Matt's Stats: Week 9 vs. Colts

SERIES HISTORY

Beginning in 1950, these two franchises have met 35 times, but only two of those games took place before 1968. The Colts and Steelers split their first four meetings, but the Steelers are 25-5 since and overall, Pittsburgh leads this series 27-8. Twelve of the games were the Steelers against the Baltimore Colts. The Colts 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 80s, and two in the 70s. The Colts are on a two-game winning streak against Pittsburgh, but lost eight in a row before that. The Colts and Steelers have met five times in the postseason with Pittsburgh undefeated in those playoff battles.

MATCHUP OVERVIEW

• Indianapolis has won four in a row to advance to 7-1. The Colts have only played three road games thus far, winning two of them. Indianapolis is undefeated (6-0) in the AFC. The Steelers are on a two-game losing streak and are 1-2 at Acrisure Stadium. Pittsburgh is 3-1 in the conference. The Colts winning percentage of .875 is the best in the league, second best (Green Bay) is at .786.
• This will only be the Colts second outdoor game of the season.
• Since 1990, teams that start the season at 5-3 make the playoffs 64.3% of the time. Teams that start the season at 4-4 make the playoffs at a 31.9% clip.
• Indianapolis is +116 (best in the league) in point differential.
• The Colts have scored 30+ points in four games in a row, six of their eight games, and have scored 29+ points in seven of eight games. Indianapolis is the only team in the league to score 20 or more points in every game this year.
• Indianapolis is +8 (second) in turnover differential compared to +4 for the Steelers. Pittsburgh lost their first fumble of the year on Sunday night. The Steelers last takeaway was in the third quarter of Week 4. Only the Bears and Jaguars have more than takeaways than Indianapolis (12) and only the Bears have more interceptions than the Colts (10). Indianapolis only has four giveaways, better than all but the Packers and Eagles. Pittsburgh only has six giveaways, better than all but six teams.
• Indianapolis only possessed the ball for 25:39 last week but still won by 24 points. In Week 8, Pittsburgh held the ball for 28:12. For the season, the Colts sit at 29:11 and the Steelers at 27:31.
• The Colts have a +14-sack ratio compared to +10 for Pittsburgh. The Steelers and Indianapolis have 59 quarterback hits apiece. Only Denver (73) has more. The Steelers have played one fewer game than Denver and Indianapolis.
• Indianapolis is the first team in the Super Bowl era to allow fewer than 10 sacks and have fewer than five turnovers in their first eight games of the season.
• Pittsburgh's opponents have produced 40 more first downs, 493 more passing yards, ran 95 more offensive plays, and average 97.4 more yards per game than the Steelers.
• Indianapolis has scored 13 more touchdowns, 330 more rushing yards, and 14 more rushing touchdowns than their opponents.
• The Colts allow at least one first down per opponent's possession on 79.7% of their drives. That ranks 30^th. The Steelers allow at least one first down per opponent's possession on 79.9% of their drives. That ranks 31^st.
• Indianapolis is fifth in first quarter scoring (6.5). The Steelers are 10^th (5.7). The Colts are 2^nd in second quarter scoring (11.5). The Steelers are 10^th (7.7). Indianapolis is first in third quarter scoring (9.0). The Steelers are 25^th (3.4). Pittsburgh is eighth in fourth quarter scoring (8.1). The Colts are 15^th (6.8).
• The Colts defense is seventh is first quarter scoring (3.3). Pittsburgh's defense is 12^th (3.7). Indianapolis' defense is third in second quarter scoring (4.6). The Steelers are 10^th (5.7). The Steelers defense is eighth in third quarter scoring (3.9). Indianapolis is 19^th (5.3). The Colts defense is 13^th in fourth quarter scoring (6.1). Pittsburgh is 32^nd (11.7).

WHEN PITTSBURGH HAS THE BALL

• The Steelers average 5.4 yards per play and 6.1 over their past three games. Indianapolis gives up 5.4 yards per play.
• Only five teams allow fewer than the Colts 19.3 points per game.
• Pittsburgh has utilized 11 Personnel on just 30.7% of their snaps compared to 38.0% of 12 Personnel and 15.1% of 13 Personnel. The Steelers have also had a sixth offensive lineman on the field for 12.0% of their offensive snaps. Only four offenses use 12 Personnel more and Pittsburgh leads the league in their usage of 13 Personnel. No offense in the league employs multiple tight ends at a higher rate than Pittsburgh.
• Pittsburgh turns a set of downs into a new set of downs or touchdown at an 71% rate, exactly league average. The Colts defense allows a 76% rate, only the Bengals and Cowboys are worse.
• Only 22% of Steelers drives reach the red zone.
• The Colts opponents are running the football just 34.3% of the time. Only one team is seeing a lower percentage.
• The Steelers are running an average of 54.9 plays per game.
• The Colts have allowed 259 or more passing yards in four of their last five games and multiple passing touchdowns in three of those contests.
• Aaron Rodgers has thrown for multiple touchdown passes in five of seven games as a Steeler and has the best touchdown rate (7.7%) in the league.
• DK Metcalf is averaging 3.9 receptions per game, fewest since his rookie season. He is averaging 6.1 targets per game, 38^th amongst wide receivers. Metcalf is one of six wide recievers with 450+ receiving yards and five or more touchdowns. He leads all wide outs with 10.6 yards after the catch per reception.
• Roman Wilson ran a route on 54% of the Steelers dropbacks last week and was targeted on 23.8% of his routes. After failing to reach a 40% route share during the first six weeks of the season, Wilson has been at 54% in back-to-back games. Wilson had five targets and four catches going into last week. Last week, he had five targets and four catches.
• The Colts face a league-high 22.9 targets per game to the wide receiver position and over the past three weeks Indianapolis has allowed a league-high 50 receptions to wide receivers and 554 yards (31^st).
• Just twice this season has a Steelers tight end eclipsed 31 yards in a game.
• Pittsburgh has nine different players with a receiving touchdown in 2025-most in the league.
• The Colts sacked Cam Ward four times last week. They are 10^th in sacks per game with 2.9.
• The Steelers offense is being blitzed at a 25.1% rate, the seventh lowest in the league. Only the 49ers are seeing a lower percentage of 6+ man pressures.
• Jaylen Warren is averaging a career high 62.2 rushing yards per game. His 373 rushing yards is most amongst all players without a rushing touchdown. All 37 other players with 250+ rushing yards has a rushing touchdown.
• Indianapolis allows 1.7 yards before contact per running back rush attempt. Only five defenses are worse.
• Pittsburgh was just one of 10 on third downs against the Packers.
• The Steelers ran just three plays in the red zone on Sunday night.
• The Colts defense has had five or more defensive backs on the field for 88% of their snaps. Only Seattle is higher.

WHEN INDIANAPOLIS HAS THE BALL

• The Colts averaged 8.1 yards per play last week and the Steelers gave up 7.2 yards per play against Green Bay. For the season, Indianapolis leads the NFL by a wide margin, producing 6.5 yards every time they snap the football. Pittsburgh gives up 5.6 yards per play.
• The Colts lead the league averaging 33.8 points per game.
• Indianapolis averages 42.3 yards per drive, 3.52 points per drive, .41 touchdowns per drive, and just .13 three and outs per drive, all best in the league. Forty seven percent of the Colts drives reach the red zone, only Kansas City is higher. Indianapolis' points per drive is the second most through eight weeks of a season in NFL history only behind the 2007 Patriots. However, the Colts last in offensive drives per game.
• The Steelers defense allows 38.3 yards per drive, third most. The average drive against Pittsburgh consumes 7.27 plays, highest in the league. They also are only better than four defenses at producing three and outs per drive (.14).
• Pittsburgh's defense has allowed over 450 yards of offense in back-to-back games for only the second time in franchise history.
• The Colts are in 11 Personnel 58.5% of the time compared to 26.5% in 12 Personnel and 12.7% in 13 Personnel. Only the Steelers use 13 Personnel more than Indianapolis.
• Indianapolis turns a set of downs into a new set of downs or touchdown at an 81% rate, best in the league.
• The Steelers opponents are averaging 68.4 plays run per game, the most in the league.
• Indianapolis leads the NFL in plays of 15+ yards with 65.
• Thirty four percent of the Colts dropbacks involve play action, the highest percentage in the league.
• Pittsburgh allows a league high 293.4 passing yards per game and the seventh most passing touchdowns (1.9) per game. The Steelers have allowed 268+ passing yards and two or more passing touchdowns in five of their last six games.
• Daniel Jones was 21 of 29 for 272 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions last week. Jones has only thrown one interception in his last four games compared to nine touchdowns. He has thrown multiple touchdowns in four straight games for the first time in his career. Jones has completed 71.2% of his passes (third best) for 8.5 yards per pass attempt (third best). His combined 1.2% interception rate and 3.6% sack rate is the best in the league.
• Jones ranks just 23^rd in dropbacks per game though at 32.9 mostly due to the Colts having the NFL's lowest dropback rate (46.1%) in the second half of games. Indianapolis has a 65.2% dropback rate in the first half of games, which is the seventh highest. Jones ranks first in the league in first half passing yards per game with 158.1. That is 15.5 yards more than the next closest. He ranks 26^th in second half passing yards with 99.6.
• Michael Pittman caught eight passes for 95 yards and a touchdown in Week 8. Pittman has been targeted 18 times over the past two weeks. Pittman's 1.91 yards per route run is 28^th amongst wide receivers. Amon-Ra St. Brown is the only wide receiver with more receiving touchdowns than Pittman, who has six.
• Alec Pierce has recorded 48+ receiving yards in five straight games. He had an 81% snap share against Tennessee. Pierce is averaging 12.1 yards per target to go along with a league leading 21.4 yards per catch. He also led the league last year with 22.3 yards per catch. In 2025, Pierce is averaging a career-high 3.0 receptions per game. Over the past two weeks, Pierce leads all players in air yards with 385, 101 more than anyone else in the league during that time. He has 15 targets over those two weeks.
• Josh Downs caught a touchdown last week for his second straight game. He is targeted on 25.5% of his routes (18^th amongst wide recievers) but has only been on the field for 54.9% of Indianapolis' dropbacks. He is only running 21.0 route per game (83^rd).
• Pittsburgh also allows the fourth most yards per route run (4.22) on targets of 20+ air yards.
• Tyler Warren leads all tight ends with 492 receiving yards. Only two rookies have led all tight ends in receiving yards over the course of a season since 1988, Brock Bowers and Jeremy Shockey. Only Bowers has more receiving yards through eight weeks amongst rookie tight ends in the Super Bowl era. Warren has 20.8% of the Colts targets (2^nd amongst tight ends) and averages 2.21 yards per route run (4^th). He is only running 9.3 routes on average in the second half of games, 31^st amongst tight ends. Tucker Kraft is the only tight end (336) with more yards after the catch than Warren (293).
• The Steelers allow 9.1 yards per target to tight ends, only behind the Commanders, Panthers, and Ravens. They also allow a league high yards per game (79.3) to tight ends.
• Jonathan Taylor ranks third amongst all running backs in route participation (66.5%) on his team's dropbacks. He has at least two catches in every game this season after doing it just five times in 14 games last season.
• The Steelers didn't have a sack last week. They are blitzing at the third highest rate (35.5%) in the NFL. Last week was the Steelers highest blitz rate of the season. On early downs, only the Vikings and Dolphins blitz more than Pittsburgh and only the Vikings blitz more on first downs. Pittsburgh is fifth in sacks per game with 3.1.
• Only Bo Nix has been sacked fewer times per game than Jones.
• The Colts averaged 9.1 yards per carry last week.
• Taylor rushed for 153 yards and three total touchdowns on just 12 carries last week. He recorded a career-high 8.4 yards after first contact. That was Taylor's fourth 100-yard rushing day of the season to go along with 14 total touchdowns. Over his past three games, Taylor has rushed for 370 yards and is averaging 7.6 yards per carry. Taylor is the fifth player since 2000 with at least three scrimmage touchdowns in four games of a season and is the sixth player in NFL history with at least 70 scrimmage touchdowns in his first 75 games. Taylor has four three-touchdown games this season. The rest of the NFL has eight combined. Taylor has scored 10 touchdowns over his past four games, the first time that has been accomplished since 2015. He has five more touchdowns than anyone else in the NFL. Taylor is also responsible for 3.9% of all the league's rushing yardage (850) by running backs. Also, a league-best 31% of Taylor's touches are resulting in first downs or touchdowns. Taylor has also hit 20 miles per hour on six occasions this season, most in the league. Taylor has 83.2% of his backfield touches, highest in the league. Taylor is on pace for 2,245 scrimmage yards and 30 touchdowns.
• The Steelers have allowed one rushing touchdown to a running back over their past five games.
• Jones is the Colts second leading rusher, but he is 764 yards behind Taylor.
• The Colts are the only team in the league with four players with four or more scrimmage touchdowns.
• Pittsburgh's defense plays with "Middle of the field closed" 63.5% of the time. Only the Falcons are higher.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Chris Boswell has made six of seven tries from this distance from 50+ yards.
• Michael Badgley is the second Colts kicker this year. Through his three games, Badgley has only attempted three field goals and zero from over 50 yards.

Most Memorable Moment: AFC Divisional Playoffs, RCA Dome, January 15^th, 2006: Steelers 21, Colts 18

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 usually ultra-reliable Jerome Bettis, one of the best goal line runners in the history of the game, fumbled the football which was recovered by Harper who had all sorts of open space to win this game in heroic fashion for Indianapolis. But 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 all through the AFC playoff bracket, but it was Pittsburgh that won their next two games including the Super Bowl. That was Bettis' first fumble of the year.

KEY MATCHUPS

Colts RB Jonathan Taylor vs. Steelers Linebackers - The Colts easily have one of the NFL's best offenses with an excellent offensive line and receiving options. But Taylor, an Offensive Player of the Year candidate, is where everything starts for the Colts on this side of the ball. Taylor has it all: size, speed, aggressiveness, cutback ability, vision, you name it.

Steelers Interior Offensive Line vs. Colts DT DeForest Buckner - This is Buckner's 10^th NFL season-and he has been terrific for a decade now. He is ultra-reliable, rarely misses time, provides the Colts great leadership, and consistently affects the game against both the run and pass. Bucker has great length and at this stage of his career, knows every trick of his trade. He is a stalwart for the Colts and currently leads the team with four sacks.