INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts keep getting bruised, battered, taking injuries to their best offensive players, hits that should put their playoff hopes on life support.
But this team keeps finding answers, a lot of the time from unlikely places.
Forced to overcome a two-score deficit after losing its top receiver and rusher to dirty hits, Indianapolis came roaring back behind a trio of unheralded playmakers to blow out Pittsburgh 30-13 on Saturday night, simultaneously keeping themselves in playoff position and dealing a heavy blow to a Steelers team that entered Lucas Oil Stadium with the same record as the Colts. It ended Indianapolis’ eight-game losing streak to Pittsburgh.
Indianapolis (8-6) remains in control of its playoff hopes after battling back to beat Pittsburgh (7-7) in a game both teams had to have, given the glut of AFC teams in the race.
1. Unlikely heroes step up after dirty Steelers plays knock out Indianapolis stars
Already facing a 13-0 hole, Zack Moss gave the Colts a chance when he took a short flip from Gardner Minshew and ran 16 yards into the end zone, only to suffer an arm injury when Pittsburgh linebacker Mykal Walker pulled him down with a horse-collar tackle, an illegal play given the risk of injury.
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Two Indianapolis offensive plays later, the Colts lost their leading receiver Michael Pittman Jr. — who already had four catches for 78 yards, including a critical 42-yard pickup on a key third down to set up the Moss touchdown — when Pittsburgh safety Damontae Kazee hit a diving Pittman in the head, knocking the wide receiver out of the game with a concussion and earning Kazee an ejection.
The Colts appeared to have precious few answers for the loss of Pittman, their leading receiver with 99 catches for 1,062 yards this season, and their leading rusher, Moss, who had carried most of the load due to Jonathan Taylor missing six games due to injury.
A trio of unlikely heroes stepped forward.
Well-traveled wide receiver D.J. Montgomery, who had just three career catches coming into the game, initially struggled, dropping an easy touchdown catch from Minshew on fourth down to end a promising Indianapolis series.
Montgomery made up for it on the next drive, a series that looked like it had little chance to score a touchdown with just 54 seconds left. Montgomery got things started with a 34-yard catch, then scored a 14-yard touchdown to take a 14-13 lead just before the first half.
Indianapolis pushed the lead out to 21-13 on an 18-yard touchdown pass to Mo Alie-Cox after the half.
And then the two little-known backs took over. Tyler Goodson, a practice squad back who was elevated for this game, picked up 69 yards on 11 carries, including a 31-yard burst, and then former third-round pick Trey Sermon salted things away with 88 yards on 17 carries.
2. Indianapolis defense bounces back from rough start
A Colts defense that was battered by Cincinnati’s offense initially struggled, allowing Pittsburgh backup Mitch Trubisky to complete six of his first seven passes, then allowing two touchdowns in quick succession, although one of the scores came on a short field.
But that was just about all the Steelers were going to get on Saturday night.
Pittsburgh never scored again.
The Steelers one-two punch of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren combined for just 60 yards on 20 carries, Trubisky threw for just 169 yards and the Colts defense started making plays.
Second-year safety Nick Cross made the first. Unable to get on the field defensively for the first half of the season, Cross outleaped Pittsburgh star George Pickens for an interception to stop a promising drive.
Linebacker E.J. Speed made the second. With the Steelers backed up deep in their own territory, Speed forced a Harris fumble, and strong safety Julian Blackmon recovered it before it went out of bounds to end a Pittsburgh drive, setting up the Alie-Cox touchdown.
Blackmon struck again to seal it, picking off Trubisky in the fourth quarter to end any realistic hopes of a Steelers comeback.
3. Colts special teams continue to struggle
Indianapolis kicker Matt Gay is suddenly in a rut.
Coming off two missed kicks against the Bengals, Gay — who signed the second-biggest contract for a kicker in NFL history this offseason — missed twice against Pittsburgh on Saturday night, the first from 56 yards, the second from 43 yards at the end of the game.
He wasn’t the only problem.
Indianapolis also gave up a blocked punt, Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward taking the ball off Rigoberto Sanchez’s foot and sent back to the 1-yard line to set up Pittsburgh’s second touchdown.
The Colts also struggled to cover kicks, allowing Godwin Igwebuike to return two kicks for 32.5 yards, including 34 yards on a kickoff when Indianapolis had the advantage of kicking off from midfield.
