Playoff picture will come into focus for Steelers
Pittsburgh wide receiver Markus Wheaton sits dejectedly on the bench in the final seconds of a 39-30 loss at Seattle last Sunday.
Indianapolis is 4-0 with quarterback Matt Hasselbeck subbing for injured Andrew Luck.
PITTSBURGH – Ben Roethlisberger, who suffered a concussion last week in the Steelers’ loss at Seattle, said his mind is clear.
What remains to be seen is if the Steelers’ playoff hopes clear up anytime soon.
The loss to the Seahawks left the Steelers (6-5) on the outside looking in at the AFC playoff picture. But Pittsburgh can take a huge step in gaining ground and much-needed momentum tonight when it hosts the AFC South-leading Indianapolis Colts (6-5). It is the first of three consecutive games against current division leaders. Pittsburgh plays at AFC North leader Cincinnati next week and hosts AFC West frontrunner Denver on Dec. 20.
Win all three and the Steelers will be in great shape in what is an ultra-competitive AFC race. Ten teams are within two games of a playoff spot with five weeks remaining in the season.
“It’s time for December football,” said Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, who leads the conference in receptions and receiving yards. “This is the time of year you want to be playing your best football.”
If not, you won’t be playing long into January.
Keeping Roethlisberger on the field would help. The Steelers’ quarterback missed four full games and parts of four others with injuries. He left the 39-30 loss at Seattle after taking an illegal blow to the head and suffering a concussion in the fourth quarter.
Roethlisberger cleared concussion protocol Wednesday and will face an Indianapolis defense that he had a career game against last year, throwing for 522 yards and six touchdowns in a 51-34 victory.
The memory of that game is burned into the memories of the Colts.
“Obviously, he had a career day,” said Indianapolis head coach Chuck Pagano. “I think we wouldn’t be doing our due diligence if we didn’t look back at that and show the guys the breakdowns so we can correct them.
“I know they’re going to look at it and they’re going to see if there’s any difference from a coverage standpoint, fronts, blitzes, pressures, man-dogs and zone-dogs and see what’s available to them. If we have to sit there and just bury that tape and say that’s an aberration, we wouldn’t be doing our players any justice.”
The Colts are in a similar position to the Steelers, though they lead their division based on having a win over second-place Houston (6-5).
Like the Steelers, the Colts have injury issues at quarterback. Andrew Luck will miss his third consecutive game after suffering a lacerated spleen more than a month ago.
The Colts, however, are 4-0 with 40-year-old backup Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback. That’s the same Matt Hasselbeck who started Super Bowl 40 for Seattle in a loss to the Steelers 10 years ago.
“I have to work hard and prove I’m still able to do things and play well, play a young man’s game,” Hasselbeck said. “I’ve worked hard at those things.”
Hasselbeck has thrown seven touchdown passes and just two interceptions by getting the ball out of his hands quickly.
“I’ve never really been a guy who has relied on physical attributes,” said Hasselbeck. “I’m probably a little more by the book. I like to anticipate my throws.”
He will face a Pittsburgh secondary that allowed each of its last three opponents to pass for 300 yards and combine for 10 touchdown passes.
The Steelers won two of those three games, but the most recent outing might spur some changes in the secondary after Seattle’s Russell Wilson threw five touchdown passes.
“I don’t want to say what I think about 39 points, because it would be illegal for you to print,” said Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler. “We shouldn’t be giving up 39 points.”
The Steelers spent the week experimenting with different players at cornerback but are keeping quiet about they’ll go with against the Colts. William Gay, Antwon Blake and Ross Cockrell are the three who played the majority of the time this season, but Brandon Boykin could be used as a replacement for Blake or Cockrell, both of whom were called out by head coach Mike Tomlin last week.
“The film speaks for itself. We don’t make the plays when we need to, whether it’s on third downs or making the tackles we’re supposed to make in crucial parts of the game,” said Boykin, who has played little after being acquired in August from Philadelphia for a fifth-round draft pick. “We’ll get better. We know what we need to do to get better. We just need to do it.”
The Steelers are 20-6 against the Colts, who have won once in Pittsburgh since 1969 (2008). … Indianapolis running back Frank Gore needs five yards to pass Jim Brown (14,811) for 23rd place on the NFL’s all-time yards from scrimmage list. … After passing for 452 yards last week, Roethlisberger has three games with 450 or more yards, which is tied with Peyton Manning for second most in NFL history behind Dan Marino (4). … Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons is the only player since 2007 with 30 sacks and 10 interceptions.