Monday Morning Awards: Week 5 @ Steelers

After splitting the first four games of the regular season, the Indianapolis Colts got yet another reminder of the horrific performances that have been left at Arcisure Stadium in a 34-22 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Colts controlled the pace of play and scored on six of their nine true drives, but were forced to settle for field goals as the offense could not capitalize inside the red zone and twice with goal-to-go.

MVP of the Game: Spencer Shrader

At this point, is there an argument for anyone other than Jonathan Taylor or Spencer Shrader who have been the Colts’ most valuable player this season? It’s getting much harder to dismiss, since Shrader is actually the league-leading scorer this season after collecting 58 points through five games. Shrader made all five of his field goal attempts Sunday, connecting from 57, 56, 22, 40 and 28 yards.

Despite kicking on a wet field in windy conditions and one of the more difficult road environments in the league, Shrader was automatic from distance. His first 57-yarder gave Indianapolis its only lead and tied Steelers kicker Chris Boswell for the second-longest field goal ever made at Acrisure Stadium. Shrader has made all of his NFL-best 16 field goals through Week 5, including six from beyond 50 yards. 

Dud of the Game: Rushing Attack

For the second consecutive season, running back Jonathan Taylor finished with 45 rushing yards against the Steelers. One of his 15 carries actually broke loose for 20 of those yards, so do the math. His other 14 carries produced just 25 combined yards. Pittsburgh made it difficult for Taylor to find any daylight, stuffing him three times near the goal line while constantly meeting him near the line of scrimmage.

The offensive line deserves its share of the blame as Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves particularly struggled against Pittsburgh’s Cameron Heyward and Yahya Black. Pittsburgh’s front-seven finished with four tackles for loss, three QB hits and a sack. When Taylor is restricted, the Colts lose their biggest offensive advantage. Daniel Jones completed 24 of 44 passes Sunday, and while he avoided turnovers, the offense could not capitalize on excellent field position or inside the red zone.

Worst Play of the Game: Bryce Boettcher missed tackle results in 80-yard touchdown

Indianapolis held a mere 3-0 lead for exactly one snap and it’s not the first brutal sequence where the defense was simply not prepared for the game speed their opponent was ready to strike with. Aaron Rodgers recognized the instant pressure and tossed a quick swing route to Jaylen Warren. Pittsburgh’s running back burst past the diving reach of rookie linebacker Bryce Boettcher, who was left chasing the play as Jaylen Warren dashed down the sideline for an 80-yard touchdown to claim a 7-3 lead that Pittsburgh never relinquished.  

It was the ninth passing TD of 80-plus yards in the career of Rodgers, coincidentally tying fellow future NFL Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger for the most in NFL history. It was the fourth-longest offensive play of the NFL season through Week 5, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Sure, it was Warren longest catch this season, but it wasn’t even his longest play this season as he owns two of the top four longest plays in terms of total distance.

Warren finished with 188 scrimmage yards, leading the game in both rushing and receiving. Mistakes are part of the learning curve, but the larger issue is that the Colts continue to give up explosive plays that require little effort from the opposing offense and demand an awful lot of chasing from behind. What was even more frustrating than a rookie mistake was DK Metcalf clearing a runway downfield by taking out both Charvarius Ward and Cam Bynum by himself as the lead blocker. One simple swing pass cannot result in a touchdown because the stampede failed to finish the play.

Best Play of the Game: DeForest Buckner sack terminates drive

After relying on another field goal from Shrader, the Colts needed a defensive stop late in the third quarter. DeForest Buckner used a wraparound stunt to sack Rodgers on third down and terminate Pittsburgh’s drive. Rodgers had less than three seconds before surrendering himself to Buckner inside his own 10-yard-line. It was sack No. 75 for the 11-year veteran, who has logged a tackle for loss in each of the last four games. 

Buckner finishing the sack was the type of disruptive interior pressure Indianapolis needs far more often. The Colts rank dead last with a 24% pressure rate, which is the only team with a sub-30% pressure rate, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

Best Position Group: Special Teams

Shrader did his part to ensure the special teams had another effective outing. He’s just the second player ever in NFL history to connect on at least 34 field goals through his first 14 games, joining Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker. That’s how stellar Shrader has been to start his young career. Over the last three weeks, Shrader has accounted for 59% of the Colts total scoring, so Indianapolis cannot keep asking its kicker to finish drives that its own offense should be driving into the end zone.

Shrader wasn’t out there kicking alone to help the special teams. Anthony Gould returned two kickoffs for 81 combined return yards, including a career-long 54-yard return that helped set up the offense inside Steelers territory. Rookie Seth McGowan also returned a trio of kickoffs for 84 total return yards, with two of his returns leading to scoring drives. 

Unsung Hero: Tyler Warren

Tyler Warren was another one of the bright spots delivering his best game of the season. He hauled in a season-high seven catches for 83 receiving yards, while adding a crucial rushing touchdown. His one-yard plunge into the end zone came while facing fourth-and-goal in the second quarter and brought Indianapolis back within one point.

The 2025 first round draft pick has become a reliable target for Jones. Warren’s four-game streak with at least five catches is the longest current streak among NFL tight ends. Through five games, Warren has 30 catches for 213 receiving yards and three total touchdowns.

Rookie of the Week: AJ Haulcy

A.J. Haulcy collected a career-high six combined tackles and forced a pass breakup. The third-round safety has been the most encouraging young player on a defense that needs to find some answers. Through five games, Haulcy has 21 combined tackles, while allowing a mere 25% completion rate on 16 targets, according to Pro Football Reference. 

Haulcy is getting opportunities and showing signs that he can become a meaningful part of the secondary. The same cannot be said for every member of the rookie class just yet. Haulcy benefited from claiming his starting job and has played 251 total defensive snaps, double the combined amount of snaps that rookie linebackers C.J. Allen and Bryce Boettcher have played through their first five games. 

Shrader is an immaculate kicker, better than anyone outside of the building could have anticipated. The Colts wasted multiple scoring opportunities from close range, couldn’t establish Taylor and allowed Pittsburgh to seize the momentum with explosives, all resulting in a road loss.