Steelers @ Colts Week 3 Recap – O-Line Obituaries

Coming into week 3 of this early NFL season, two things were clear about the organizations involved in this match-up. The Steelers hadn't yet played completely up to their extremely high expectations, and the Colts were REALLY missing their former multiple time MVP-winning QB Peyton Manning. Both factors held true in this game as well. The Steelers went in as very large favorites, even playing in Indy, against a Colts team that had been offensively atrocious since the season-changing injury to the neck of #18. But a blowout was the furthest thing from reality, as this contest was decided in its closing seconds.

The game started predictably, as the Steelers newfound passing attack carved up the struggling Indianapolis secondary on the opening drive. Standout receivers Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown both settled in early and had key catches. Though the Steelers preyed upon the Colts longtime stagnant defense (an issue during the entire Manning era), their drive was halted abruptly with a third-down drop by Emmanuel Sanders. Though the Indy D had a moral victory in holding Pittsburgh to a Shawn Suisham field goal, they found themselves in over their heads after an uneventful Colts drive and a subsequent 81 yard strike from Big Ben to Wallace. At 10-0 after one quarter, it seemed all but over. But it wasn't.

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With Pittsburgh looking to close things out early, the Steelers offensive weakness and Colts defensive strengths seems to converge, as the Pro Bowl defensive ends for Indy made their presence felt. Robert Mathis fired off the end for a sack-fumble on 'Big Ben' that would set the tone for the rest of the game. Future hall of fame kicker Adam Vinatieri put the Colts on the board with 3. That theme would be recurring, as Dwight Freeney, (the other Colt pro bowl DE) got a sack-fumble on Roethlisberger on the next series, which was recovered by the Colts for a 47 yard TD scamper. The Colts then parlayed a Ben INT into a field goal, which left the Colts up by 3 at halftime, despite Pitt's large gap in total yardage and ball control.

The third quarter simply saw the Steelers' already struggling makeshift O-Line look like a mass unit, replacing each other due to injury throughout. Luckily for them, the defense stood tall and got pressure on the inept, aging veteran Kerry Collins. To their credit Indy ran the ball well with Joseph Addai for over 80 yards, while Pittsburgh's Mendenhall averaged just over only 2 yards per carry. The fourth saw a ton of action. An early Suisham FG tying the game, Colts QB Collins getting injured and making way for lifetime backup Curtis Painter, and Painter then missing a wide open through that Stevie Wonder would have completed for a sure Colts score. Steelers’ standout James Harrison then showed up the Colts O-Line in kind with a sack-fumble of his own, resulting in a Troy Polamalu 16 yard score.

But overall, with the game tied at 20 a piece and just over two minutes to go, Pit's Roethlisberger did what he's become synonymous for: tough, gritty play on last second drives. He hit Wallace (who again went over 100 yards) over the middle, then handed to Issac Redman to convert a late 3rd down. With 8 seconds remaining, Suisham nails a perfect 38 yard boot as the Steelers survive a game that was closer than it ever had any business being. The Steelers now look to firm up their revolving door at O-Line as they go against a high-powered Texans team, while the Colts have more questions than answered with their winless record.

By Jason Burke
Pro Football Fans Pittsburgh Steelers Correspondent