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Steeler Nation is a world-wide army that follows the legendary Pittsburgh Steelers. The Six-Time Super Bowl Champions are a franchise whose tradition dictates a standard of excellence, and their fans expect nothing less year in and year out. Those very same ideals translate to the ultimate Pittsburgh Steelers Game Day Preview, a guide that all Steelers fans read weekly to learn everything they need to know about their team and weekly opponent!
Mike Drakulich, the man behind Pittsburgh SportsNation (@PghSportsNation), who covers both Pitt football and the Steelers for NGSC Sports, brings you inside the huddle for both teams providing all NFL fans with The PSN Game Commentary, Score Prediction, Broadcast Information, and a complete breakdown of each team.
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) at Indianapolis Colts (7-6)
NFL Week 15
Vegas line: Indianapolis -1.5
Game-time: Saturday, December 16th, at 4:30 PM
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN.
- Field: Field Turf
Weather at kickoff: Indoor Stadium
The Pittsburgh SportsNation Game Commentary
Historically, the Pittsburgh Steelers have dominated the Indianapolis Colts.
The Steelers (7-6) have a lifetime record of 33-9 vs the Colts and have won the last eight times these two teams have met.
Normally, in most years, you’d like Pittsburgh’s chances to win this game.
Don’t hold your breath.
Coming off consecutive losses to teams with 2-10 records, something that no team in the history of the NFL has done when possessing a winning record, no one in Steeler Nation can feel any confidence whatsoever.
Somehow, despite these backbreaking defeats, Pittsburgh still finds themselves as the #6 seed in the AFC Playoff race, and maintains control of their destiny.
A loss in this game will certainly lead to a very bleak future, as six other teams also have identical 7-6 records, and luck only lasts so long.
Honestly, it’s just a matter of time till the bottom falls out from beneath this once proud franchise this season.
The Steelers, under Mike Tomlin, have lost their identity, their direction, and their soul.
No one fears playing against the Steelers anymore. The respect is gone.
“Maybe the tradition of the Pittsburgh Steelers is done,” said former Steeler quarterback and eventual Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger.
That statement was just the beginning of what Roethlisberger thought of this current team during his Podcast this week.
“You can’t afford in the second half of games to burn silly timeouts and to not have them late in the game,” Roethlisberger said. “To me, that’s bad coaching. There’s some feel you have to have in those situations because timeouts can be so valuable, as we saw in this game. If we have one more timeout there, we get a completion, we can work the middle of the field and all you got to do is give Boz (Chris Boswell) a 60-yard chance. Give him a chance and he’ll tie the game. I like my chances in overtime because they scored all their points early and the momentum had shifted.
“This isn’t what has been handed down from those teams of the ’70s. The Steel Curtain, the four Super Bowls, the Nolls, the Bradshaws, the Blounts. All those people, it’s unbelievable.
“I understand the further you get away from that, the harder it is unless it’s being passed down and carried the right way. It just feels like that’s something that’s been lost on this team. I’ve felt that certain guys on the team aren’t in it for the team, they’re in it for themselves. Well, now some of the guys on the team are saying the same thing.”
The lack of proper coaching and execution has also been noticed by other former players, such as Merril Hoge, who ripped the team this week.
“They might be the worst group of route runners in the NFL,” said Hoge. “Half the time, they quit on routes. The pick that (Mitch) Trubisky threw? Freiermuth makes a move and just quits. He’s supposed to break it inside, and he just quits.
“Our tight ends look like two turtles when you’re blocking. Because you’re not blocking anybody. I’m watching tape, and it’s, like, what are they doing?”
This is not to suggest that the current players are blind to the situation they are in. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was also critical of the team’s mindset and preparation leading into games, and was especially angry after the loss to New England.
“In order to see the fruit, you’ve gotta toil for it,” he said. “I think too many people don’t want to toil for it. They just want to walk out here and think that they’re going to make plays and think that they’re going to perform at a high level. I think we need to have more people who want to work for it, not expect it to be handed to them.
“This is the NFL. Nothing’s handed to you. You got to earn everything. I think that dudes just think that because they’re wearing the black and gold that they’re going to win games, and I think we need to check that mentality and make people realize that they got to earn that mentality and they got to earn every single blade of grass, every single splash play and every single rep that they get out there. They got to earn it.”
Fitzpatrick, who continues to play despite a broken hand, knows the importance of this week’s game.
“This is a playoff game in my eyes,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s a game that if we win, it boosts our chances of getting into the playoffs by a lot. If we lose, it takes us pretty much out of the playoffs.”
The Colts (7-6) host the Steelers this Saturday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium. Kickoff is at 4:30 PM.
Though Indianapolis lost the services of promising rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, Gardner Minshew has stepped in and kept the team in playoff contention, currently as the #7 seed in the playoff race.
Minshew is averaging 194.2 yards per game, and has thrown 11 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. He has been sacked 23 times.
Michael Pittman, Jr. is the Colt’s leading receiver, and ranks 4th in the NFL with 94 catches, and is just 16 yards from a 1,000 yard season.
Josh Downs and Alec Pierce round out the rest of the Indianapolis receivers, with Downs totaling 54 receptions and two touchdowns.
Minshew also has four tight ends that the Colts regularly use, with Kylen Granson leading the group with 22 catches for 264 yards.
The Colts will be without starting running back Jonathan Taylor, who has a broken thumb, but the rushing attack is still strong with Zach Moss leading the team with 751 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Moss also has 24 receptions for 172 yards.
Offensively, the Colts rank 8th, scoring 24.2 points per game, but are coming off a 34-14 pounding at the hands of the Bengals last week.
One would envision, with both T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith cleared from the concussion protocol, being able to get to Minshew early and often, but we’re talking about the same team that made Bailey Zappe look like the second coming of Joe Montana last week.
Then you still have Mitch Trubisky under center, who you’d zero trust in if he was the QB of your annual Turkey Bowl game.
The Steelers could find success running the ball behind Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren against a Colts defense giving up the 26th most yards on the ground at 131.5 yards per game.
The Colts are near the bottom of the league on defense allowing 25.4 points per game, ranking at 29th, but do possess a fearsome pass rush, getting to the opposing quarterback 42 times this year, which is 3rd best in the league, and have 13 interceptions to boot.
Facing bad defenses hasn’t exactly helped Pittsburgh’s beleaguered offense lately, as they managed just 10 points against Arizona, which was next to last in the NFL.
All in all, it’s hard to have any faith in this team at this time.
Can Pittsburgh somehow win this game? No doubt, but until I actually see an actual pulse from the players or the clueless coaching staff, it’s more likely a third straight loss for the Steelers.
Prediction: Colts 24 Steelers 20
Broadcast Information
TV: NFL Network (Local: KDKA-TV channel 802 on Xfinity)
- Announcers: Rich Eisen (play-by-play) Kurt Warner (analyst) | Jamie Erdahl (field reporter)
Local Radio: Pittsburgh- 102.5 WDVE-FM & 970 WBGG-AM
- Announcers: Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play) Craig Wolfley (analyst) | Max Starks (sideline) Missi Matthews (sideline)
National Radio: Westwood One Sports
- Announcers: Bill Rosinski (play-by-play) Mike Mayock (analyst)
Internet broadcast: Steelers Nation Radio (SNR) on Steelers.com
NFL Links
Scouting the Pittsburgh Steelers
Overall record: 7-6 (2nd in AFC North)
Last Game: Patriots 21 Steelers 18
Head Coach: Mike Tomlin
- 17th Season with Steelers
- Overall regular-season record: 170-99-2
- Playoff record: 8-9 (Qualified for playoffs 10 times)
Team Links
- Pittsburgh Steelers Team Roster
- Steelers Team/Individual Statistics
- Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 Schedule
Steelers Offense
Offensive Stats
- Points per game: 16.2 (27th)
- Total yards per game: 307.6 (27th)
- Passing yards per game: 194.8 (30th)
- Rushing yards per game: 112.8 (15th)
QUARTERBACK
Mitch Trubisky | #10
Trubisky was thought to possess all the skills to be a top draft pick, but has never lived up to that hype. Prone to making back backing turnovers, and never making plays when the game is on the line.
Passing Yards: 463 | TD Passes: 3 | INT’s: 3 | Sacked: 4
Rushing Yards: 53 | Rushing TD’s: 1
Back-up: Mason Rudolph | #10
Passing Yards: 0 | TD Passes: 0 | INT’s: 0 | Sacked: 0
Rushing Yards: 0 | Rushing TD’s: 0
RUNNING BACKS
Najee Harris | #22
Harris and Warren are forming a formidable one-two punch in the Steelers rushing attack. Harris has looked strong and assertive the 2nd half of the season, but was barely utilized in the loss to New England.
Rushing Yards: 690 | Rushing TD’s: 4
Receptions: 24 | Receiving Yards: 149 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Jaylen Warren | #30
Warren always finds a way to hit the hole and get positive yardage, and has become a weapon both running the ball and catching passes out of the backfield.
Rushing Yards: 612 | Rushing TD’s: 3
Receptions: 42 | Receiving Yards: 272 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Anthony McFarland | #26
Rushing Yards: 0 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Receptions: 2 | Receiving Yards: 11 | Receiving TD’s: 0
WIDE RECEIVERS
Diontae Johnson | #18
Johnson was Pickett’s favorite target since returning from injury, but inconsistencies have plagued his career, including untimely dropped passes and constantly running backwards after catches. Leads the team with three touchdown catches.
Receptions: 37 | Receiving Yards: 475 | Receiving TD’s: 3
George Pickens | #14
Pickens leads the team with 49 receptions for 767 yards, but hasn’t been the sharpest route runner. The team has failed to maximize his talents offensively.
Receptions: 49 | Receiving Yards: 767 | Receiving TD’s: 2
Allen Robinson II | #11
Robinson hasn’t made much of an impact as the team thought he would when signed in the off-season.
Receptions: 27 | Receiving Yards: 225 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Calvin Austin III | #19
The shifty receiver could be utilized in a variety of ways in a competent offense, but… perhaps with Canada gone, the team will find a way to get him the ball in space. Get this guy the ball with some middle crossing routes!
Receptions: 17 | Receiving Yards: 180 | Receiving TD’s: 1
Rushing Yards: 30
Miles Boykin | #13
Receptions: 2 | Receiving Yards: 11 | Receiving TD’s: 0
TIGHT ENDS
Pat Freiermuth | #88
Could be a top tight end in this league if he was on a team that knew how to run a competent offense.
Receptions: 24 | Receiving Yards: 227 | Receiving TD’s: 2
Conner Heyward | #83
Heyward makes the most of his opportunities when called upon.
Receptions: 21 | Receiving Yards: 163 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Darnell Washington | #80
The world awaits “Mount” Washington to be utilized in the Steelers passing attack, especially in the red zone. Washington has become a devastating blocker in the run game.
Receptions: 6 | Receiving Yards: 53 | Receiving TD’s: 0
*Injured/Out
Steelers Defense (Base 3-4)
Defensive Stats
- Points per game allowed: 19.2 (7th)
- Total offense yards per game allowed: 344.9 (21st)
- Passing yards allowed: 226.9 (21st)
- Rushing yards allowed: 117.9 (21st)
- Sacks: 36 (14th)
- Interceptions: 13 (4th)
DEFENSIVE LINE
DT: Cam Heyward | #97
Tackles: 25 | Sacks: 2
NT: Keeanu Benton | #95
Tackles: 31 | Sacks: 1
DE: Larry Ogunjobi | #99
Tackles: 33 | Sacks: 2
LINEBACKERS
OLB: T.J. Watt | #90
Tackles: 52 | Sacks: 14 | INT: 1 | TD: 1
ILB: Mykal Walker | #38
Tackles: 12 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 1
ILB: Elandon Roberts | #50
Tackles: 86 | Sacks: 2.5
OLB: Alex Highsmith | #56
Tackles: 49 | Sacks: 6 | INT: 1 | TD: 1
SECONDARY
CB: Joey Porter, Jr. | #24
Tackles: 36 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 1
FS: Minkah Fitzpatrick | #39
Tackles: 43 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 0
SS: Damontae Kazee | #23
Tackles: 56 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 2
CB: Patrick Peterson | #20
Tackles: 33 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 1
Steelers Special Teams
PLACEKICKER
Chris Boswell | #9
Extra Points: 17-17
Field Goals: 23-25
- 1-19 yards: 0-0
- 20-29 yards: 6-6
- 30-39 yards: 5-5
- 40-49 yards: 7-8
- 50+ yards: 5-6
KICKOFF RETURNER
Anthony McFarland, Jr. | #26
Average: 27.3 | TD Returns: 0
Godwin Igwebuike | #48
Average: 23.0 | TD Returns: 0
PUNT RETURNER
Calvin Austin III | #19
Average: 6.6 | TD Returns: 0
Scouting the Indianapolis Colts
Overall record: 7-6 (2nd in AFC South)
Last game: Bengals 34 Colts 14
Head Coach: Shane Steichen
- 1st Season with Indianapolis
- Overall regular-season record: 7-6 | 7-6 (with Colts)
- Playoff Record: 0-0
Team Links
Colts Offense
Offensive Stats
- Points per game: 24.2 (8th)
- Total Offense per game: 349 (17th)
- Passing yards per game: 238.5 (17th)
- Rushing yards per game: 110.5 (16th)
QUARTERBACK
Gardner Minshew | #10
Minshew has been the starter since Anthony Richardson was lost for the season, and has been able to play consistent enough to keep the Colts in playoff position.
Passing Yards: 2,524 | TD Passes: 11 | INT’s: 8 | Sacked: 23
Rushing Yards: 57 | Rushing TD’s: 3
Back-up: Sam Ehlinger | #4
Passing Yards: 0 | TD Passes: 0 | INT’s: 0 | Sacked: 0
Rushing Yards: 0 | Rushing TD’s: 0
RUNNING BACKS
Jonathan Taylor* | #28
Taylor is one of the better backs in the league, but injuries have derailed his career the past two seasons.
Rushing Yards: 414 | Rushing TD’s: 4
Receptions: 16 | Receiving Yards: 137 | TD’s: 1
Zach Moss | #21
Moss has taken the bull by the horns while Taylor has been out and has shown he can be counted upon as a featured back.
Rushing Yards: 751 | Rushing TD’s: 5
Receptions: 24 | Receiving Yards: 172 | Receiving TD’s: 1
Trey Sermon | #27
Rushing Yards: 37 | Rushing TD’s: 0
Receptions: 1 | Receiving Yards: 4 | Receiving TD’s: 0
WIDE RECEIVERS
Michael Pittman, Jr. | #11
Pittman is one of the best receivers in the NFL, and ranks 4th in the NFL with 95 catches. Will be involved plenty against a vulnerable Steelers secondary.
Receptions: 95 | Receiving Yards: 984 | Receiving TD’s: 4
Josh Downs | #1
Downs doesn’t have physical prowess, but surely makes up for that with his speed and agility. He is 2nd on the team with 54 receptions.
Receptions: 54 | Receiving Yards: 612 | Receiving TD’s: 2
Alec Pierce | #14
Pierce is the third option in the Colts passing game.
Receptions: 27 | Receiving Yards: 413 | Receiving TD’s: 1
Isaiah McKenzie | #6
Receptions: 11 | Receiving Yards: 82 | Receiving TD’s: 0
TIGHT ENDS
Kylen Granson | #83
Granson is one of four tight ends used by the Colts, and leads them all with 22 catches.
Receptions: 22 | Receiving Yards: 264 | Receiving TD’s: 1
Andrew Ogletree | #85
Receptions: 9 | Receiving Yards: 147 | Receiving TD’s: 2
Will Mallory | #86
Receptions: 13| Receiving Yards: 141 | Receiving TD’s: 0
Mo Alie-Cox | #81
Receptions: 7 | Receiving Yards: 104 | Receiving TD’s: 2
*Injured/out
Colts Defense (Base 4-3)
Defensive Stats
- Points per game allowed: 25.4 (29th)
- Total offense yards per game allowed: 357.6 (25th)
- Passing yards allowed: 226.1 (17th)
- Rushing yards allowed: 131.5 (26th)
- Sacks: 42 (3rd)
- Interceptions: 13 (4th)
DEFENSIVE LINE
DE: Kwity Paye | #51
Tackles: 41 | Sacks: 7.5
DT: DeForest Buckner | #99
Tackles: 64 | Sacks: 5.5
DT: Taven Bryan | #96
Tackles: 17 | Sacks: 2
DE: Samson Ebukam | #52
Tackles: 44 | Sacks: 8
LINEBACKERS
OLB: E.J. Speed | #45
Tackles: 53 | Sacks: 1 | INT: 0
MLB: Zaire Franklin | #44
Tackles: 144 | Sacks: 1.5 | INT: 0
OLB: Ronnie Harrison, Jr. | #48
Tackles: 6 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 2
SECONDARY
CB: Kenny Moore II | #23
Tackles: 81 | Sacks: 1.5 | INT: 3
SS: Julian Blackmon | #32
Tackles: 85 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 3
FS: Rodney Thomas II | #5
Tackles: 30 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 2
CB: Juju Brents | #29
Tackles: 24 | Sacks: 0 | INT: 1
Colts Special Teams
PLACEKICKER
Matt Gay | #7
Extra Points: 29-30
Field Goals: 23-28
- 1-19 yards: 0-0
- 20-29 yards: 8-8
- 30-39 yards: 3-4
- 40-49 yards: 5-6
- 50+ yards: 7-10
KICKOFF RETURNER
Isaiah McKenzie | #6
Average: 25.3 | TD Returns: 0
PUNT RETURNER
Isaiah McKenzie | #6
Average: 8.6 | TD Returns: 0
Steelers vs Colts History
Series History: Began in 1950
Overall Record: 33-9
- Home: 20-3
- Away: 13-6
- Postseason: 5-0
Streak: Steelers won the last eight games.
Last regular-season meeting: Steelers Win, 24-17 (Nov. 28, 2022)
Last postseason meeting: Steelers Win, 21-18 (Jan. 15, 2006)
Injury Report (12/14/23)
Pittsburgh Steelers
IR: S Keanu Neal
Out: QB Kenny Pickett (ankle)
Doubtful: None
Questionable: G Isaac Seumalo (Shoulder)
Indianapolis Colts
IR: QB Anthony Richardson
Out: RB Jonathan Taylor, T Braden Smith (Knee)
Doubtful: None
Questionable: LB Segun Olubi (Hip)
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From Midland, "The Basketball Capital of Pennsylvania", located 35 miles NW of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River. This former steel town was home to storied athletes such as Dave Alston, Norm Van Lier, Simmie Hill, and the legendary 1965 Midland High School Basketball Team.
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