This weekend marks the third straight “must-win” game for the Pittsburgh Steelers if you believe in such football cliche’. A win over the Indianapolis Colts pulls the Steelers back to .500 at the midway point of the season which would be remarkable considering this team started the season 0-3.
Here are the big storylines to keep an eye on this weekend.
How will the Steelers run the football?
Running back Benny Snell Jr. is out and James Conner is unlikely to play. Starting fullback Roosevelt Nix is questionable and the Steelers will be without starting guard Ramon Foster. We are fans of Jaylen Samuels but is he ready for this type of workload?
Is the Steelers defense ready for the physicality?
Cam Heyward, Tyson Alualu and Javon Hargrave face their biggest challenge of the season in the Colts offensive line. They just bully opposing defenses in the run game and show no remorse for their enemies. The Steelers defense has stepped up big time based on their athleticism but this week they will need to show they can match the Colts physicality.
Does history matter?
The Steelers have beaten the Colts five straight times and have outscored them 167-88 during that stretch. No one wants to live in the past but you have to take those kinds of numbers pretty seriously. The Steelers have had the Colts number in recent history and hope it will continue this weekend.
