Why the Colts’ Offensive Strategy Could Completely Dismantle the Steelers’ Defense This Sunday

What’s colder than being “Ice Cold,” as Outkast once famously quipped? Well, apparently, it’s this rollercoaster of NFL write-ups I’ve been juggling lately. After kicking off the season hotter than a summer sidewalk, I’ve stumbled a bit these past couple of weeks — but hey, Week 9 might just be the reset button I need. Speaking of heat, the upcoming showdown between the Colts and Steelers at 1:00 ET feels like a tantalizing test: Can the surprising surge of Indianapolis overcome Pittsburgh’s struggling defense? With Jonathan Taylor tearing up the turf and Daniel Jones commanding the offense, the Colts might have the kind of firepower that the Steelers’ porous pass defense hasn’t seen in a while. But are the Colts truly the real deal, or just riding the wave of a softer schedule? And for the Steelers, is their offense enough to outscore their defensive woes? Buckle up — this game could thaw out the cold streak or deepen the freeze. LEARN MORE.

Colts vs. Steelers, 1:00 ET

If you’re around the same age that I am, and you hear: What’s cooler than being cool? You’ll probably answer Ice Cold! Just like Outkast taught you. However, in this situation, there is something even colder than being Ice Cold, and that is my NFL writeups for Outkick. I’ve struggled significantly the past two weeks after a really strong start to the season. I am hopeful that I can get back on track here in Week 9 of the season. Let’s see what we can do with this game between the Colts and the Steelers.

The Colts are the surprise of the NFL season. There have been a number of reasons that people are attributing the success to Indianapolis. This week, we are seeing that Charlie Irsay is getting credit for it. Side tangent, she reminds me of some sort of 80s or 90s character that is very standoffish, and the main character guy has to win over throughout the movie. Prior to her, Daniel Jones was getting the credit for looking like a competent quarterback. The reality is that no matter who deserves the credit, this team is rocking. The offense has been fantastic with Jones leading the team to over 2,000 passing yards already and 13 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Jonathan Taylor is a beast, already at 850 rushing yards and another two touchdowns. Their lone loss this season was on the road, and they fell to the Rams. They lost by a touchdown, but it was still at least a reasonably close game. The real question about the Colts is if this is actually a good team, or just a good start due to their schedule. Their wins: the Dolphins, the Broncos (who probably should’ve won the game), the Titans twice, the Raiders, the Cardinals, and the Chargers. Of those teams, the Broncos and Chargers can be considered good, but the Chargers were really struggling at the time, and again, the Broncos should’ve won that game. The good news for the Colts is that the Steelers defense is awful. They allow the most passing yards to opponents in the NFL. They are middle of the pack against the run, which means that the full playbook is open for Indianapolis.

The Steelers are probably about what we expected they would be. They enter this game with a 4-3 record. Their defense, as mentioned, is terrible, and probably the reason for the losses. They couldn’t get the stop needed against the Bengals, and they just allowed the Packers to get essentially anything they wanted in their last game. They had extra time to prepare for Green Bay and still couldn’t control that offense. Let’s look at the Steelers wins this season: the Jets in a tightly contested game, the Patriots by seven in New England, the Vikings overseas with Carson Wentz – winning by just three, and the Browns in Dillon Gabriel’s first start. Their losses? ‘The Seahawks, Bengals, and Packers. The Bengals had Joe Flacco starting for them, which is certainly better than Jake Browning, but not as good as Joe Burrow. In the last two games, the Steelers defense has allowed 68 points. The offense has been solid, scoring 20+ points in all but one game. Attacking the Colts isn’t impossible, but it is hard to see exactly the best opportunity. They have people pass against them more than run because the Colts offense has been so good which inflates the numbers a bit.

I am not ready to tell everyone the Colts are the real deal, but this should be a game they can win. They had a nice easy victory last week, and looking ahead they have to travel overseas to face the Falcons. Their tougher schedule is after their bye week, and the team probably knows that. I am willing to back them here because I do think the offense will be better than the Steelers questionable defense. Give me the Colts -3.

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