As the Colts' attention turned to the 3-0 Steelers this week, head coach Shane Steichen was asked in a press conference if he needed to commit additional resources to muting the impact of T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh's pass rushing menace and perennial defensive player of the year candidate.
"You've got to have a plan," Steichen said. "You've got to have a plan for him for sure."
The natural follow-up question: So, do you?
"I hope so," Steichen laughed.
Watt is the type of player who can wreck even the best plans to slow him down. He had two sacks last year against the Colts, though both came in the first 20 minutes of what wound up being a 30-13 Colts victory.
But Watt is hardly the only problem the Colts' offense will have to solve on Sunday. Defensive tackle Cameron Heyward is Pro Football Focus' highest-graded run defender among defensive linemen. The Steelers' secondary, led by cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, enters Week 4 with double the interceptions (four) as touchdowns allowed (two). Watt, Heyward and Fitzpatrick have a combined 10 first-team AP All-Pro seasons between them.
Collectively, the Steelers enter Week 4 allowing an NFL-best 8.7 points per game. They've dominated situationally – they've allowed a conversion on just 21.9 percent of opponents' third downs, and a touchdown on just 16.7 percent of opponents' red zone possessions – and have stopped the run, giving up just 3.5 yards per attempt.
"They are really physical," Steichen said. "It starts upfront with obviously Watt. Heyward has been doing it for a long time. Getting (linebacker Patrick) Queen over from Baltimore – is a good player. Porter Jr. is playing good on the outside, (Donte) Jackson, Minkah (Fitzpatrick) on the backend. They've got really good football players. They've been doing it there for a long time. Mike Tomlin, I've got a lot of respect for him and what he's done there in his career for sure."
The Steelers haven't allowed more than 89 rushing yards in a game this year; the Colts have had at least 104 rushing yards in all three games, including 150 in Week 3's win over the Chicago Bears. They've allowed just six rushes of 10 or more yards; Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has eight and quarterback Anthony Richardson has six. The Steelers' rushing defense vs. the Colts' rushing offense looks like a classic NFL good-on-good matchup.
Through the air, opposing quarterbacks have completed only one of seven pass attempts traveling 20 or more yards beyond the line of scrimmage against the Steelers' secondary. Richardson, conversely, has four such completions on 13 attempts for 191 yards.
For the Colts, though, they can understand how good the Steelers' defense is without being intimidated by it.
"We do have to acknowledge that they're a great team," Richardson said. "They have a great scheme over there, have great players. We all know that, but we don't know necessarily have any concerns. We feel like we can match up with anybody. So, we're just trying to play our offense and just execute play by play, not really thinking about who's on the other side."
Pittsburgh's defense has played in complement with an offense that's 28th in yards per play (4.6) and 24th in points per game (17) but has turned the ball over just once this season. As offensive coordinator Arthur Smith has worked in ex-Bears quarterback Justin Fields, the Steelers have found a winning formula based on defense and ball security. It points to the coaching acumen of Tomlin, who's yet to have a losing record as he enters his 18th season as head coach.
That all sets up for what could be a cagey, low-scoring game. But the Colts have been here before: A year ago, the Cleveland Browns rolled into Indianapolis in Week 7 allowing a historically-low 200.4 yards per game; the Colts gained 456 yards in a narrow 39-38 defeat.
"I remember last year – shoot Cleveland, that game we thought possibly low scoring game, and that thing became a shootout," Steichen said. "So, I think you play the game out, go in, play the game like you're going to play it and see how it starts to play out throughout the game."
