Despite an early change at quarterback, the Colts survived a late comeback attempt by the Steelers for a crucial 27-24 home win to improve to 2-2 on Sunday.
“The guys were resilient, all the way through,” head coach Shane Steichen said after the game.
That grit was much needed after Indy lost Anthony Richardson early.
Richardson and the offense got off to a lightning-quick start, finding the end zone inside the first three minutes. But, that would be it for the 22-year-old. On the following drive, he was knocked out of the game with a hip injury after taking two big hits on designed runs, both of which could’ve been avoided.
“He said he felt good to go,” Steichen said on his decision to put Richardson back in the game after the initial hit. “Then, he felt it again.”
Still, Joe Flacco took over, and used every bit of his 17 years of NFL experience, despite the unfamiliarity of being a backup.
“It’s definitely a different experience when you come in like that,” Flacco said after the game. It was just the fourth game in his career where he came off the bench.
But, it didn’t faze him. Flacco finished the game 16-for-26 with 168 yards and two touchdown passes. He kept the offense on the field in critical situations, going 6-for-8 with both touchdown passes coming on third downs.
Flacco called the third-down conversions “huge,” saying he leaned on his teammates in those situations.
“You just trust your guys to do the right thing…everybody came up huge,” Flacco said.
On Sunday, Flacco proved exactly why the Colts gave him a one-year, $4.5 million contract this offseason. His experience, undoubtedly, was massive.
“You always want those guys, just in case,” Steichen said. “In case something happens, those guys can come in and operate…he did a hell of a job.”
Indy’s defense would also get off to a quick start, forcing two punts, a turnover on downs and a fumble in their first four drives. Pittsburgh wouldn’t get on the board until Chris Boswell nailed a 50-yard field goal in the dying seconds of the first half.
The second half proved more difficult, with Justin Fields turning up the heat. After fumbling the football midway through the third quarter, Pittsburgh would be handed a lifeline when Matt Gay missed his third field goal of the season from beyond 50 yards.
From that point, Fields would lead the Steelers to three straight touchdown drives. He’d run in himself twice as Indy’s run defending woes continued, allowing 122 yards on the ground.
Each time, however, Flacco had a response. He’d hit Drew Ogletree for a touchdown before leading a field goal drive, which was ultimately the difference after a botched snap spoiled the Steelers’ comeback bid.
A win is a win, no matter how stressful. As Steichen said after the game, “We found a way to win. That’s the National Football League.”
Indianapolis improves to 2-2 on the season, and has a crucial matchup next week. The Colts will travel to Jacksonville, where they’ve not won a game since 2014, looking to put an end to one of football’s strangest droughts against the winless Jaguars.
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