Thursday night loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Pittsburgh Steelers are sitting at 2-2 and desperately need to get back in the win column. Pittsburgh needed to start the first half of the season strong if it wanted to put itself in a good position to make the postseason, and dropping to 2-3 would only make that road more difficult.
The Indianapolis Colts, meanwhile, have started to find their footing. After opening the season 0-2, they have won back-to-back games, including a win in London last week over the Commanders. Now, the Steelers will look to stop that momentum and get themselves back on track Sunday at home.
The weather could play a major factor in how this game unfolds. Cooler temperatures and rain are expected in Pittsburgh, which could turn this matchup into an old-school, physical game where controlling the trenches and establishing the run will be critical. Unfortunately for the Steelers, that means they will have to find a way to slow down one of the best running backs in the NFL.
Rainy conditions could make the running game the difference in the Pittsburgh Steelers-Indianapolis Colts matchup
On Sunday at Acrisure Stadium, temperatures are expected to be around 61–64 degrees with a high chance of rain, which could make throwing the football much more difficult. If those conditions hold, this game could quickly turn into a battle on the ground and in the trenches between both offensive and defensive lines.
For the Steelers, it's encouraging that the running game has started to find its stride over the past two weeks. However, with Rico Dowdle's status still uncertain, it could once again fall on Jaylen Warren to carry the running game for a third straight week. The changes along the offensive line have helped, especially when it comes to run blocking. The pass protection has shown some improvement as well, although last week was certainly a step in the wrong direction.
The bigger concern might be on the other side of the ball. Pittsburgh will be going up against an always stout Colts offensive line, and doing so without Derrick Harmon for the next couple of weeks could spell trouble. We've seen what this Steelers run defense has looked like over the past two seasons when Harmon isn't on the field, and now they'll have to find a way to slow down one of the best running backs in football, Jonathan Taylor.
The biggest focus for Pittsburgh's defense should be making Daniel Jones beat them through the air, even with a banged-up and depleted secondary. That means slowing down Taylor and preventing Indianapolis from controlling the game on the ground.
Offensively, the Steelers need to continue building off the progress they've made in the running game and live out of 12 personnel. With the weather potentially playing a factor, Pittsburgh doesn't have the offensive playmakers to suddenly become a pass-happy offense. Aaron Rodgers is also much more limited at this point in his career, and we've seen him get antsy in the pocket when pressure starts getting home.
This feels like a game where the Steelers need to embrace the conditions, run the football, and control the line of scrimmage. More importantly, it's a game where the defense finally needs to step up and prove it can stop the run when everyone knows it's coming.
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