PITTSBURGH — After a defeat that alternately highlighted their potential and pratfalls in equal doses, the Steelers talked about a need to start faster in games as though it's something that can magically be added to the game plan each week — or purchased on Amazon.

Easier said than done.

The narrative swept through the locker room after the Steelers defense allowed the Indianapolis Colts to score on their first three possessions — the first time an opponent had done that since the 2023 season opener.

But it also included the offense, which didn't manage a touchdown until late in the third quarter of its 27-24 loss to the Colts and has scored just two first-half touchdowns in four games.

"It's not a pregame routine," quarterback Justin Fields said. "It's not doing something special or drinking a different color Gatorade. It's none of that. It's just coming out first play, coming out focused, ready to go."

The Steelers didn't do that on either side of the ball in Week 4. The league's No. 1 ranked defense gave up 180 yards by the time it was 17-0 early in the second quarter, while the offense had 38 yards and just two first downs on its first three possessions.

But it was really no different than how the Steelers have performed during their 3-0 start.

They have started slow on defense before shutting down their opponents in the second half, and the offense has needed 30 minutes to warm up and get its running game going.

They basically followed the same script against the Colts, except for one significant exception: The Steelers committed two turnovers in Colts territory, including a fumble at the 3-yard line by George Pickens.

"It's on us," said coach Mike Tomlin. "We were sloppy in a lot of ways. You just don't win football games versus motivated groups in their venue playing the way that we played in certain instances."

It started when the Colts scored 17 points on their first three possessions, the first time an opponent has done that since the San Francisco 49ers scored on their first four possessions in a 30-7 victory in last year's season opener. It was more points than the Steelers had allowed in the first half of the three previous games combined (16).

The Colts also scored more points after halftime (10) than the Steelers had allowed in the second half of their three previous games (6).

Asked for a reason for the slow start, defensive end Cam Heyward said, "I don't know. We didn't do great at stopping the run early, and I thought in the second half we were better — 85 yards (in the first half) is unacceptable."

But that is nothing new for the Steelers.

After four games, the defense has allowed an average of 162.5 total yards, 8.3 points, 53 yards rushing and 113.8 yards passing in the first half. They are much more stringent in the second half, allowing an average of 100.3 total yards, 4 points, 34.3 yards rushing and 84 yards passing.

It's the same with the offense.

The Steelers are averaging 153.3 yards, 7.3 points, 56.3 yards rushing and 102.3 yards passing in the first half. But they come to life in the second half, averaging 167.8 yards, 11.5 points, 72.3 yards rushing and 105.3 yards passing after halftime.

The Steelers are actually slow starters, though that didn't come back to haunt them until Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Still, maybe they can find some Gatorade or something to eat that can mystically cause them to be faster starters.

"It's something we can control," Fields said. "We just come out and execute, block the right guys, get the ball out when I need to get the ball out. There's no mysteries. It's not mystical. It's just doing our jobs. Everybody doing their jobs."

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