The Colts Can’t Beat Steel Curse as Steelers Roll

Passing:

Rushing:

Receiving:

Not shocked at all, I think this truly was the death of the Indianapolis Colts season, I can sit here and bitch and moan about how Jonathan Taylor has fumbled 3 games away or how the refs missed a blatant defensive interference call on the 4th and 3 play to end the game and how even the ref assistant got it wrong or how Saturday was an idiot and not call a time out when he had 3 left, but I’m not going to because this team cannot hurt me anymore, the Colts can’t give me any more hope, no matter if they find a way to beat the Cowboys Sunday Night, they absolutely cannot make me feel true sadness if they lose, this team is absolutely done, some how they are technically in the hunt but they are such a sad football team, I don’t want them to win another game this season, I genuinely think they should shut down the stars to save them from any sort of injury, give Deon Jackson a chance, give Zack Moss a chance, give Ashton Dulin a chance. Buckner, Big Grove, Kwity and Ngakoue should all be shut down because of how good they are. Let them coach the backups to help improve the team for next season. I don’t want to see any of my favorite players out there because it makes me want to see them win but I know it hurts them if they win. This is truly a sports grieving process that you have to do while the team is technically still playing, I don’t know how to feel on Sunday’s now because I don’t want them to win and this is the first time I am a real adult who can understand why tanking is important, this is uncharted territory but let’s go through the death of the 2022 Colts.

Offensive Keys to the Game

1. Hold the Line: Now Matt Ryan was under duress but it was surprisingly not as bad as we expected. He was sacked 3 times but one of those times, Ryan refused to throw the ball away, he really had trouble giving up on plays, he had a strip sack that was recovered by the offense but especially against Alex Highsmith, Cam Heyward and TJ Watt, they were all pretty quiet and I was okay with how the line performed.
2. Tight Ends in the RedZone: Jelani Woods was Matt Ryan’s main target on Monday Night, finally he wants to use his big guys and it showed how wrong they have been about avoiding using them. Woods was reliable, he was even able to draw a pass interference call and a holding call on a play he caught the ball, he was so strong and really showed out with his pass catching ability, I really hope he gets used more which can increase his usage next year with whatever quarterback they have.
3. Get Your Receivers Involved: The receivers can’t get involved when they refuse to catch the ball and get open, it’s very simple, they just couldn’t get open even with a bad secondary of Pittsburgh, it’s hard to blame Matt Ryan for this although Ryan and Pittman connected deep to start that final drive, the receivers can’t get the necessary separation for a veteran QB to throw to, it was evident on the first drive where Ryan threw into completely covered players. 

Defensive Keys to the Game

1. Make Pickett Win the Game: Kenny Pickett was the highest graded quarterback this weekend, he played well but the Colts defense didn’t play well either. Their pass coverages were getting toasted all game, dropping everyone into man coverage was a clear struggle, Kenny Moore was burned a few times on short routes. 
2. One Dimension: The Steelers rushed for 4.8 YPC even after Najee Harris left the game, like I said before, Kenny Pickett won the game but if he wasn’t playing his best, he easily could have won by handing the ball off every snap, when every 2 plays are a first down if you run the ball, it’s hard to win.
3. Turnovers: You can’t force turnovers from a rookie QB on primetime in a packed house? This once opportunistic defense can’t make the same plays they did make and the absence of Darius Leonard can truly be felt.

Player of the Game Prediction

You win some you lose some, he did catch a touchdown pass but MPJ was not good and he said so postgame, his line was 7 REC for 61 YDS and a TD, not what you expect out of your #1 wide receiver. MPJ has not had a 100 yard reception game since week 5’s victory vs Jacksonville.

I will still write about the Colts but I am not emotionally attached, they can’t hurt me, we get to be embarrassed on National TV again this week vs Dallas, I think Matt Ryan is going to literally crumble and die in the pocket.