Colts Trade Shots in Win vs. Steelers as Richardson Leaves Early

The Indianapolis Colts got a huge 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers but had to do it without Anthony Richardson after the QB left early with a hip injury.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) talks with Indianapolis Colts Shane Steichen on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts entered Sunday's homestand with the Pittsburgh Steelers looking to form some momentum by adding their second win in as many weeks following losses in the first two games of the season.

The Colts' fate hung in the balance plenty of times, but after accruing a significant, early 17-point lead, the offense had to trade shots back and forth with the Steelers in the second half en route to a narrow 27-24 victory.

Aside from the victory, the most significant note is Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson leaving late in the first quarter with a hip injury. He did not return to the game and was replaced by Joe Flacco.

Including more on Richardson and Flacco, here are my main takeaways from the Colts' win.

— Unfortunately, the biggest news of the day surrounds Richardson after he left the game with a hip injury late in the first quarter. He had a 14-yard run to get well into Pittsburgh territory, but he was injured on the play and left the field for two plays before he returned and was injured again after keeping the ball on what appeared to be an option play at the Steelers' 6-yard line. Flacco filled in for Richardson and delivered a 4-yard touchdown to Josh Downs to put the Colts up 14-0. Richardson finished the day 3-of-4 passing (75%) for 71 yards (17.8 YPA) and a 116.7 passer rating to go with 24 yards on 3 carries (8.0 avg.).

— The Colts offense got off to an outstanding start to the game, going 70 yards on eight plays to put a touchdown on the board. On the first play from scrimmage, Richardson found Michael Pittman Jr. on a tight-window throw downfield for a gain of 32 yards. Richardson later picked up 9 yards and a first down on a 3rd-and-6 before the drive was punctuated by a 2-yard Jonathan Taylor touchdown. Taylor had 29 yards on the drive. Getting on the board early, especially with a touchdown rather than a field goal, was big for the Colts, as Pittsburgh's offense isn't built to play from behind. The Colts ultimately got up 17-0 before Pittsburgh scored their first points on a 50-yard field goal at the end of the first half.

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— The Colts' defense put together a nearly equally impactful performance on the ensuing drive, forcing the Steelers to punt after accruing 29 yards on 8 plays. The defensive front was aggressive, with tackles for loss by Tyquan Lewis/Grover Stewart and E.J. Speed. Pittsburgh was bailed out three plays into the drive on 3rd-and-9 when Colts defensive end Isaiah Land sacked Steelers quarterback Justin Fields, but it was called back for roughing the passer.

— Flacco filled in well overall for Richardson, leading scoring drives on the first two drives he was involved, and four total. Coming into the game, I mentioned on the Locked On Colts podcast that it would be wise for Richardson to feed Pittman and Downs throughout the game to keep the chains moving and establish a rhythm in the passing game. Richardson wasn't in the game long enough to do that, but Flacco wisely leaned on his top receivers. Pittman finished with 6 catches for 113 yards (18.8 avg.), while Downs had 8 catches for 82 yards (10.3 avg.) and a touchdown. Flacco went 16-of-26 passing (61.5%) for 168 yards (6.5 YPA) and 2 touchdowns with a passer rating of 105.9.

— Speaking of Speed, he was playing "with his hair on fire," so to speak, meeting the ball carrier in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage numerous times in the first half. He was officially credited with 2 tackles for loss and 13 tackles overall. He now shares the longest streak in NFL history of 10-plus-tackle games (eight) alongside Zach Thomas.

— The Steelers were able to get back in the game in the second half largely because the Colts' defense wasn't as effective in disrupting him. In particular, Fields got a couple of short touchdown runs in the low red zone while it appeared there was no spy on him. Widely recognized as one of, if not the most dangerous quarterback in the NFL at running the ball, it was a bold choice by defensive coordinator Gus Bradley that backfired. The Steelers racked up 223 yards and 21 points in the second half compared to 180 yards and 3 points in the first.

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