Steelers' player of the game nearly pulled off the impossible in Week 4 vs. Colts

The Steelers' first loss of the season was a rollercoaster of emotions, defined by a nearly successful comeback. After digging themselves into a 17-0 hole early on, the team rallied to close the gap, cutting the deficit to just three points late in the game. With a chance to steal the win, hopes were high, but a botched snap in the final moments was pretty much the dagger in their efforts, sealing the Colts' victory.

It was a frustrating performance overall, as the defense struggled to contain Indianapolis for much of the game, and the offense remained out of sync until the second half. While most of the team failed to shine in critical moments, one player stood out, almost single-handedly carrying the Steelers back into contention and giving them a shot at what would have been an incredible comeback.

However, despite the late surge, the errors and inconsistencies proved too much to overcome in the end. There was, however, one undeniable player of the game that deserves some recognition.

Player of the game: Justin Fields

Despite his fair share of struggles, including some costly sacks—especially the one where he scrambled for a 22-yard loss in field goal range and fumbled—Justin Fields bounced back in a big way. After those missteps, he used his legs to score two rushing touchdowns in the red zone and threw a touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to just three points.

However, his earlier critical mistakes hurt the team, as they missed a key opportunity that might have given them a chance to force overtime. Still, credit to Fields for carrying the team and breathing life into the offense after an embarrassing first half.

With 312 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown, 55 rushing yards, and 2 rushing touchdowns, he's undoubtedly the player of the game for Pittsburgh.

Thoughts:

The Steelers had every opportunity to stage a comeback in this game, but they kept shooting themselves in the foot. Costly penalties, some questionable officiating, and a disappointing defensive performance made this loss especially tough to swallow. While I appreciate the team’s effort and refusal to give up, if they want to be seen as one of the best in the league, they need to start games much better.

For two straight weeks, we’ve seen the defense allow opening scoring drives while the offense falters in its first series, only showing signs of life near the end of the half. Considering how injury-depleted the Colts were, this loss was flat-out embarrassing.

Pittsburgh was outcoached and outplayed. Now, with a big Sunday night game against the Cowboys, the Steelers need a win to regain some momentum.