While nothing is for certain, the Indianapolis Colts may be without Andrew Luck behind center Thursday night. He is currently in ‘concussion protocol’ and is thought to be doubtful for the game. The Steelers will no doubt prepare for him as if he is playing which would be wise. If he can’t go, Scott Tolzien gets the call.
Colts’ Offensive Ranks: Overall-14th, Passing-13th, Rushing-25th
Steelers’ Defensive Ranks: Overall-21st, Passing-24th, Rushing-8th
How the Steelers’ Attack
The first thing we fans must do is gain some perspective. The eight sacks on Sunday were terrific and they were much-needed but to expect even half of that total from here on out would be misguided. The Browns’ offensive line is bad with the exception of Joe Thomas which is why Keith Butler and company chose to bring so much pressure from the side opposite him. The Indy O-Line isn’t much better but we should still temper our expectations.
Despite poor showings against the Dolphins, Patriots and Cowboys, the Steelers’ D has been pretty good against the run and the Colts shouldn’t pose much of a threat. They rank 22nd in the league with 3.9 yards per rush. The veteran Frank Gore has been the workhorse of the rushing attack. He is over 600 yards and has four TDs but after that, Andrew Luck is the second leading rusher with 51 carries. If the Steelers attack the line of scrimmage as they did Sunday they should be fine.
If Tolzien does in fact play, his numbers provide very little to go on. He has started two career games, has five career interceptions and one touchdown. He has yet to throw a pass in the regular season during his Colts’ career. We do know however that the Steelers can often make lesser QBs look pretty damn good and Tolzien will have weapons to use.
T.Y. Hilton leads Indy with 57 receptions and five touchdowns and he’s followed by tight end Jack Doyle who has 37 catches and four TDs. Because Cody Kessler didn’t use Gary Barnidge much, the Steelers can’t sleep on Doyle. We know what the tight ends can do to this unit so they must use a combination of Sean Davis and Ryan Shazier to cover him.
The Steelers brought more pressure last week than at any time this season and I expect to see some of the same but not as often. With the threat of Hilton and Donte Moncrief getting loose I think Butler opts for a little more coverage.
If Tolzien is in fact the QB, I expect a lot of different looks especially with the linebackers who were all over the formation on Sunday. If the Steelers can limit big plays, stop Frank Gore and pressure the hell out of the quarterback I see no reason why this defense can’t provide another winning performance.
Photo courtesy pennlive
