Keep a close eye on both team's injury reports heading into this Week 4 contest. The Steelers will have some starters who could potentially miss this game due to injury. Troy Fautanu is out for at least the remainder of the regular season. Jaylen Warren is being looked at after being pulled by Mike Tomlin this past Sunday. Najee Harris was seen in a sling, and Alex Highsmith suffered a hamstring injury.
Those are just some of the players who could miss this game if their current injury situations elevate further. The Colts have their injury problems as well. Deforest Buckner is on injured reserve because of an ankle injury. Three players were pulled from last week's contest for the Colts because of injury. Those names include Kwity Paye, Kenny Moore II, and Dallis Flowers.
Every team will monitor how these players progress throughout the week to see what kind of productivity they can provide in this game. If Indianapolis is missing all the names listed above, the Steelers could expose them. Both teams have a specific identity, and they are both similar in many respects—a tough prediction to come up with here as the Steelers look to keep their undefeated streak alive.
Pittsburgh vs Indianapolis Week 4 prediction: Steelers 21, Colts 17
Much like last week's game against the Chargers, the Steelers will be taking on a run-heavy offense. The Colts want to establish to run so they can attack in the passing game. They have one of the best running backs in the NFL, Jonathan Taylor. He has been putting up quality numbers during the early portion of the season. If the Steelers struggle to defend against the run, then they will have a bad day at the office.
Anthony Richardson is the wild card in this game. He hasn't been consistent enough as a starter yet. He has a ton of traits that could provide explosive plays both in the passing game and using his legs. Pittsburgh's defense is going to have to contain him and apply pressure to force mistakes. Richardson isn't the best quarterback the team has faced, but he provides a unique challenge.
When it comes down to it, the perfect prediction of this game will have to wait to see how the final injury reports look. The Steelers should have a strong chance to run the ball effectively throughout this game, but if Warren and Harris are out with injuries, then it could become a struggle. If either or both of them suit up, then many should expect the black and gold to control the trenches.
Justin Fields is playing smart football coming into this game. He is starting to look more confident with each start he gets. Mike Tomlin historically does well against the Colts, even though they had a hiccup last year. Expect the Steelers run game to have success in this one and for Fields to feed off of that. The Colts will give Pittsburgh's defense some headaches, but not enough to pick them over the Steelers.