Josh Downs juked out his defenders, pivoted to catch a pass from Joe Flacco and darted forward for a first down. It was a crucial moment in the Colts' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday; the Colts were winning, 24-10 with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Downs' catch, a major third-down conversion, ensured the Colts would keep possession of the ball and have a shot at extending their lead. Spoiler alert: they did, kicking a field goal that would eventually carry them to a 27-24 victory.

As Downs crossed the first down marker, he had one thought in his head.

"I'm back again."

The wide receiver was playing in just his second game of the 2024 NFL season, after he was sidelined for most of training camp and the first two games of the season with an ankle injury. In Week 3, Downs recorded three receptions for 22 yards – it wasn't a bad game, but it wasn't him.

But on Sunday against the Steelers, Downs felt like himself – and he looked like it.

With eight receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown, Downs was second only to fellow wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who had 113 yards on six catches. The two were among the most important players in the Colts' victory, consistently getting open for critical first-down plays throughout the afternoon and making highlight-reel catches.

"(Pitt's) been patient," Downs said. "Everybody knows he's an excellent player, and today he showed it."

Pittman, like Downs, has struggled with his own injuries as of late – not enough to sideline him, but enough to make him feel like he's not been himself. The fifth-year wide receiver was listed as questionable before the Colts' Week 3 game against the Chicago Bears with back and calf injuries. In that game, he only had four catches for 36 yards – but that was a season-high in receiving yards for Pittman.

Now, he's got a new season high – and 113 yards is a big jump up from 36. It's a lot more like the wide receiver everyone knows.

"It just kept happening," Pittman said. "The opportunities were there, and it felt good to get out there and play some football again. I felt like it's been a long time."

Pittman made up for that lost time, hitting the ground running (literally and figuratively) as soon as the kicked off. On the very first play of the game, he connected with Anthony Richardson for a 32-yard completion on a drive that would end in a touchdown to put the Colts up 7-0 within the first three minutes of the game.

At the very beginning of the Colts' next possession, the same thing happened; Richardson hit Pittman for a 28-yard completion and the Colts marched down the field and scored another touchdown. And the one to score was no one other than Downs.

At that point, backup quarterback Joe Flacco was in the game after Richardson exited with a hip injury. But nobody missed a beat, and the two wide receivers kept doing their thing. Thanks to those early catches, they were in the groove.

"Definitely getting in the game early helps a lot," Downs said. "Getting some quick targets – like Pitt had a few early, I had a few early. So once you feel like you're involved in a game, you're more locked in."

And once players like Pittman and Downs get locked in, there's no stopping them. There's a reason Pittman is one of four players in franchise history to total 100 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in a single season, and there's a reason Downs broke the franchise record for most receptions in a rookie season (68).

Because once they get going, they don't stop. And now, they're going.