Colts vs. Steelers: What Experts Are Saying About Indianapolis
The Indianapolis Colts have been on a tear the last five weeks, racking up accolades left and right. Particularly their defense.
But what are experts saying about Indianapolis this week?
Week 8 will see Indy traveling into Heinz Field for a showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have struggled a bit in the early going, racking up a 4-3 record to this point but looking shaky in the process.
They've yet to put together a winning streak longer than a single game.
But that won't be on their minds when they take the field. Andrew Luck and friends will be.
Let's see how the analysts see this one shaking out.
Mike Wells: Reggie Wayne's Injury Not Considered Serious
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One of the only negatives of the Colts' 27-0 dismantling of the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7 was star receiver Reggie Wayne suffering an elbow injury.
Wayne underwent an MRI earlier this week and results showed no damage to the structure of his elbow.
Per ESPN.com's Mike Wells, "Wayne didn’t practice Wednesday because that’s his normal rest day and the Colts are calling him day-to-day when it comes to his availability for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers."
Colts fans can all breathe a sigh of relief. Wayne could miss a game or two, but his long-term availability isn't in question.
In the mean time, expect to see more action for Hakeem Nicks and Donte Moncrief. As a rookie third-round pick with an embarrassment of physical gifts, Moncrief will be especially fun to watch as he takes his first stab at meaningful contribution in the NFL.
Chris Burke: Andrew Luck Gives Colts a Shot to Be Great
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This just in, Andrew Luck is really, really good. SI's Chris Burke pointing out something we all know here (starts at 8:22):
"Andrew Luck just continues to be that guy who elevates the players around him and makes his offense better... We know that they are going to score offensively, for the most part, because teams really haven't been able to figure out Luck. Even when they've beaten the Colts, it's usually because they're outscoring them and not because they're holding Indianapolis to 14 points.
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Burke went on to say the defense is overachieving and that their level of success probably isn't sustainable, which may be true based on the competition they've played so far.
But as long as Luck continues to shine, the Colts are going to be better than okay. As we all know, this is a quarterback-driven league.
Luck alone is enough to steamroll the AFC South and get Indy into the playoff picture. And once they are there, who do you like better than Luck in a single game elimination?
Peyton Manning? Historically, the playoffs are not his strong suit. Tom Brady? Possibly, but the New England Patriots have less weapons than a pacifist community. Probably nobody definitively, especially if Luck cuts down on his playoff turnovers.
Indianapolis has a strong chance to make the Super Bowl and it's hard to deny that right now.
Michael Marot: Colts Holding the Ball Like No One in History
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Time of possession isn't everything, there's certainly something to be said for big-play offenses. But the Colts are doing something nobody has done in a long, long time, as outlined by Yahoo Sports' Michael Marot: "And according to STATS, Indy's current average possession time of 36 minutes, 56 seconds would shatter the highest total since 1981. The 1984 Bears (35:08) are the only club over that stretch to hold the ball for more than 35 minutes."
Whoa.
Anybody watching could tell that Indy has been succeeding offensively, but it would've been hard to guess that they've had the ball nearly two minutes more per game than any team since 1981. That isn't just breaking a record, that's laughing at it.
Who knows what this means to the long-term success of Indianapolis, as that figure will almost certainly come back to Earth in the coming weeks, but it sure is impressive right now.
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Jeff Hartman: T.Y. Hilton Will Be Tough to Stop
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As Jeff Hartman of SB Nation's Behind the Steel Curtain wrote:
"Hilton has been a force throughout the 2014 season, already tallying 47 catches for 711 yards and a touchdown - almost identical numbers to Brown's.
Hilton started off the 2014 season slow, but he ramped up his production the past three games. In each of those games, he has a minimum of seven catches and is averaging 140 yards receiving. To say Hilton is a difference-maker might be an understatement.
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While Hilton is certainly getting the job done between the 20s right now, there's no comparing his production with Antonio Brown's just yet. Their respective games are similar, but right now the Steelers' top wideout is providing touchdowns that rival any receiver in the league, while Hilton has just one score on the year.
Nevertheless, if the Steelers want to win this game, and of course they do, they will need to slow down Hilton.
Given that he's caught 16 of his last 18 targets for 330 yards and a touchdown, that may prove easier said than done.
Pitt will likely line up a few corners against Hilton in the hopes of finding a solid matchup but don't count on it. If Wayne misses this game, Hilton is all set for a heavily-involved afternoon.
Associated Press: Luck Shares Many Similarities with Roethlisberger
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The Associated Press (h/t Fox News) pointed out this week that even though Luck is most often compared to Peyton Manning, it's Ben Roethlisberger who he is most similar to among NFL QBs.
"Like Roethlisberger, Luck has the arm strength to stand in the pocket amid heavy pressure, but also the mobility to break loose and make things up as he goes. Like Roethlisberger and Manning, Luck honed his craft under the guidance of Bruce Arians, who served as an assistant with the Steelers and Colts, even briefly taking over as interim head coach in Indianapolis while Chuck Pagano dealt with leukemia.
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Physically, they are extremely similar, but Ben has always held the ball longer than any quarterback should. He makes up for it with his incredible resilience, but at what long-term cost?
His long history of injuries tells the tale of a guy who doesn't read defenses as well as he should at this point, which costs his body a lot of unnecessary hits. Luck, too, subjects himself to shots that he could likely avoid, but he usually only does so when he's taken off running downfield.
The one factor that really connects not only Luck and Big Ben, but also Manning, is the Bruce Arians connection. While Luck was only with Arians for one season, there's no question that he influenced his transition into the NFL. As a rookie, Luck was eager to soak up everything he could.
Arians would've been his primary source.
"Arians, who won the AP Coach of the Year Award in 2012 for his fill-in stint, made Luck watch tape of Roethlisberger finding order amid chaos, an attribute Luck is still trying to master."
It's not surprising they look so similar on the field when you find out that Luck was made to watch film of Roethlisberger. At that point, what do you expect to happen?
If the Colts continue to roll at the pace they've established in the last month, the next similarity he'll have with Steelers' QB is a Super Bowl ring.
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