The Good, the Bad and the Ugly from the Colts’ Defeat in Pittsburgh

The Indianapolis Colts couldn't keep pace with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, falling 34-22 to drop to 2-3 on the season.

There were a few individual performances worth recognizing, but the loss exposed several issues that continue to hold Indianapolis back. The Colts left Pittsburgh with plenty to address on both sides of the ball heading into Week 6.

Here’s a look at the good, bad and ugly from Sunday's loss.

The Good

Spencer Shrader

It’s never really a good thing when the kicker is any team’s best player on a given Sunday; Spencer Shrader was lights-out. 

Shrader had one of the busiest games of his career in Pittsburgh, making his only extra point attempt and going a perfect 5-for-5 on field goal tries with makes coming from 22, 28, 40, 56 and 57. His 16 points scored in a game are the second-most of his career and the most in a game so far this season. 

Shrader emerged as a legitimate weapon for the Colts in the first month of the season. With another excellent performance against the Steelers, Shrader is making great headway towards becoming one of the league’s elite. 

Tyler Warren

The Colts offense didn’t have many bright spots. But Tyler Warren was one of the few. 

Warren led all Colts pass catchers, logging seven receptions for a season-high 83 yards and added a rushing touchdown, the Colts’ only trip to the end zone all day. In addition, Warren made some crucial blocks in short yardage situations and had some key chip blocks to keep Daniel Jones upright in the pocket. 

We haven’t seen Warren impact the passing game much so far this season, but Sunday was an exception. His blocking, however, has been strong all year. With a banged up wide receiver group, we could very well see a much busier Warren in the next few weeks. 

Daniel Jones’ Ball Security

Daniel Jones himself wasn’t all that spectacular. The Colts signal caller completed 24 or his 44 pass attempts for 264 yards. No touchdowns to speak of, but no turnovers either. That’s at least a step in the right direction for Jones. 

Taking care of the football has been an issue for Jones this year. He’s turned the ball over seven times through five games, with four interceptions and three lost fumbles. Protecting the ball was the main point of emphasis for Jones going into Pittsburgh, and he executed in that regard. 

It was especially nice to see Jones be smart with the football in a game where he could’ve easily gotten aggressive playing from behind and put the ball in harm’s way. 

Instead, Jones only took calculated risks. If he can continue protecting the football like he did against Pittsburgh, then the Colts offense will have a much better chance to find a groove. 

The Bad

Tackling

The first two weeks, the Colts’ tackling on defense was putrid. The defense missed 28 total tackles across eight quarters. 

The second two weeks were much better, reducing that number to four. But in Week 5, the defense reverted back to old habits. 

Both of Jaylen Warren’s touchdowns for the home team were the result of poor and downright lazy tackle attempts. On the first, Bryce Boettcher went low and whiffed and Charvarius Ward took a terrible angle to the ball, allowing Warren to take the ball 80 yards to the house. 

The second was worse. Warren should’ve been taken down for a gain of a few. Instead, Akeem Davis-Gaither flung himself right past Warren, who slipped through DeForest Buckner’s desperation try and split two safeties to find the open field and finish off the 50-yard score. 

Per Pro Football Focus, Indianapolis finished with 8 missed tackles in Week 5, the third-most in a game this season. To state the obvious, that simply can’t happen, especially for a defense with bigger issues to worry about. 

Stopping Jaylen Warren

The tackling dilemma was only a symptom of a larger problem. Indianapolis struggled mightily to shut down Warren and the run game. 

Warren finished with 188 total yards and two touchdowns, 101 of those yards coming on the ground. As a team, the Steelers averaged almost six yards per carry (5.8), the most yards per rush allowed by the Colts defense this season. 

Warren really only had the one explosive play, and killed the Colts gradually as the game went on by extending drives and keeping the defense on the field for several minutes at a time. Closing down running lanes and finishing plays were just too tall of tasks for the unit. 

For a defense that showed real progress against Houston and Washington, Sunday's performance brought them back to the starting line. The Colts need to find a way to make opponents work harder for their rushing yards, because if they continue allowing teams to run the ball effectively, the rest of the defense will be left with little margin for error.

Pass Defense

Indianapolis had just as many problems defending the pass as it did stopping the run. The main issue was the failure to consistently pressure Aaron Rodgers. The 42-year-old was sacked just once and posted a 125.1 passer rating.

Lou Anarumo's defensive philosophy typically relies on tight coverage to give the pass rush time to get home. When the secondary can make receivers work to get open, it allows the defensive front to disrupt the quarterback.

Against Pittsburgh, those two units weren't in sync. Rodgers had too much time to operate and was able to take advantage of the opportunities the Colts gave him.

For a defense that has struggled to generate consistent pressure this season, Sunday's performance was another reminder that the pass rush and secondary need to work in tandem. Indianapolis can't expect to contain opposing offenses if the coverage is too loose for the rush to make an impact, or if the front can't capitalize when the secondary does its job.

The Ugly

Red Zone Offense

The Colts' red-zone offense was one of the biggest reasons they couldn't keep pace with Pittsburgh. Indianapolis went just 1-for-3 on red-zone trips, settling for field goals on multiple occasions when it needed touchdowns to keep up.

The biggest missed opportunity came early in the fourth quarter. After Jonathan Taylor ripped off a 20-yard run to put Indianapolis at the Pittsburgh 10-yard line, Daniel Jones threw three consecutive incompletions. The Colts settled for a 28-yard Spencer Shrader field goal, leaving points on the table at a critical point in the game.

Pittsburgh then promptly drove down the field and scored a touchdown to put the game out of reach. 

That drive summed up the problem. Shrader did everything asked of him, but the Colts shouldn't have asked that much of their kicker. Settling for field goals when the opponent is finding pay dirt will never be a winning strategy. 

Pass Rush

The Colts' pass rush entered Sunday as a major concern, and the game offered little reason for optimism.

A banged-up group of pass rushers managed just one sack, giving Rodgers the time he needed to pick apart the secondary. Indianapolis struggled to consistently collapse the pocket or force the veteran quarterback into uncomfortable situations, allowing him to finish with a 125.1 passer rating. The injuries up front certainly didn't help, but the lack of pressure remains a problem this defense has yet to solve.

The Colts need more from their defensive front. Indianapolis has to find ways to make life uncomfortable for opposing passers. Until that happens consistently, even improved coverage will have a difficult time holding up, and quarterbacks will continue to feast. 

Passing Attack

The Colts' passing game struggled to find consistency in Pittsburgh, and the injuries Indianapolis dealt with at wide receiver certainly didn't help.

Alec Pierce's absence still looms large. The Colts needed more from the rest of their receiving corps without him, but didn't get much. Josh Downs finished with three catches, while Laquon Treadwell caught just two of his eight targets.

Tyler Warren was a bright spot, leading Indianapolis with seven catches for 83 yards and adding a one-yard rushing touchdown, but the Colts can't rely on their star tight end to carry the passing game on his own.

The injuries provide some context for the struggles, but can't be an excuse. Indianapolis still needs more from the players currently available. Until the Colts find more consistency through the air, opposing defenses will have an easier time limiting what this offense can do.