Instant analysis: Steelers mount late charge but fall to Colts for first loss of season

INDIANAPOLIS — The good news is the Pittsburgh Steelers won’t play at Lucas Oil Stadium in the 2025 regular season. The bad news is their third trip in as many years produced a frustrating loss for the second trip in a row.

The struggling Colts sprinted out to an early lead and eventually a 27-24 win Sunday to end the Steelers’ unbeaten run to start 2024. A 17-0 deficit was too much to overcome on a disjointed day for Justin Fields and the offense, to say nothing of a leaky defense that had receivers running wide open all over the place and holes you could’ve driven an IndyCar through for a first-down.

And the Colts did it without their No. 1 quarterback, though it’s hard to say if that was an obstacle or a relief given the struggles of inexperienced starter Anthony Richardson. Richardson was shaken up after a 16-yard run on which he was tackled by DeShon Elliott and fumbled at the end. He came out for a couple plays, replaced by Joe Flacco, then checked back in and gained a yard on another keeper. But he took a huge hit from Minkah Fitzpatrick and left the game again.

Flacco operated Shane Steichen’s offense with aplomb and picked apart the Steelers defense for 168 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-26 passing, highlighted by some clutch third-down throws. Jonathan Taylor also looked like the best back the Steelers have faced so far this season, ripping off several chunk plays on the ground to total 88 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries by the end.

Statistically, the most glaring advantage for the Colts was their 8-for-15 clip on third downs, while the Steelers were just 6 for 13. Fields had some iffy moments feeling the rush and evading pressure, but once he put his pocket presence issues behind him, he kept the Steelers in the game with his legs and right arm. He ran for 43 yards and two touchdowns while throwing for 312 and another score on 22-of-34 passing.

George Pickens caught seven passes for 113 yards, but his ball security, or lack thereof, cost the Steelers points when he lost a fumble at the Colts 3 in the first half. Pat Freiermuth added five receptions for 57 yards and the lone touchdown pass for Fields. Najee Harris was stuffed for just 15 rushing yards on 12 carries but had a massive 32-yard catch-and-run in the second half.

It was over when: Fields flung one deep down field for Van Jefferson on fourth-and-11 from the Steelers 41 that fell incomplete with 37 seconds left, ending a sequence that was doomed by a botched snap from rookie center Zach Frazier to lose 11 yards.

Player of the game: Cam Heyward. Kind of a tough day to pick someone from the defense for this, but Heyward was wrecking plays in the second half, continuing his strong start to the season. He’d been at his best against the run in the first three games, and Sunday he did more damage as a pass rusher. Big No. 97 was credited with 1 1/2 sacks, three quarterback hits and six total tackles. Other Steelers made splashier players, but Heyward may have been the most consistent throughout the game, even if the linebackers and defensive backs behind him weren’t always holding up their end of things.

Trending up: Cordarrelle Patterson. He only played a half before leaving with an ankle injury, but he was one of the few bright spots until he got hurt. With Jaylen Warren out because of a knee injury of his own, Patterson stepped into the No. 2 running back role and did more with it than Harris as the starter. Patience, vision, quick cuts and even at 33 years old — probably quite a few biscuits over the 220 pounds he’s listed at, too — Patterson can still pick them up and put them down. He finished with 43 yards rushing on six carries, plus two catches for 19 yards. We’ll never know if he could’ve kept up the momentum in the second half.

Trending down: Patrick Queen. Coming off his best game since joining the Steelers this offseason, the every-down inside linebacker — the quarterback of the defense, as Mike Tomlin always calls him — just looked to be a little slow, a little late far too often against the Colts. He had seven tackles but some bad misses, including a whiff on a Jonathan Taylor run for 13 yards to set up the second Colts touchdown.

Up next: Back to Pittsburgh for the second home game of the season, this one on “Sunday Night Football” against a 2-2 Cowboys team that’s well-rested but also banged-up from a Thursday win over the Giants.

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