Colts vs. Steelers: Complete Week 8 Preview for Pittsburgh
Andrew Luck is no Curtis Painter, and that's bad news for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Luck and the Indianapolis Colts visit the Steelers Sunday at Heinz Field (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS). The two-time Pro Bowler is second in the NFL with 19 touchdown passes this season.
This is the first time the Steelers (4-3) face Luck, who is in this third NFL season. The last time the Steelers played the Colts, they needed Shaun Suisham's field goal with eight seconds left to win 23-20 at Indianapolis in 2011. In that game, Curtis Painter led a nine-play, 80-yard drive to tie it in the fourth quarter.
The Steelers were fresh off a conference championship season, but the fact that the defense couldn't hold a lead against a quarterback with a career passer rating of 57.6 was a foreshadowing of the decline to come.
That was the year the Steelers finished 12-4 and were infamously beaten by Tim Tebow in the playoffs. Since then the Steelers have been a .500 team. They finished 8-8 in 2012 and 2013, but they can go two games over .500 for the first time since Week 13 of the 2012 season with a win over the Colts (5-2).
To do that, they'll have to be ready for Luck after going 2-2 against the motley quarterback crew of Mike Glennon, Blake Bortles, Brian Hoyer and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Luck leads the league with 333 passing yards per game, and the Colts have gone 11-5 in each of his two seasons. They reached the AFC Wild Card Round in 2012 and the Divisional Round in 2013. They have their sights set beyond that this year and have won five in a row since losing to the Broncos and Eagles, who have a combined record of 11-2.
The Steelers have been known to play down to the level of inferior competition in recent seasons. They'll have to do the opposite Sunday.
Week 7 Recap
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The Steelers improved to 4-3 with Monday night's 30-23 win over the Houston Texans.
Through the first six weeks of the season, the Steelers played just one impressive game. That was in Week 3 at Carolina, a 37-19 win.
The Steelers didn't exactly put together 60 minutes of flawless football Monday night, but overall it was their second-best performance of the season. They won by scoring 24 points in less than three minutes to flip a 13-0 deficit into a 24-13 lead late in the second quarter. They became the first team to score that many points in a three-minute span since the 2002 Seattle Seahawks, according to ESPN Stats and Info.
Sandwiched around that scoring squall were Arian Foster's 88 rushing yards in the first half and a finish that wasn't as comfortable as it should have been. The Steelers led 30-16 in the fourth quarter but gave up a late touchdown and didn't have the victory wrapped up until Michael Palmer recovered an onside kick with 1:31 left in the game.
The Texans scored on their first three possessions to take a 13-0 lead on the Steelers, but 10 days earlier the Colts scored on their first four possessions to take a 24-0 lead at Houston after one quarter. The Colts hung on to win 33-28. Last week, the Colts blanked the Cincinnati Bengals 27-0 at home.
Not only do the Colts lead the league with 452.9 yards per game, but they aren't too shabby on defense, either. They've allowed 311.1 yards per game, third in the league. Of course, the defense is only on the field an average of 23:04 per game because the Colts are No. 1 in time of possession, averaging 36:56 per game.
If the Steelers fall behind early on Sunday, the Colts won't let them off the hook as easily as the Texans did.
News and Notes
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Blount to Return Kickoffs
LeGarrette Blount is replacing Dri Archer as the Steelers' kickoff returner, according to FoxSports.com.
The Steelers are 30th in the NFL with 17.5 yards per kickoff return. Archer has averaged 17.9 yards on nine returns.
The 5'8", 173-pound Archer was the fastest player in the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.26-second 40-yard dash. But the third-round draft pick isn't getting the job done on kick returns, so the 6'0", 250-pound Blount is taking over.
Blount returned 17 kickoffs for 494 yards with the Patriots last season. He was fifth in the NFL with a 29.1 average.
Roethlisberger Trying to Get Into Century Club
Ben Roethlisberger will make the 150th regular-season start of his career on Sunday. He has a chance to join Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana and Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks with 100 wins in their first 150 games.
Brady was the fastest to do it. His 100th win came in his 131st game. Montana did it in his 138th game, and Bradshaw did it in his 147th game in 1981.
Bradshaw and Montana both have won four Super Bowls. Brady has won three. Roethlisberger is stuck at two. Bradshaw was 33, and all his championships were behind him when he entered the century club. Roethlisberger needs eight wins to tie Bradshaw for the franchise record with 107 career wins
Roethlisberger has a long way to go to catch Bradshaw's four Super Bowl wins, but the Steelers are hoping Roethlisberger beats him in the longevity department. Bradshaw played just one game after turning 35.
Pouncey Won't Be Charged
Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey and his twin brother Mike Pouncey of the Miami Dolphins won't be charged with battery in connection with an incident at the Cameo Nightclub in Miami, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
The Pounceys celebrated their upcoming birthday at the club in July. A civil lawsuit filed by alleged victims Ricquan James, Niya Pickett and Brentley Williams is still pending. According to the suit, Pouncey harassed James with homophobic remarks at the club and punched Pickett in the face.
Dale Lolley of the Observer-Reporter in Washington, Pennsylvania, tweeted about what could have motivated the complaint.
"Shockingly enough, Pouncey brothers will not be charged for birthday incident. Who would have guessed that? #moneygrab
— Dale Lolley (@dlolleyor) October 22, 2014"
Wayne Won't Play
Colts receiver Reggie Wayne is out after injuring his elbow in Sunday's win over Cincinnati, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The 35-year-old leads all active players with 1,044 career receptions and 14,000 receiving yards. He's seventh all-time in receptions and ninth in yards. Wayne, who missed last season with a torn ACL, is second on the team with 38 receptions. Hakeem Nicks, who has 17 catches, likely will step into a bigger role.
T.Y. Hilton leads the Colts with 47 receptions.
Steelers Taking More Than They're Giving
The Steelers forced three turnovers against the Texans Monday night and only turned the ball over once. They're now on the positive side of the giveaway-takeaway ratio. They have nine takeaways and eight giveaways this season.
The last time the Steelers forced more turnovers than they committed at any point in the season was Week 8 in 2012. They had seven takeaways and six giveaways heading into a home game against the Washington Redskins, which they won to improve to 4-3.
Steelers Improve in the Red Zone
After scoring touchdowns in two of their three trips inside the red zone against the Texans, the Steelers increased their touchdown percentage inside the red zone to 40.91 percent, according to TeamRankings.com. They moved from last into a tie for 29th with the New York Jets. The Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals, who play each other Sunday, are tied for last at 40 percent apiece.
Steelers Wearing Throwbacks
The Steelers will wear their striped throwback uniforms on Sunday, according to Bob Labriola of Steelers.com.
"Just a reminder/warning, the @Steelers will be wearing the bumble-bee throwbacks on Sunday vs. the Colts.
— Bob Labriola (@BobLabriola) October 24, 2014"
This will be the fourth time the Steelers wear their 1934 "bumblebee" throwbacks, according to Steelers.com. They debuted the unis in 2012 against the Washington Redskins and won. They wore them against the Ravens later that year and lost.
They won their only game in the throwbacks last year, beating the Detroit Lions 37-27.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status (through Fri) |
| Marcus Gilbert | OT | (Doubtful) Concussion |
| Steve McLendon | NT | (Out) Shoulder |
| Ryan Shazier | ILB | (Probable) Knee |
| Ike Taylor | CB | (Out) Forearm |
| Shamarko Thomas | S | (Out) Hamstring |
Rookie Ryan Shazier went through his first full practice since spraining his knee during the Steelers' Week 3 win at Carolina, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
He could return this week, according to Ken Laird of TribLive Radio:
"LeBeau on Shazier: "Up to the head coach. Making good progress, he's been working all this week. If not this week, not far away"
— Ken Laird (@Ken_Laird) October 23, 2014"
If Shazier sits out another week, Sean Spence will start again in his place.
Ike Taylor returned to individual drills for the first time this week since he broke his forearm at Carolina, according to Jim Corbett of USA Today. Taylor had two titanium plates surgically inserted into the arm.
Mike Adams replaced Marcus Gilbert at right tackle in Monday's game. It was Adams' first action this season, and he would be the next man up if Gilbert doesn't recover from his concussion by Sunday.
Jarvis Jones doesn't appear on the injury report because he's on the injured reserve-designated to return list. He could play as soon as Nov. 17 at Tennessee, according to Bob Labriola of Steelers.com.
Steelers.com was used for injury report information.
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X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
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Antonio Brown vs. Vontae Davis
This is the main event among the matchups in this game.
Antonio Brown leads the NFL with 791 receiving yards and is second with 50 receptions. Bears running back Matt Forte has 52 catches, but Brown is the top wide receiver in that category
Vontae Davis is the NFL's top-rated cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He's tied for second in the NFL with 14 passes defended, for what that's worth. Cortez Allen is third with 12, and he lost his starting job and ranks last among the league's 185 cornerbacks.
Brown caught nine passes for 90 yards against the Texans to extend his streak of five catches and 50 yards to 23 games. All he has to do is catch five passes Sunday to stay on pace to match the career-high 110 passes he caught last season.
Davis has allowed completions on 43.8 percent of passes thrown his way, according to PFF, although Andre Johnson caught all four passes he saw with Davis covering him in Week 6.
William Gay vs. T.Y. Hilton
If Monday's game is any indication, Brice McCain's promotion to starting cornerback puts William Gay on the opponent's top receiver.
Gay covered the Texans' Andre Johnson on five passes and allowed two completions, according to Pro Football Focus.
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw to Johnson twice with Cortez Allen covering him and once each with McCain and Mike Mitchell on him.
Johnson caught five passes overall on nine targets.
T.Y. Hilton is second in the AFC with 47 receptions, behind only Antonio Brown. He's caught 25 of those passes in the last three games, including nine for 223 yards and a touchdown in the Colts' 33-28 win over the Texans on Thursday night in Week 6.
Le'Veon Bell vs. Jerrell Freeman
The Steelers were down 13-0 and staring at 3rd-and-10 from their own 14 Monday when Le'Veon Bell caught a 43-yard checkdown pass to set up a field goal.
Bell beat inside linebacker Brian Cushing's coverage on that game-turning play. Jerrell Freeman is the likeliest candidate to cover Bell on similar plays Sunday.
Freeman has started the last three games next to D'Qwell Jackson at inside linebacker and has allowed 13 completions on 20 targets, according to PFF. He was on Giovani Bernard once in the Colts' 27-0 win over the Bengals and allowed a completion that lost one yard. Against Arian Foster the previous week, Freeman was targeted twice with two completed passes for 33 yards.
The 28-year-old Freeman played at Mary Hardin-Baylor and went undrafted. He played with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League for three years before signing with the Colts in 2012.
Bell is second on the team with 36 receptions and behind only Matt Forte among NFL running backs in that category. He's the first Steeler ever to surpass 100 yards from scrimmage in the first seven games of a season, according to CBSSports.com.
Jason Worilds vs. Andrew Luck
This is a key matchup on two levels.
Andrew Luck will be the best quarterback the Steelers have faced this season. It would behoove them to put some pressure on him or even sack him. They are paying Jason Worilds $9.75 million this year to sack the quarterback, and he's only done it twice.
Not only can Luck hurt the Steelers throwing the ball, but he can hurt them running the ball. He's ninth in the league among quarterbacks with 98 rushing yards for two touchdowns.
According to Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Worilds "spied" Cam Newton, the NFL's No. 3 running quarterback, when the Steelers beat the Panthers 37-19 in Week 3.
If Worilds draws a similar assignment Sunday, it could limit his pass-rushing ability. The Steelers have 10 sacks so far this season, 23rd in the league. But Worilds is tied for sixth among 3-4 outside linebackers in both quarterback hits (seven) and quarterback hurries (15), according to PFF.
X-Factor to Watch: Mike Adams
Mike Adams replaced Marcus Gilbert at right tackle when Gilbert suffered a concussion during Monday night's game. PFF charged Adams with a quarterback hit and two quarterback hurries, but he didn't allow a sack and played a role in keeping J.J. Watt quiet. Watt had a sack and recovered a fumble, but that was before Adams entered the game.
Adams' epic failure at left tackle was a factor in the Steelers' 0-4 start last year. But he held his own at right tackle Monday. If Gilbert can't go Sunday, Adams will have to do his part to protect Ben Roethlisberger against a team that's tied for third in the NFL with 21 sacks even though no individual Colt is among the top 10.
Bjoern Werner is tied for 15th with four sacks. He was drafted 24th overall in 2013, seven spots after Jarvis Jones, as a defensive end/linebacker hybrid. Linebackers D'Qwell Jackson and Erik Walden and defensive end Cory Redding all have three sacks.
Prediction
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The Steelers offense is composed of established stars Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown, a blossoming Le'Veon Bell and an offensive line coached by Mike Munchak, the best in the business.
That offense was supposed to carry a defense that's still a work in progress. That hasn't always happened this season. If there's ever a time when it does have to happen, it's Sunday. The Colts are second only to the Denver Broncos with 30.9 points per game. They've scored more than 40 twice this season and haven't scored less than 20.
The Steelers haven't scored 40 since Week 17 of the 2010 season. They will Sunday. But will it be enough?
This will be a memorable matchup between Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck on the late-afternoon stage at Heinz Field.
The Steelers finally came out of their shell and threw the ball downfield a few times against the Texans. On Sunday, the offense will be prolific enough to beat most teams.
Just not the Colts.
Prediction: Colts 43, Steelers 42
NFL.com was used for statistics unless otherwise noted.
Follow Mike @Steel_Tweets
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