Predicting the Final Score of Colts vs. Steelers
By Bryan Zarpentine
@BZarp
Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports
Approaching the midway point of the NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the most inconsistent teams in the league, alternating wins and losses all season. After a win last week, the Steelers will now face one of the hottest teams in the NFL in the Indianapolis Colts, who have won five in a row, including last week’s shutout of the Cincinnati Bengals.
To no one’s surprise, the Colts have been one of the top offensive teams in the league this year behind quarterback Andrew Luck. The Colts have a great receiver tandem in T.Y. Hilton and Reggie Wayne, a tight end tandem that’s been dangerous in the red zone in Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener and a much-improved running game with Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw. The Pittsburgh defense has been average at best this season, and they could have their hands full if Luck and company are firing on all cylinders.
If the Steelers are going to keep up with the Colts on Sunday, the Pittsburgh offense will have to execute at a high level. The Steelers have gotten great production this season from the trio of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, but they need more than that to move the ball consistently against the Colts, who have been surprisingly stout on defense this season, no more so than in last week’s shutout of the Bengals. Pittsburgh likely doesn’t have the weapons to get into a shootout with Luck and the Colts, especially going up against the Indianapolis defense. Their best bet may be to use Bell and LeGarrette Blount to run the ball, control the clock and attempt to keep Luck off the field.
The Steelers have been hard to figure out this season, and over the course of 60 minutes they won’t keep up with the Colts. Even at home, the Indianapolis offense will be too good for Pittsburgh to contain, and barring a brilliant performance from Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh defense, this is a game the Colts will win, giving them six straight victories.
Prediction: Indianapolis 38, Pittsburgh 24
Bryan Zarpentine is a New York Mets writer at www.RantSports.com. Like him on Facebook, follow him on twitter @BZarp and add him on Google.
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