Pittsburgh's loss stung more than the 27-24 score suggests. The Steelers fell behind 21-7 late in the first half in Cleveland and fought all the way back, with Rodgers hitting Pat Freiermuth from 3 yards out with 1:44 left to tie it. Then Andre Szmyt hit a career-long 56-yard field goal with 10 seconds left and the comeback was gone. DK Metcalf had 5 catches for 115 yards and Jaylen Warren ran 17 times for 93. The offense found a pulse. The defense left the building with 2 starters hurt.
Those injuries are the reason this game looks different than it did a week ago. Jamel Dean hurt his ankle in the 2nd quarter in Cleveland and NFL Network reports he could miss a couple of weeks. Derrick Harmon left with a foot injury and is expected to miss multiple weeks. Both are listed doubtful. Without Dean, Jalen Ramsey has less help on the outside, and without Harmon the interior gets thinner in front of Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson. For a Colts offense that wants to hand it to Taylor 20-plus times, a lighter Steelers front matters more than the secondary does.
The schedule tilts toward Pittsburgh. The Steelers played on Thursday, so they get 10 days between games. The Colts get an overnight trip back across the Atlantic and a normal week before a 1:00 PM ET kickoff. Light drizzle is in the early forecast at 64 degrees with little wind, which is not enough to change how either team plays. What matters more is whether Jones can hold onto the ball against T.J. Watt and a pass rush that sacked Cleveland twice, and whether DeForest Buckner and the Colts front can make Rodgers uncomfortable enough to force the kind of mistakes he made in Cleveland.