The Colts got on the board last week with a Week 3 win over the Chicago Bears. It was not the prettiest win for the franchise, but a win is a win. While we did see some improvement on the defensive front for the Colts, the offense was poor and arguably regressed in some areas. This week will not be any easier as the Colts host the Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Steelers are off to a surprising 3-0 start behind a strong defense and terrific play from new QB Justin Fields. Let’s look at the 3 keys to victory if the Colts look to move to 2-2 on the season.
Have A Plan To Slow Down TJ Watt
NBC Fantasy Guru Matthew Berry uses the phrase “You cannot stop him; you can only hope to contain him,” when discussing fantasy superstars. It was the first thought that came to my mind when putting together this list. Colts HC Shane Steichen admitted that it is the focal point of the game this Sunday.
The four-time All-Pro and former Defensive Player of the Year is a game wrecker. TJ Watt will disrupt this offensive line and force the Colts to add potential chip blockers and change the scheme. According to Pro Football Focus’s newest statistic which tracks the rate of chip-blocker help used versus edge rushers, Watt leads this category with a whopping 44% chip rate, nearly doubling the rate of second place. This coaching staff will have their hands full with Watt. The focus on him could potentially take away from other needed areas of attention.
Build On Defensive Momentum From Week 3
Which Colts defense will show up this week? The defense we saw in weeks one and two allowed nearly 500 yards on the ground with only forced turnover, or will we see the defense from last week that allowed only 63 yards on the ground and forced 3 turnovers? The Steelers have a stout defense to pair with a disciplined offense, the latter is the one that will be needed to win this football game.
We saw a bit of a scheme change last week against Chicago. Even with DeForest Buckner on the bench with an injury, they stuffed the run all day. The Bears offensive line has played poorly this season and having a rookie quarterback under center has kept the play-calling at bay in Chicago. It was expected that the Colts would win this battle, and the Steelers have another solid offensive line this season. It appears that co-starter Jaylen Warren will miss this week with an injury.
Steelers OC Arthur Smith will have this team ready and look for Bradley to mix in some blitz and increase pressure on Justin Fields and make him beat you with his arm. The strength of this Colts defense has been the pass rush, and we should fully expect that to continue this week.
Anthony Richardson Has To Improve
Anthony Richardson has been shaky so far this season, especially the past two weeks. We have seen the accuracy issues, and his decision-making skills brought to the forefront. His accuracy is hovering at 50 percent, and we saw some really head-scratching decisions last week. Specifically, his interception in the red zone where he should have just either thrown it away or taken the sack.
The Steelers thrive at playing tight, low-scoring games. This season Pittsburgh has not scored more than 20 points yet this season and has not allowed more than 10. Fully expect this game to be close and low-scoring. Jonathan Taylor bailed out this team last week with poor play from the quarterback. Richardson acknowledged that he needs to be better in post-game comments. If Richardson can lower his turnovers and make better decisions, and as he said “just let it spin,” then Indianapolis will have a realistic chance to grab win #2 on Sunday afternoon.
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