One of the hottest teams in football right now is the Indianapolis Colts. It couldn't be a worse time for the Pittsburgh Steelers to play host to one of the best rosters in the NFL. The Colts are thriving, while Pittsburgh has lost two consecutive games, exposing its weaknesses to the public. Indianapolis knows how to exploit the Steelers, and no trade will save Pittsburgh.
Most of Steelers Nation will remember last year when the Colts embarrassed the Steelers with Joe Flacco coming into the game for an injured Anthony Richardson.
Indianapolis controlled the line of scrimmage and tormented the Steelers' secondary. A season later, and Pittsburgh's defense is still struggling with inconsistency. Their defensive woes have cost them the past two matchups.
The Colts can smell the blood in the water, and most experts' predictions do not favor the Steelers. Week 9 is the time when the home squad could take the right step forward, but that probably won't happen. Most picks should go against Pittsburgh, as their defense is struggling and their offense fails to capitalize on the opportunities the opposition provides.
Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 9 Still Curtain predictions mix brutal optimism and realism
"The Steelers are only three-point underdogs to the Colts in Week 9, which is surprising considering they allowed 28 second-half points to the Packers in Week 8. On paper, Indianapolis is the best team in the NFL this year, with a +116 point differential before the halfway point of the season. The Steelers have lost three straight games to Shane Steichen-led offenses, and Daniel Jones has found new life. With a struggling Pittsburgh defense, this has the potential to get ugly." - Tommy Jaggi (Colts 30-21)
"This feels like a game that the Steelers can win, and it would be classic Mike Tomlin fashion to do so. That said, the Colts look like the real deal right now. Even if we can stop this potent run game, I see no reason to think that we can slow down an unstoppable Danny Dimes (let that sink in, folks). The Steelers will right the ship, or at least keep pace for a typical 9-10 win season, but that doesn't happen this week" - Andrew Falce (Colts 27-23)
READ MORE: Jonathan Taylor fires warning about Colts' offense ahead of Steelers matchup
"Much like last week, if Pittsburgh's defense can't force turnovers, they can't expect to win. Indianapolis has the most efficient and effective offense in the NFL, against all odds, and nothing the Steelers defense has shown in the past three weeks indicates that they have an answer for that. Expect more of the same." - Jacob Harrison (Colts 30-26)
Final prediction almost bit into the temptation of the Steelers pulling off an upset
Final prediction: Steelers 27, Colts 33
One way or another, it's tough to find a solid prediction without hearing some blind optimism for this game. While the entire Still Curtain panel of experts has picked the Colts to win, the score outcomes were much closer than many have thought. Mike Tomlin has led his team to victory before as an underdog. It didn’t happen last week, but it could this time.
The Colts are playing terrific football, and they seem like an unbeatable machine. The truth is, the Steelers' defense has shown they can stop the run at times this season, but they’ve also struggled badly against it in other games. Their inconsistencies continue to tarnish their reputation. They must stop Jonthan Taylor and force Daniel Jones to beat them.
Indianapolis has shown it can beat teams in a variety of ways, but Pittsburgh must stop the run and force Jones into a couple of turnovers. That alone would get the Steelers into favorable territory. While most predictions don't see Tomlin's club winning, it's not out of reach. That said, if the Colts produce more than 25 points in this matchup, it'll be nearly impossible to win the game.
At the end of the day, the Colts get picked over the Steelers because they have proven to be much more efficient. Their consistency on both sides of the ball hasn't shown enough cracks to imagine this game being close, let alone Pittsburgh sneaking out a win. This mid-season slide will probably continue for the Steelers, unless the Colts find ways to beat themselves.