Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers Make Dramatic Comeback to Beat Philip Rivers, Colts

For the first time since 2017, the Pittsburgh Steelers are AFC North champions.

After clinching a playoff spot thanks to a Miami Dolphins loss last week, the Steelers secured the division title through a 28-24 defeat of the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. 

The Steelers scored 21 unanswered points in the second half, capped by Ben Roethlisberger's 25-yard pass to Juju Smith-Schuster with 7:38 left to play to make it 28-24.

Meanwhile, the Colts are still looking for a playoff berth, as 74 rushing yards and two scores from rookie running back Jonathan Taylor weren't enough for them to overcome the 12-3 Steelers.   

Notable Performers

• Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers: 342 passing yards (34-of-49, sack), 3 TD
• Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts: 74 rushing yards (18 carries), 2 TD 
• Philip Rivers, QB, Colts: 270 passing yards (22-of-35, INT, 5 sacks), TD
• JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Steelers: 96 receiving yards (9 receptions, 13 targets), TD

Jonathan Taylor Was Just in Time 

Rookie running back Jonathan Taylor burst onto the NFL scene earlier this season after the Colts drafted him out of Wisconsin with the 41st pick in this year's draft. 

In Week 1, he posted 67 receiving yards on six receptions to go with 22 yards on nine carries, and in his first start the next week with Marlon Mack out for the season, he broke out for 101 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries while grabbing two receptions for nine yards.

Taylor carried that production through the next few games, with two touchdowns and 244 yards as the Colts went 3-1 into their bye week. But when they came out the other end of the Week 7 bye, he was merely a shadow of what he had shown during the first half of the season.

In Week 8, he collected 22 yards on 11 carries, and while he found the end zone the next week while rushing for 27 yards on six carries, he put up another pitiful performance in Week 10, when he rushed for 12 yards on seven attempts and added 25 yards on two catches. 

Something turned around for Taylor in Week 11. In his last four games entering Sunday, he collected 414 yards on 71 attempts with three touchdowns, and he added two touchdowns and 74 yards on Sunday, marking his fourth straight outing with a score. 

As the Colts vie for playoff position, the 21-year-old is stepping up his game again when they need it the most. 

Run, Steelers, Run 

The Steelers' lack of a run game was easy to gloss over when they were the best team in the NFL, with an 11-0 record. But as they've embarked on their recent skid, the errors are becoming more apparent—and costly.

Through its first five games of the season, the Steelers posted at least 109 rushing yards per game. Since, they've had just one 100-yard game, and five of less than 50 yards on the ground. 

Top running back James Conner (663 yards, five TD entering Sunday) landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list for two weeks, the second of which coincided with the team's worst performance, in Week 13 when they dropped their first game of the season to the Washington Football Team and rushed for just 21 yards.

But even when they got him back, the team's rushing abilities didn't improve. In Week 14's loss to the Buffalo Bills, he rushed for 18 yards on 10 carries as the Steelers totaled 47 rushing yards.

On Sunday, he was responsible for 20 of the Steelers' 22 rushing yards and the team's opening touchdown. 

Heading into Sunday, just one team in the NFL averaged fewer rushing yards per game than the Pittsburgh Steelers—the Houston Texans, who are 4-11. The outing against the Colts showed that if they want to make it far this postseason, they'll have to switch things up and factor in the run. 

What's Next? 

With the division title locked up, the Steelers will travel to Cleveland to face the Browns, who could clinch a playoff spot with a defeat over the New York Jets thanks to the Colts' loss. 

The Colts will look to earn their spot in the postseason against the 1-14 Jaguars next week.