Steelers vs Indianapolis Colts Match Player Stats Breakdown (Sep 29, 2024)

The Steelers vs Indianapolis Colts Week 4 battle on September 29, 2024, at Lucas Oil Stadium left fans buzzing about the stats that told a different story than the scoreboard.

This 27-24 nail-biter saw the Colts improve to 2-2 while handing Pittsburgh its first loss after a 3-0 start to the season, shaking up both teams’ standing in their respective divisions. The Steelers still hold the top spot in the AFC North despite the loss, while Indianapolis moved into a tie for second place in the AFC South behind the division-leading 3-1 Houston Texans.

Just looking at the final score? You’d miss the real story behind why the Colts walked away with the W despite getting outgained by nearly 50 yards.

Game Overview: Steelers vs Indianapolis Colts Context

Pittsburgh came to Lucas Oil Stadium with an unblemished record and the NFL’s top-ranked total defence and scoring defence. Their first three games saw opponents converting just 21.9% of third downs.

Meanwhile, the Colts entered at 1-2, needing a win to even their record and stay competitive in the AFC South race.

The game unfolded in two distinct parts:

• Colts jumped to a commanding 17-0 lead early
• Steelers rallied with 24 points in the final three quarters
• Final score: Colts 27, Steelers 24

Everything changed early in the second quarter when Colts starting QB Anthony Richardson left with a hip injury after leading an initial touchdown drive that highlighted his running and passing skills.

This brought 39-year-old veteran Joe Flacco off the bench, who stepped in and kept the Colts offense rolling without missing a beat.

Key Stats That Decided Steelers vs Indianapolis Colts

On paper, Pittsburgh seemed to control the game:

• Total yards: Steelers 404, Colts 358
• Yards per play: Steelers 5.9, Colts 5.6

So why did the Steelers lose? Two stats tell the real story:

Turnovers: Colts 0, Steelers 2

Third down efficiency: Colts converted 8 of 15 (53.3%), Steelers 6 of 13 (46.2%)

Those two Pittsburgh fumbles crushed their chances in this tight game. The first one hurt most: receiver George Pickens caught a pass inside the Colts’ red zone while driving down 17-0, setting up a potential scoring chance. As Pickens turned upfield, Colts safety Nick Cross punched the ball out with perfect timing. Julian Blackmon recovered the loose ball as the stadium erupted, and the Colts kept their early lead intact.

The second fumble came on a strip-sack on quarterback Justin Fields that gave Indianapolis prime field position.

What really stood out was the Colts’ ability to convert on third down at a 53.3% rate against a Pittsburgh defence that had been shutting teams down in those situations all season.

Quarterback Breakdown: Fields vs Richardson/Flacco

Justin Fields put up historic numbers for Pittsburgh despite the loss:

• Passing: 22/34 for 312 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
• Rushing: 10 carries for 55 yards, 2 TDs
• Passer rating: 104.0

The official Steelers site noted Fields became the first player in franchise history with 300+ passing yards, 50+ rushing yards, and 2 rushing TDs in a single game. Unfortunately, those two lost fumbles during scramble or sack situations overshadowed his statistical brilliance.

Fields’ second touchdown run was ridiculous. Down 24-17 in the fourth, he escaped a defender off the right edge, cut all the way back across the field, and just outran everyone before diving for the pylon. That 19-yard score had Steelers fans going wild and Colts fans suddenly nervous. Pure playground football from a quarterback who can flat-out fly.

For Indianapolis, the quarterback position was a story of two players:

• Anthony Richardson: 3/4 for 71 yards, 3 rushes for 24 yards (8.0 avg) before his injury
• Joe Flacco: 16/26 for 168 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT, 105.9 passer rating

Flacco stepped in like he’d been starting all season, hitting Josh Downs for a touchdown shortly after entering and later finding Drew Ogletree for another score. While Fields kept dropping the ball, Flacco simply didn’t make mistakes when it counted.

Flacco’s best throw came with 7:14 left in the fourth quarter, when he threaded a perfect pass between two Pittsburgh defenders to hit Josh Downs for a critical third-down conversion that kept alive what would become the game-winning field goal drive.

Ground Game Analysis: Taylor Outshines Harris

The running back matchup wasn’t even close:

Jonathan Taylor (Colts):

• 21 carries for 88 yards (4.2 avg) and 1 TD
• 3 catches for 20 yards
• Total: 108 yards from scrimmage

Najee Harris (Steelers):

• 13 carries for just 19 yards (1.5 avg)
• 3 catches for 54 yards
• Total: 73 yards from scrimmage

Oddly enough, Patterson was running circles around Harris, racking up 43 yards on just 6 carries (7.2 avg) before an ankle injury sidelined him.

Taylor kept the Colts offense balanced, which became extra important after Richardson’s injury removed the quarterback running threat from their playbook. His touchdown run on the opening drive featured a sharp cut behind a pulling guard, allowing him to burst into the end zone untouched from six yards out, perfectly executing the Colts’ power running scheme.

Harris, meanwhile, couldn’t find any room to run all day. On several plays, Colts defenders met him in the backfield before he could get going, pointing to problems with Pittsburgh’s offensive line or scheme matchups against the Indianapolis front seven.

Receiving Corps Impact in Steelers vs Indianapolis Colts

Both teams relied heavily on two main pass-catchers:

Pittsburgh stars:

• George Pickens: 7 catches (11 targets), 113 yards, plus that costly red zone fumble
• Pat Freiermuth: 5 catches (7 targets), 57 yards, 1 TD

Indianapolis standouts:

• Michael Pittman Jr: 6 catches (9 targets), 113 yards, 18.8 yards per reception
• Josh Downs: 8 catches (9 targets), 82 yards, 1 TD

Each team used different receiving approaches. Pittman attacked vertically with several deep catches, including that crucial 32-yard grab on the opening drive. Downs worked as the reliable possession receiver, moving the chains on multiple third downs.

For Pittsburgh, Pickens matched Pittman’s yardage but his fumble inside the red zone shifted the game’s momentum dramatically.

Freiermuth’s touchdown came on a well-designed play-action pass late in the fourth quarter. With the Steelers down by 10, Fields faked a handoff before rolling right and finding his tight end all alone in the flat. Freiermuth turned upfield and dove across the goal line, briefly giving Pittsburgh comeback hopes.

Defensive Playmakers Who Changed the Game

Indianapolis defenders made big plays when they needed them most:

Colts defensive standouts:

• E.J. Speed: Led all players with 12 total tackles (1 solo, 11 assisted)
• Nick Cross: 7 tackles, forced the crucial Pickens fumble in the red zone
• Julian Blackmon: Recovered Pickens fumble, contributed 0.5 sacks, added 3 solo tackles
• Chris Lammons: Strip-sacked Fields and recovered the fumble himself, finished with 4 total tackles
• Dayo Odeyingbo: Led team with 1.5 sacks

Pittsburgh defensive leaders:

• DeShon Elliott: 8 tackles (4 solo, 4 assisted), forced one fumble
• Minkah Fitzpatrick: 6 tackles (3 solo, 3 assisted)
• Cameron Heyward: 2 tackles, 1 sack

The biggest surprise was how quiet Steelers star T.J. Watt remained, with zero total tackles and no sacks according to the stats, quite unusual for a player of his caliber.

The Colts defence gave up plenty of yards (404 total) but excelled at stopping drives when it mattered, creating two turnovers and making key stops in high-pressure situations, especially on the Steelers’ final possession.

The game’s biggest defensive play came in the final minutes. With Pittsburgh driving for a potential game-tying field goal, Chris Lammons timed his blitz perfectly, bursting through the A-gap untouched to collapse the pocket. Fields tried to escape but lost control of the ball, and Lammons jumped on it, basically sealing the Indianapolis win.

Special Teams Factor

The kicking game and field position battle played their part in this close contest:

Kicking game:

• Chris Boswell (PIT): Perfect 1/1 FG (50 yards), 3/3 XP
• Matt Gay (IND): 2/3 FG (made from 33 and 35 yards, missed from 54), 3/3 XP

Punting:

• Cameron Waitman (PIT): 3 punts, 34.3 yard average, 2 inside the 20
• Rigoberto Sanchez (IND): 4 punts, 42.5 yard average, 2 inside the 20, long of 58 yards

Calvin Austin III gave Pittsburgh a spark with a 30-yard punt return that set them up near midfield. Still, the Colts’ better punting average (42.5 vs 34.3) helped them win the field position battle consistently.

Gay’s 35-yard field goal with 3:23 remaining proved crucial, extending Indianapolis’s lead to 27-17 and forcing Pittsburgh to score twice in the final minutes. Despite missing from 54 yards earlier, Gay came through when it counted most.

What These Steelers vs Indianapolis Colts Stats Tell Us Going Forward

With Week 5 approaching, both teams face important questions based on this game:

For the Steelers (now 3-1):

• Can Fields keep making big plays while fixing his fumbling issues?
• What can they do about Harris’s struggling run game (1.5 YPC)?
• How will the defense get back to stopping teams on third down?

For the Colts (now 2-2):

• How serious is Richardson’s hip injury?
• Can Flacco keep delivering if he needs to start for an extended period?
• Will the defense continue creating turnovers at key moments?

This game is a classic example of why the box score never tells the whole story. The Colts simply made fewer mistakes, protected the ball, and came up big in the key moments.

Post-Game Reactions: The Human Element

The mood in the two locker rooms couldn’t have been more different after the final whistle.

Colts head coach Shane Steichen praised his team’s fight and specifically Flacco’s readiness: “That’s why you have a veteran like Joe. He stepped in and didn’t miss a beat. The guys rallied around him, and we kept fighting.”

Flacco stayed characteristically calm despite the dramatic circumstances: “I’ve been in this league long enough to know you’re always one play away. I just try to stay ready and do my job when called upon.”

On the Pittsburgh side, a frustrated Mike Tomlin addressed the turnover issues directly: “You can’t turn the football over twice on the road against a good team and expect to win. Simple as that. We’ll learn from it and be better.”

Fields took responsibility for his fumbles: “That’s on me. The guys fought hard all day. I need to protect the ball better. We’ll get it fixed before next week.”

Perhaps most telling was Pickens’ brief but honest post-game comment that summed up NFL football perfectly: “We had more yards, more plays, but they had fewer mistakes. That’s the NFL for you.”

FAQ – Steelers vs Indianapolis Colts Match Player Stats

Final Thoughts on This NFL Matchup

Raw numbers often hide the real story of football games. This Week 4 battle perfectly proves that point.

Pittsburgh gained more total yards but failed in two key areas: turnover margin and third-down efficiency.

Fields put up fantasy football numbers but cost his team with fumbles. Flacco put up decent stats and just won the game. That’s football in a nutshell.

Indianapolis did exactly what was needed when it mattered most, converting third downs at a 53.3% rate against a normally stingy Steelers defence, creating two takeaways while giving up none, and getting stops at crucial moments to hold their lead.

As NFL teams review film each Monday, both squads learned important lessons. Pittsburgh found out that statistical advantages don’t matter if you can’t protect the ball, while Indianapolis confirmed that when offense, defense and special teams work together, they can overcome even the most talented opponents.

Bottom line: Pittsburgh won the stat sheet, Indianapolis won the game. And that Steelers vs Indianapolis Colts match is exactly why football fans should never judge a game by its box score alone.