Dare I say, we may have just witnessed the best-looking loss the Pittsburgh Steelers have suffered in a long time.
The Steelers headed into Indianapolis 3-0, looking to face a 1-2 Colts squad, and despite the stark contrast between those two paths, there wasn’t a single yinzer shrugging their match off as some easy win.
This is because Indy not only puts on a tough showing for its visitors but had lost solely to playoff contenders in competitive fashion. With that in mind, this game resulting in Pittsburgh’s first defeat is, while unfortunate, not some brain-melting turn of events. From there, all that matters is how they lost, and honestly? They gave us little to complain about.
Sure, the Steelers had a couple of turnovers, which will always cut deep in a close loss, but considering that they haven’t had a habit of losing the ball up to now, I don’t see that as some team-defining trait.
The other main problem would have to be the defense, as it gave up far more points than it has in any other game this season. But, especially when looking at some of the impact players from Indy’s offensive display—Joe Flacco (veteran QB that’s all too familiar with Steelers defense), Jonathan Taylor (has previously shown the potential to be a top RB in the league), Michael Pittman Jr. (long been established as a lethal WR) and Josh Downs (promising young WR that was grown in a star-studded UNC offense)—the score probably says more 'good' about the Colts than it does 'bad' about the Steelers.
Now for the positives… well, there’s really only one, but it’s huge.
Steelers' offense has finally been reborn
For years now, the Steelers offense has not only been bad, but downright unwatchable. For reference, the 24 points scored against Indy were the most the Steelers have scored in a game since New Year’s Eve—and yes, that includes both the postseason and recent preseason.
In other words, running up the score hasn’t exactly been our thing as of late, so to see an offense that was competent at worst and threatening at best is nothing short of a phenomenal sign going forward.
Speaking of going forward, with Justin Fields playing such a pivotal role in the performance (and reminding everyone of his dual-threat capabilities in the process), the question of whether he should remain our starting quarterback has been wholeheartedly answered.
A 3-1 record, a defense that should still be regarded as top-notch, an offense that is undeniably on a steep rise, a QB situation that has been resolved for the better, and a home game with the disappointing Dallas Cowboys on the horizon? Sounds like the Steelers should be back to winning in no time.