Nov 25, 2016 5 min read

INDIANAPOLIS – Now, there can be some rest for the weary.

After playing two road games in four days and becoming the first team in more than a decade to win twice under such circumstances, the Steelers get a weekend off following their 28-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium Thursday night.

Given how the defense has played the past two games, the Steelers might want to roll right into their next game.

After recording eight sacks and 14 quarterback hits Sunday in a 24-9 win at Cleveland, the Steelers followed that with an equally impressive defensive performance against the Colts, registering three more sacks and 11 quarterback hits.

The continued pressure on the quarterback was a good sign for a team that had just nine sacks in its first seven games, but the Steelers were just as happy with the two big defensive stands they made.

Those efforts helped the Steelers (6-5) become the first team since the 2004 Colts to win a pair of road games in four-day span. Pittsburgh moved into sole possession of first place in the AFC North, a half-game ahead of Baltimore.

The Ravens (5-5) host Cincinnati (3-6-1) Sunday and currently hold the tiebreaker over the Steelers because of their 21-15 win against Pittsburgh Nov. 6. That was a game in which Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was returning from a minor knee surgery that had kept him out the previous week.

“It was a good win for us on a short week on the road,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. “We don’t take it for granted, we appreciate it, but it was much-needed. We got contributions from a lot of guys.”

While Roethlisberger and the offense were efficient, producing 21 points on the Steelers’ first three possessions, it was the defensive stands – one at the end of the first half and one at the start of the fourth quarter – that were critical against the Colts.

With star quarterback Andrew Luck sidelined with a concussion, the Colts (5-6) were forced to give backup Scott Tolzien the start, much the same way the Steelers had to go with backup Landry Jones against the New England Patriots when Roethlisberger was out.

The Steelers had little video available on Tolzien – who had thrown 92 career passes, none with the Colts – so defensive coordinator Keith Butler decided to blitz early and often to see how the inexperienced QB would hold up.

That left plenty of one-on-one matchups in the secondary and Tolzien threw one touchdown pass. He moved the Colts into position to score two other times.

Late in the first half, rookie safety Sean Davis and defensive end Ricardo Mathews made first- and second-down stops of running back Frank Gore from the Steelers’ two-yard line. On third down, Tolzien rolled to his right with a run-pass option. But with the tight end covered, he turned upfield with only Davis to beat to get into the end zone. Davis closed quickly and stopped him for no gain and Tolzien’s fourth-down pass was broken up by safety Mike Mitchell, turning the Colts away.

“I just made a play,” said Davis, who has started the past two games at strong safety. “My football instincts kicked in. It was just instincts.”

Mitchell would again prove key on the next stop inside the 5. After Ryan Turbin picked up two yards on first down and Gore got another two on second down, on third-and-goal from the 2 Tolzien tried to get into the end zone on a designed run.

Mitchell came up and hit him, stopping him for a one-yard gain and Tolzien’s fourth-down pass to Phillip Dorsett fell incomplete.

“More than anything it was two nice plays by safeties,” said Tomlin. “One instance Sean Davis – the quarterback was scrambling – he made the definitive decision to come out of coverage and make a tackle. I think the other one was Mike Mitchell in a similar way. Those are two significant plays from pass defenders first to come out of coverage and combat the quarterback. Those were significant plays. You get significant plays like that and you get a chance to have a stand.”

They helped inspire the offense, as well.

“Coach always says any blade – protect those blades of grass,” said Roethlisberger, who completed 14 of 20 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns. All three scores went to Antonio Brown.

“For them to stop them, we don’t even care if we get the ball on that half-inch line. We feel confident we can get it out and we did it.”

Brown had five catches for 91 yards. … Lawrence Timmons led the Steelers with 10 tackles. … Nose tackle Javon Hargrave, linebacker James Harrison and cornerback William Gay had sacks. Gay and Mitchell recorded interceptions. … The win improves the Steelers’ record on Thanksgiving to 2-5 and was their first win on the holiday since 1950. … Brown has caught 48 touchdown passes from Roethlisberger, the second most for a QB-WR combo in team history, one behind Terry Bradshaw and Lynn Swann. … Despite running 50 plays to 63 for Indianapolis, the Steelers outgained the Colts 369-310.