The Pittsburgh Steelers bounced back in a big way in Week 5, as they defeated the Indianapolis Colts 34-22 at Acrisure Stadium. It was a complete game from the offense, who scored 34 on a Indianapolis defense that had only allowed an average of 13 points to their opponents over its previous two games.
Now that the Steelers are 3-2, let’s take a look at our weekly stock report after their massive win over the Colts.
Stock Up
RB Jaylen Warren
We are all witnesses to the Jaylen Warren breakout. Warren got the scoring going for
Pittsburgh today with an 80-yard catch-and-run. It was a bit of a quiet day for Warren on the ground in the first half, that was until he broke free for a 50-yard touchdown scamper midway through the third quarter. It was the third consecutive game that Warren posted at least 100 scrimmage yards. The veteran back is the engine of the Steelers’ offense and will continue to get a feature role all season.
QB Aaron Rodgers
Over the last three weeks, the Steelers offense has looked significantly better than it did at the start of the season. Their veteran quarterback has undoubtedly been a huge part of their success. Today marked the first time that Rodgers has thrown for 3+ touchdowns in three straight contests since December 2021. Rodgers started this game 11-of-11 before he threw his first incompletion. All of this is a long way to say that Rodgers can still sling it, and the Steelers are reaping the benefits.
TE Pat Freiermuth
Freiermuth caught five passes today, two of them for touchdowns. At the time of writing, Freiermuth is tied for the league lead in receiving touchdowns by a tight end with four. It is clear the Steelers see the tight ends as a major part of their offense, and with their wide receiver room banged up, we could be witnessing a career year for Freiermuth.
WR Germie Bernard
Despite dropping a few passes, Bernard had a career day. The rookie second-round pick led the team in receiving yards with 84. It was clear from the get-go that Rodgers wanted to get the ball to Bernard in this game, even before Roman Wilson and Ben Skrownek left with injuries. Bernard has earned himself some serious playing time moving forward after his breakout performance today.
Stock Down
WR Health
The Steelers were already a bit shorthanded heading into this contest, with Michael Pittman Jr. being placed on short-term injured reserve. The hits continued for the Steelers wide receiver room, as Roman Wilson and Ben Skrownek both suffered injuries late in the first half that caused them to miss the rest of the game. Brandon Smith saw more snaps in the second half after the injuries, but if Wilson and Skrownek are out for any period of time, it might be in the Steelers’ best interest to add to the receiver room.
WR/KR Kaden Wetjen
It’s just hard to see what value Kaden Wetjen has brought to the team at this moment in time. The Steelers kickoff team has been questionable at best all season long, but we have yet to see Wetjen make a single impact return to this point. We should be seeing more from someone who the Steelers used an early day 3 pick to play an immediate role.
WR DK Metcalf
It was a quiet game overall for Metcalf, who posted just three catches for 23 yards after his controversial quote about Colts star cornerback Sauce Gardner. Luckily for Metcalf, a lot of the pressure on him was alleviated by rookie wide receiver Germier Bernard, who led the team in receiving yards. The tight ends also had a big day for the Steelers. Pittsburgh could certainly use more from Metcalf, but clearly has plenty of options they feel comfortable with when their star receiver is quiet.
Let us know what you think in the comments. Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more!
- Steelers ride Jaylen Warren’s 188 yards to 34-22 win over Colts
- Steelers vs. Colts: Week 5 Predictions
- Steelers mailbag: The biggest challenge presented by the Colts in Week 5
- Steelers CB Jamel Dean ruled OUT vs. Colts
- Steelers mailbag callout: Submit your Week 5 questions
