Pittsburgh Review

The Steelers have started their season strong, winning their first three games with a defense that has allowed just 26 total points and 229 yards per game, both the best in the NFL. They have also excelled at getting off the field quickly, leading the league with a 21.9 percent conversion rate allowed on third downs.

A significant factor in this success has been their ability to limit opposing running games. Despite facing Atlanta's Bijan Robinson and J.K. Dobbins of the Chargers, the Steelers are allowing just 71.3 yards rushing per game and 3.5 yards per attempt. Last week, they held the Chargers to just 61 rushing yards in a 20-10 victory.

This Sunday, Pittsburgh will face another challenge as they travel to Indianapolis to play the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts ran for 170 yards against them last season, led by Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson.

Indianapolis features Jonathan Taylor, one of the league's top running backs who missed last year's game against Pittsburgh but enters Sunday's contest with 261 yards over three games and an average of 5.1 yards per carry.

"Taylor's really patient, does a really good job, got good contact balance," Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said Thursday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. "And the thing that really separates him from a lot of backs is once he sees a crease, he can take that thing the whole way."

According to Pro Football Focus, Pittsburgh has missed only 16 tackles as a team in their first three games—second only to San Francisco's 14 missed tackles.

"We've got to do a really good job of minimizing holes," Austin said regarding Taylor’s playing style.

The Colts' quarterback Anthony Richardson also poses a threat with his mobility; he has rushed for 117 yards on just 18 carries this season.

"He is a big man who's agile and he's strong," Austin noted about Richardson’s dual-threat capability.

Richardson’s passing completion rate stands at an NFL-low of 49.3 percent but his throws average an impressive distance of 16.2 yards per reception.

Austin emphasized that defending against Richardson requires constant vigilance: "So the thing that we are obviously preaching with our guys is to make sure that don't relax at any time versus this guy."

To counteract these threats, Steelers’ linebackers and corners will need to step up in run defense while safety Minkah Fitzpatrick stays deep to guard against long passes.

"I think our guys are doing a really good job of really taking control of the front up front," Austin said about his team's overall defensive performance so far this season.

Inside linebackers Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts and Payton Wilson have been effective in maintaining control in key areas on defense. Queen played every defensive snap last week against Los Angeles and recorded eight tackles.

"I know we've been kind of shuffling through that and trying to get that for a few years here," Austin remarked about finding consistency among inside linebackers like Queen.