Matt's Stats: Week 5 vs. Colts

Series history

Beginning in 1950, these two franchises have met 36 times, but only two of those games took place before 1968. The Colts and Steelers split their first four meetings, but the Steelers are 26-5 since. Overall, Pittsburgh leads this series 28-8, with 12 of the games against the Baltimore Colts. Baltimore won just three of those matchups. The Colts have won just three games against Pittsburgh in the 2000s, zero in the 1990s, one in the 1980s, and two in the 1970s. The Colts and Steelers have met five times in the postseason with Pittsburgh undefeated in those playoff battles. The Steelers have a five-game winning streak currently against the Colts in Pittsburgh, including last year's 27-20 victory.

Matchup overview

• Pittsburgh has a three-day rest advantage in this matchup, and the Colts will be on the road despite playing in London in Week 4. This is the Colts' third road game in four weeks. The Steelers have won four straight regular-season home games dating to last year.

• Last week's win has the Colts on a two-game winning streak after a nine-game losing streak dating to last season.

• Since Andrew Luck's retirement, the Colts have had a dozen quarterbacks start a game over the past seven seasons.

• The Steelers have been outscored by 10 points this season while the Colts have been outscored by 2.

• Pittsburgh is -2 in turnover differential compared to -6 for Indianapolis, worst in the league. Pittsburgh has caused eight fumbles (recovered four) but has only fumbled three times (lost two). The Steelers' eight takeaways are only behind Las Vegas. The Colts have just two takeaways, fewest in the league, and their four fumbles lost are most in the league. Pittsburgh is the only team with multiple takeaways in every game this season. The Colts and Rams are the only teams to lose the turnover battle in every game and Indianapolis has a nine-game streak of losing the turnover battle. The Dolphins have the second-longest streak with five.

• The Steelers have a -3 sack differential compared to +1 for Indianapolis. Only four teams are worse in this category than Pittsburgh.

• Pittsburgh possessed the ball for 31:11 last week and sits at 30:41 for the season. The Colts sit at 30:53 after holding the ball for 30:40 in Week 4. The Steelers and Colts are 14^th and 15^th in the league, respectively.

• Pittsburgh's opponents are running 57 plays per game, second fewest.

• The Colts have given up a league-high 12 plays of 30+ yards. They have produced one such play on offense, a league low.

• Steelers opponents' starting average field position is 4.6 yards better than Pittsburgh's. Only seven teams are worse in starting field position differential.

• Colts opponents have been penalized 14 more times than Indianapolis for 165 more yards.

• Indianapolis has only had 16 accepted penalties against, fewest in the league. The Steelers have 25, fifth most.

• The Steelers allow 1.5 more yards per pass attempt than they produce.

• Colts opponents have thrown for 346 more yards than Indianapolis.

• Indianapolis opponents are also rushing for 0.9 more yards per carry than the Colts are allowing.

• The Colts are allowing 109.3 more yards per game than they produce.

• In terms of yards-per-play differential, the Steelers come in 25^th (-0.65) and the Colts are last (-1.68). Indianapolis and Arizona are the only two teams below -0.83.

When Pittsburgh has the ball

• The Steelers averaged 5.6 yards per play while Indianapolis allowed 5.2 last week. Pittsburgh averages 5.0 for the year. The Colts give up 6.2, better than only Dallas.

• Indianapolis allowed just 30 combined points over the past two games after allowing more than 30 in each of the first two contests. The Colts allowed 540 total yards over their past two games compared to giving up 500+ in each of their first two.

• The Steelers are throwing the ball on 66.1% of their plays, third highest.

• Pittsburgh has only used 13 personnel (three tight ends) on 2.4% of snaps.

• The Indianapolis defense was in nickel (five defensive backs) on 77% of the snaps against Washington.

• The Colts are giving up an explosive play rate of 9.2%, better than only two defenses.

• From under center, only the Chiefs are averaging more yards per play than Pittsburgh (6.35). The Steelers are 20^th in under-center usage (34.7%).

• Pittsburgh is 28^th (20.6%) in usage of play-action and 32^nd (55.1%) in  usage of motion. However, the Steelers run play-action on 89% of their under-center dropbacks. Regardless of quarterback alignment, the Steelers are producing 9.3 yards per attempt when using play-action, fifth highest.

• The Colts allow 10.4 yards per pass with play-action, second highest.

• Pittsburgh throws deep at a 13% rate, fifth highest. The Colts defense faces deep passes at a 13% rate, fourth highest.

• The Colts defense faces an average time to throw of 2.93 seconds, fifth highest.

• Indianapolis allows the fourth most passing yards per game (261.3) and the third highest yards per completion (13.3).

• Aaron Rodgers threw for 299 yards on Thursday night. He has been at or above 10 yards per attempt in three of his four games this year, something Rodgers didn't do once in 2025. Rodgers is averaging 250 passing yards per game, 14^th highest. Rodgers has thrown three touchdown passes in back-to-back games. He averages 38.3 pass attempts per game and the seventh most dropbacks per game (42). Rodgers has attempted a league-high 22 deep passes (20+ yards), completing five for 153 yards and two interceptions.

• DK Metcalf caught five passes for 115 yards last week after posting 98 receiving yards through his first three games. He has nine or more targets in three of four games. He ranks fourth in routes run per game (40).

• Michael Pittman Jr. has gotten a dozen targets on 90 routes run (0.13 targets per route run). Over the past three seasons in Indianapolis, Pittman had been at 0.25. Pittman has only been targeted on 12.1% of his routes.

• Roman Wilson has now reached the end zone two games in a row. He tied his career-high 74 receiving yards last week on just 18 routes run. Wilson now has 14 receptions in 2026 after having 12 total entering this season. His 1.9 yards per route run leads the team. Wilson has at least a 15% target share in every game this year.

• On a yards allowed-per-touch basis, the Colts are last (11.2) against wide receivers.

• The Colts give up the third fewest catches per game (4.8) and fourth fewest yards per game (72.3) to wide receivers aligned out wide. But they allow the second most receptions (5.8) and most yards per game (90.5) to wide receivers aligned in the slot.

• Metcalf aligns out wide on 86.4% of his snaps.

• Of any player aligned in the slot, Indianapolis is allowing 15 yards per touch. Not only is that last in the league, but the Raiders at 31^st are allowing 12.1.

• Darnell Washington is averaging 9.2 yards per target, 11^th among tight ends with at least 10 targets. He averages 9.7 yards after the catch, third most.

• The Colts are also allowing the third most receiving yards per game (44.3) to running backs.

• Rodgers was sacked five times against the Browns, but the Colts recorded just one sack against Washington. Only the Buccaneers (4.0) are allowing more sacks per game than Pittsburgh (3.3).

• The Colts had a blitz rate of just 9.8% last week.

• Jaylen Warren is on pace for 1,992 scrimmage yards this year. The last time a Steelers player had 1,900 or more scrimmage yards was Le'Veon Bell in 2017. Warren is averaging 5.6 yards per carry and 11 yards per catch. Over the first two games of the season, Warren played 54.7% of snaps. In the last two games, he was over 90% in each game. Those are two of the three instances in the league this year when a running back played over 90%. Warren has 272 more rushing yards than anyone else on the team. Warren was hit at or behind the line of scrimmage on 81% of his carries in Weeks 1 and 2, highest in the league during that time.

• The Packers and Steelers are the only remaining teams yet to score a rushing touchdown.

• As a team, Pittsburgh is fourth best in rushing yards (3.05) after contact.

• Pittsburgh was just 4 for 13 on third downs in Week 4. The Colts held Washington, mostly with Athan Kaliakmanis at quarterback, to 2 of 15 on third downs and 1 of 4 on fourth downs. For the season, Indianapolis opponents are only converting third downs 38% of the time, sixth best. On third-and-medium situations, the Steelers' 23.1% conversion rate is the worst in the league and is below their overall conversion rate of 32% that ranks 28^th.

• Sauce Gardner aligned as the right outside cornerback on 95% of his snaps last week.

• Indianapolis is allowing 15.3 points in the first halves of games, tied with New Orleans for worst in the league.

• The Steelers have gone three-and-out on 13 of their drives, tied for second most.

• Only the Giants are taking more time on the play clock to snap the ball than the Steelers.

• The Colts have a takeaway on a league-low 4.3% of opposing possessions.

When Indianapolis has the ball

• The Colts averaged 3.9 yards per play in London. The Steelers allowed 6.0 yards per play last week. For the season, Indianapolis averages 4.5, better than only Minnesota. Pittsburgh gives up 5.7.

• Indianapolis employed 12 personnel (one back, two tight ends) on 42.4% of snaps last week. For the season, the Colts have used 11 personnel (one back, one tight end) at a 56% clip, more than only 11 offenses, and their 35% 12 personnel usage is fifth most.

• Pittsburgh was in nickel 72.6% of the time against the Browns.

• The Steelers are giving up an explosive pass rate of 6.5%, better than only four defenses. The Colts' explosive run rate (12.6%) is sixth best while their explosive pass rate (2.1%) is 31^st.

• The Steelers allow a set of downs to result in a new set of downs or a touchdown at a 68% rate, sixth best.

• The Colts use play-action on 20.3% of their dropbacks. Only the Bills and Lions use it more. The Steelers defense sees play-action at a 23% rate, lowest in the league. Colts QB Daniel Jones averages 5.6 yards per attempt when using play-action. Only two quarterbacks produce less per attempt.

• Against the Steelers last week, Deshaun Watson had an average time to throw of just 2.4 seconds. The week before, Joe Burrow was at 2.5.

• Pittsburgh allows a completion rate of 68.4% (26^th).

• Indianapolis averages 6.1 air yards per attempt. That is the sixth lowest. The Colts throw deep 8% of the time. Only one team throws deep less. Jones' deep-ball throw rate is about half of what it was last year.

• Jones threw the ball 34 times last week but accumulated just 143 passing yards. Jones' 4.2 yards per attempt was the lowest mark in his time with Indianapolis. He is averaging 188.5 passing yards per game. Jones has turned the ball over seven times this year. Jones has completed just 11% of his passes that have traveled more than 20 yards downfield. That is the worst in the league by over seven percentage points. He has just three passing touchdowns in four games. Jones is producing a first down or touchdown on 28% of his throws (26^th).

• The Browns completed 73% of their passes in Week 4.

• The Colts were without receivers Alec Pierce and Keenan Allen last week. Laquon Treadwell was their leading wide receiver with five catches for 42 yards. Treadwell led wideouts with 56 snaps followed by Josh Downs with 51 and Aston Dulin with 23. Downs had a 14% target share, tying his lowest of the season.

• The Steelers allow the fourth fewest yards per game (72.3) and third fewest receptions per game (4.8) to wide receivers aligned out wide.

• Tight end Tyler Warren has yet to see a target that has traveled at least 15 air yards, but he does have a target share of at least 17% in every game this season. He is averaging 1.05 yards per route run (29^th among tight ends) while 33% of his targets have come at or behind the line of scrimmage (third highest among tight ends). Warren is second among tight ends with 23 receptions.

• The Steelers allow the sixth fewest receptions per game (3.3) to tight ends, but a 10.5% touchdown rate (26^th).

• The Steelers allow the sixth most receiving yards per game (39.0) to running backs.

• Indianapolis dressed just two running backs last week, Jonathan Taylor and Seth McGowan. Taylor out-snapped McGowan 47-19 with 20 carries compared to 6. In Week 4, Taylor saw a season-low 67% rush share and 49% route share. Still, he has 20+ touches in every game this season.

• Taylor has 308 more rushing yards than any of his teammates and already has six rushing touchdowns. He has scored two touchdowns in three of his four games. Taylor has 26 touchdowns since the start of 2025, most in the league. When these teams met last year, Taylor had 45 rushing yards on 14 carries with two catches for 12 yards.

• With Derrick Harmon off the field this season, Pittsburgh has faced 52 running back carries. Those carries have resulted in 5.1 yards per carry on average and 15.4% of those 52 runs have resulted in gains of 10+ yards. That would be the league's highest rate.

• T.J. Watt forced his 37^th career fumble last week. That is nine more forced fumbles than any other player since Watt entered the league in 2017. He also recovered that fumble, his 15^th recovery since 2017 (most in the league during that time).

• Pittsburgh has allowed 303 yards after missed tackles, second most.

• The Colts have converted 5 of 6 fourth-down attempts.

• Pittsburgh is allowing just 8.0 points in the second halves of games, fifth best in the league.

Special teams

• Chris Boswell missed his third field goal in four weeks.

• Steelers opponents have also missed three field goals.

• There has only been one missed field goal in Colts games.

Most memorable moment: Steelers 21, Colts 18 (Jan. 15, 2006, Divisional Round at RCA Dome)

This game had one of the most memorable moments in the Steelers' great history when Ben Roethlisberger was able to tackle Nick Harper to save the game and advance Pittsburgh to the AFC Championship. The ultra-reliable Jerome Bettis, one of the best goal-line runners in the history of the game, fumbled and it was recovered by Harper, who had all sorts of open space to win this game in heroic fashion for Indianapolis. But, of course, that isn't what transpired thanks to Roethlisberger. Even after that, Indianapolis still could have tied the game, but Mike Vanderjagt missed a 46-yard field goal. The Colts were 14-2 that year and with home-field advantage through the AFC playoff bracket, but it was the Steelers who won their next two games, including the Super Bowl. That was Bettis' first fumble of the season.

Key matchups

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor vs. Steelers linebackers

Taylor undoubtedly is one of the NFL's best running backs and the Colts offense goes through him.

Steelers interior offensive line vs. Colts DT DeForest Buckner

Buckner is a stalwart leader for the Colts who has had an exceptional NFL career, and he remains a force. Buckner leads Indianapolis with three sacks.