Steelers allow 30 straight points vs. Colts, fall to .500 after 3rd loss in row

INDIANAPOLIS — For 16 minutes Saturday, it looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers might race to a win that would soften the ills created by consecutive losses to two-win teams.

For the remainder of the game, they remained stuck in neutral on offense and defense while watching the Indianapolis Colts run past them like cars lapping the track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

After building a 13-point lead early in the second quarter, the Steelers lost their advantage by the end of the first half and never caught up in a 30-13 loss to the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The loss was the Steelers’ third in a row, lowering their record to 7-7, knocking them out of playoff positioning and putting them in last place in the AFC North with three games remaining. The Colts improved to 8-6 and remain in control of a wild-card berth.

“Let’s be honest, we’re a fundamentally poor football group right now,” coach Mike Tomlin said after a game in which the Steelers turned the ball over three times, allowed 170 yards rushing and committed 101 yards worth of penalties. “We are playing losing football, and I take responsibility for that.”

The loss of strong safety Damontae Kazee to an ejection and free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to a knee injury on back-to-back plays in the second quarter contributed to a defensive meltdown in which the Steelers allowed points on four of five possessions. Only a fourth-and-goal stand by the defense kept the Colts from getting points six times in a seven-drive sequence.

On offense, Mitch Trubisky threw two interceptions before being replaced late by Mason Rudolph, and Najee Harris lost a fumble that the Colts immediately turned into a touchdown that hiked their lead to 21-13 in the third quarter.

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The Colts took a two-pronged approach in attacking the Steelers defense. In the first half, Gardner Minshew had 185 of his 215 passing yards and threw two of his three touchdown passes. After intermission, the Colts changed their modus operandi when they piled up 127 of 170 rushing yards on the strength of their third-string and fourth-string running backs.

“If I had the answers, we would have played differently today,” Tomlin said. “But I will acknowledge that things won’t continue the way they are. We’re not going to keep doing the same things we’ve been doing and hope for a different result.”

One of the changes might involve starting Rudolph next Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Trubisky finished 16 of 23 for 169 yards, one touchdown and one interception in each half. Rudolph replaced him with 2 minutes, 8 seconds remaining and the Steelers trailing 27-13.

In Trubisky’s second start, and with a full week of preparation, the Steelers totaled 216 yards, their lowest output of the season and worst performance since December 2021.

“Everything is on the table at this juncture,” Tomlin said. “We can’t keep playing football like that.”

Plagued by slow starts for much of the year, the Steelers provided optimism when they jumped to a 13-0 lead. That represented the good news of the opening half.

The bad was that they squandered that lead in the second quarter and trailed 14-13 at the break. Minshew threw touchdown passes to Zack Moss and D.J. Montgomery, the latter coming just 22 seconds before halftime when the Colts drove 74 yards in three plays and benefited from a pass-interference call against rookie corner Joey Porter Jr.

“They scored, but we have to be able to bounce back from adversity,” outside linebacker Alex Highsmith said, “and we didn’t.”

It got worse in the third quarter. On the Steelers’ first offensive play, Harris lost a fumble that the Colts recovered at the Steelers 18. On the next snap, Minshew found Mo Alie-Cox alone on the right side for a touchdown.

The Steelers went three-and-out, and the Colts used a 31-yard run by Tyler Goodson on the first play to set up Matt Gay’s 29-yard field goal and 24-13 lead.

The next drive was promising in that it featured pass completions of 26 yards to Diontae Johnson and 17 to George Pickens. But it also included three holding calls, and Tomlin opted to punt rather than have Chris Boswell attempt a 57-yard field goal. Boswell already had missed an extra point.

“Not a lot had gone our way to that juncture that made me feel good about banging a 57-yard field goal,” Tomlin said.

The Colts, who were minus star back Jonathan Taylor and lost Moss to injury earlier in the game, responded by running the ball on 13 consecutive plays and gaining 70 yards on the next drive. Gay’s 31-yard field goal with 9:17 remaining made it 27-13.

“Defense is leaking. They’ve got some players down, and it showed,” Johnson said. “On offense, we have to capitalize on third downs and not get behind the sticks and make plays.”

Trying to rally the Steelers from the two-touchdown deficit, Trubisky completed a fourth-and-10 pass to Johnson for 15 yards. On his next attempt, he overthrew Pickens for his second interception of the game.

“We’re gonna work tirelessly and come together,” Trubisky said. “The leaders have to step up, and we have to find a way.”

Not only do the Steelers need to halt their losing streak, they likely need to win out to earn a wild-card spot. They haven’t won more than two in a row so far this season.

“I can tell you one thing,” inside linebacker Elandon Roberts said. “You can’t be scared of adversity. You have to look at it in the eyes and go after it. You can’t run away from it.”

The only thing the Steelers have been running from this season is success. Barring an improbable turnaround, the run will end short of the playoffs for the second year in a row.

“How much does it mean to you?” cornerback Patrick Peterson said. “It’s as simple as that. How much does it mean, how much does it mean to be in the right position all the time? How much does it mean to you to be why we are successful.”