The Steelers are trying to get back in the win column after two straight losses. To do so, they’ll have to beat one of the hottest teams in footbal in the 7-1 Colts. I spoke with Chris Shepherd of Stampede Blue ahead of the contest.
1. The Colts are one of the biggest surprises of the season. What has been the biggest contributor to their 7-1 start? Did Colts fans see this coming?
Chris Shepherd: The biggest contributor so far has been Daniel Jones. For the past two years, the offense always felt like it was a quarterback away from being really good. And that quarterback didn’t need to be special, just average. Just a guy who would complete underneath
passes, protect the football, and keep the offense on schedule.
Daniel Jones has been much better than average. He’s doing all of those things and more, hitting several deep shots to Alec Pierce along the way.
The second thing to mention would be rookie tight end Tyler Warren. Warren is as pro-ready a tight end as I’ve ever seen, but it’s more than just his play. It’s his presence and all of the things he can do. The ways he can be used have opened up the offense in ways we haven’t seen from Steichen during his time in Indy.
And if any Colts fan tells you they saw this coming, that Colts fan is a liar.
2. I think if we had asked most NFL fans this summer, they would have said there were few quarterback situations sadder than the Colts and their camp battle between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson. Now, Jones and the Colts have the best offense in football. What can you tell us about how he’s revived his game and this offense?
CS: I touched on this a bit above, but the Indy offense was primed for success with a back-filled offensive line, an elite running back, and three good receivers with a diverse skill set. They just needed a point guard, someone to distribute catchable balls to the multitude of schemed open receivers we have seen each week for years now.
I will say that while Jones has had a handful of impressive throws, he himself hasn’t made many incredible plays. He doesn’t have the biggest arm, but he is a good athlete and can run the ball. However, if he doesn’t win with his speed, he’s not going to make anyone miss.
Where Jones is excelling is in his pre-snap recognition and post-snap processing. He’s seeing the field well and has consistently made good decisions. He’s an elite game manager with the confidence to take deep shots when the situation and coverage allow it.
And when the rest of the offense is this talented, Daniel Jones is perfect.
3. The Colts’ offense has outshone their defense thus far. What does the Indy defense do well, and where do they struggle?
CS: The strength of the defense is without a doubt in its defensive tackles. DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart are a great duo. Buckner is almost unblockable in one-on-one situations, and Stewart has a habit of collapsing double teams and blowing up run plays before they have a chance to get going. Behind them, Neville Gallimore and Adetomiwa Adebawore have been solid rotationally.
Beyond that group, things are less exciting.
The defensive end group isn’t performing the way anyone hoped it would. Second-year defensive end Laiatu Latu is winning at a good rate, but he doesn’t win quickly and he has as many interceptions in the season (2) as he does sacks.
The linebacker room is solid against the run but struggles a bit in coverage.
The safeties, Nick Cross and Cam Bynum, have been mostly good, but when the cornerback play is as poor as it has been, it’s hard to judge their real impact.
The Colts’ corners have been decimated by injury. Before being knocked out during warm-ups (and hitting injured reserve), Charvarius Ward was playing exceptionally well. But beyond Ward, things have been less exciting. I could list the names, but if I listed an equal number of local real-estate agents and tried to get Steelers fans to pick out the NFL players from the list, yinz wouldn’t be able to do it.
In the slot, Kenny Moore is coming back from an Achilles injury that the team has (thankfully) been cautious with. But when Kenny is 100%, he’s a menace. I hope Aaron Rodgers throws a few bubble screens his way this weekend.
4. When thinking of the Colts, most fans of other teams will know about Jones, Jonathan Taylor, rookie Tyler Warren, and Kenny Moore. Who are some other players that more people should be aware of?
CS: This will be a pretty deep cut for most football fans, but if there are any offensive line fans amongst your readers, they should all watch Colts’ center Tanor Bortolini on run plays. Bort is an elite mover in space, and on nearly every long Jonathan Taylor run, you’ll see number 60 sealing off someone on the second level of the defense. Bort is playing at a very high level and deserves a lot more praise nationally than what he’s getting.
5. Fan Duel favors the Colts (-3) in this game. What’s your final score prediction?
CS: I think three points is a pretty accurate spread for this one. This Colts offense is going to score points on everyone, and the defense, with who they have available currently, is going to give up a lot of yards and likely points to a quarterback like Rodgers. I see this one as a 31-28 game going to the Colts.
