Tim Benz: 2 juicy matchups will dictate Steelers-Colts outcome

Good on good.

Strength on strength.

Ones on ones.

Any phrase the players used Wednesday afternoon to describe the matchups, they were right.

Sunday’s Steelers-Colts game at Heinz Field will come down to who wins two specific battles where opposing sides of the ball excel.

And one bleeds into the other.

I’m talking about the Steelers pass rush versus the Indianapolis Colts pass protection. I’m also talking about the Colts’ ability to protect the football versus the Steelers’ ability to take it away.

The Colts have only given the ball away seven times in 2019. That’s tied for the third-lowest total in the NFL.

Meanwhile, the Steelers defense has gone from a team that never used to get turnovers to a team that gets them all the time. Keith Butler’s unit only had 15 all of last year. They have 19 already this season, second behind the Patriots’ league-leading total of 26.

This Steelers group creates a lot of their takeaways through pressuring and hitting the quarterback. Going hand-in-hand with their turnovers, the Steelers have 24 sacks, tied for sixth best in the league.

But going up against the Colts offensive line may prove more difficult. That unit has allowed just 11 sacks. Only the Cowboys, Raiders and Steelers have yielded fewer.

So there you have it. The major issue Sunday will come down to how the Steelers can get to Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett and how they can force turnovers from him.

Or, from a Colts’ point of view, can their stocked offensive line keep Brissett clean, and can he keep making sound decisions in the face of what’s becoming an opportunistic, play-making defense?

“We’ve just got to create the opportunities because they ain’t gonna give us many,” outside linebacker Bud Dupree proclaimed. “They do hold onto the ball well. So we’ve got to go out there and do extra to get the chance to get those takeaways.”

Brissett has three lost fumbles, and the Steelers may be able to rattle him if they can get to him in the pocket or if he scrambles. But having just three interceptions in 231 passes suggests he doesn’t put the ball up in harm’s way very often.

And the rest of the team has accounted for just one total turnover — a fumble by receiver Parris Campbell.

“Jacoby makes good decisions with the football and is accurate throwing it,” Colts head coach Frank Reich said. “And when we carry the ball, we’ve got good ball security. We talk a lot about that.

“But there’s no doubt we look at Pittsburgh’s defense as top notch at taking the football away and putting pressure on the passer.”

Which gets us to the pass-rush aspect of the debate. Can the Steelers get through a Colts offensive line that features a first-round-pick center in Ryan Kelly, an All-Pro left guard in Quenton Nelson and an $11 million left tackle in Anthony Castonzo?

“It’s good versus good, and that’s the way we like it,” defensive end Cam Heyward said. “They do a great job on that side of the ball. But I think we do a great job as well. They’ve got ‘ones’ over there. We’ve got ‘ones’ over here.”

It’ll be Heyward and Dupree going up against those big names on the left side of the Colts line. T.J. Watt and Tyson Alualu will start against Mark Glowinski and Braden Smith on the right side.

Those two aren’t as acclaimed but are also effective.

“Rock solid. High pedigree,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said describing the Colts offensive front. “We’ll be preparing with an edge there.”

Even when the Steelers do get to Brissett, forcing him into bad throws or getting him to the ground is another complication. Brissett isn’t renowned for tucking the ball and running. But he’s elusive and moves within the pocket well. His strength and balance are such that he is able to shed would-be tacklers.

Want some visual evidence?

Holy smokes. Jacoby Brissett got away from Von Miller and found TY Hilton for a 38-yard gain.pic.twitter.com/RV6KqhXRWS

(via @NFL)

— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) October 27, 2019

Yeah. That was Von Miller he shook.

Steelers running back Jaylen Samuels was a college teammate of Brissett at N.C. State and knows why Brissett has managed to avoid turnovers in the face of great pass rushers like that.

“He’s smart. He’s going to try to be perfect,” Samuels said. “He makes great throws. He makes plays with his feet. He stays up a lot. People have to gang tackle and swarm to the ball.”

Generating turnovers can be fickle. The Steelers have learned that over the ups and downs of the last three years. Sometimes, sack totals can be as well. Don’t expect the Steelers to feast off those categories this week.

In this battle of strength on strength, I expect the Colts to have the edge. If the Steelers are going to win, they’ll need to do so through some other means.