Steelers: Three Keys to a Week Nine Victory
By Chris Ross
The Pittsburgh Steelers face a big challenge in Week Nine against the Indianapolis Colts, but following these steps will lead to a big win.
Entering their Week Nine matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, the Pittsburgh Steelers are a difficult team to figure out. After a 1-4 start to the season, the team has battled back and currently sits at 3-4 with a chance to return to .500 on the year. It’s certainly been tough. Injuries and questionable play-calling have been a common theme, but Pittsburgh deserves credit for their resiliency in overcoming some huge challenges.
That said, there have been plenty of ugly moments, even as the team has started to turn their season around. For example, starting Week Eight by giving the Miami Dolphins a 14 point lead was particularly bad considering how bad the Dolphins have been. Mason Rudolph, the guy, tasked with taking over for Ben Roethlisberger this season, has been mixed some big plays with stretches of complete ineffectiveness, and the rushing offense hasn’t been much better. Even the offensive line, long one of the NFL’s best units, has been inconsistent.
On the other hand, there have been some inspiring things to come out of the season so far. The defense has come alive, especially after the trade that brought Minkah Fitzpatrick to town. Bud Dupree, long viewed as a first-round bust, has finally started to live up to expectations while guys like T.J. Watt and Devin Bush have played like stars. A defense that was once being torched with regularity has become one of the league’s most aggressive and talented units.
Against the Colts this week, the Steelers just need to show up and execute consistently, especially on offense. This isn’t going to be an easy game, but it’s winnable, as long as Pittsburgh follows these simple keys to victory.