Under the glistening lights of Lucas Oil Stadium, a game of titanic proportions kicked into play. The Colts, sitting at an 8-6, faced the dreaded 7-7 Pittsburgh Steelers. This clash held the potential to make or break their play-off prospects, and what a game it was!
The Colts' Gardner Minshew shone brighter than the Indiana skyline as he threw three touchdown passes. He meticulously completed 18 of 28 passes, resulting in an impressive 215 yards. Despite missing key players in the squad including leading receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and top rusher Zack Moss due to unfortunate injuries, Minshew's shining performance was enough to propel the Colts into a favourable playoff position.
Even with an early lead from the Pittsburgh Steelers backed by quarterback Mitch Trubisky, the tables turned in the Colts favor as they scored 30 consecutive points. With this wave of momentum, even third-string quarterback Mason Rudolph couldn’t swing success back into the Steelers' court later in the game.
The cheers for the Colts only grew louder as Trey Sermon, having run 17 times covering 88 yards, led the Colts to victory. This significant input from Trey, along with Pittman offering four receptions covering 78 yards, contributed massively to the Colts' success.
Even while putting up a tough fight, the Steelers seemed to run out of steam. With Trubisky delivering 16 out of 23 passes for 169 yards, combined with one TD pass and two interceptions, the Steelers' offense just wasn't as effective as they'd hoped. Collectively only achieving 74 rushing yards and wrapping up at 216 total yards surely must have felt like a kick in the grass for the team.
A promising start from the Steelers saw a fumble by Trubisky turned into a 1-yard TD run. Despite this flash of brilliance, the team’s sparkle fizzled out as the Colts’ defence essentially closed the curtains on them.
Without a moment's rest, the Colts swooped up on every opportunity. Scoring a 16-yard TD pass by Minshew and Moss, immediately followed by a thrilling 14-yard TD pass from D.J. Montgomery, perfectly timed with only 22 seconds left in the first half, brought the lead down to a slim 14-13.
The game was not without its devastating moments. The energy in Lucas Oil Stadium dimmed when a brutal tackle by the Steelers’ safety ended with Michael Pittman Jr. suffering from a concussion. Thankfully, Pittman got up and was able to walk off the field, leaving thousands relieved.
At the end of the game, the Colts galloped ahead. Sealing their win with three well-kicked field goals by Matt Gay, the Colts freezed their place further in the playoffs, leaving the Steelers to wheeze their way through the rest of the season.
After such a vibrant game, both teams are most probably reorganizing, refocusing, and aiming to bounce back with an even stronger game plan. As the Steelers look forward to facing Cincinnati next Saturday, the Colts set their sights upon Atlanta come this Sunday, December 24. Will the victories continue to roll in for the Colts or will the Steelers bounce back from this bump in the field? Only time will tell, and we can't wait for the excitement to continue to unfold.
