Steelers use 6 turnovers, stifling defense to stop red-hot Colts at home

Brian Batko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Nov 2, 2025

Published in Football

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PITTSBURGH — Just when it looked as if the Steelers were down for the count, they got up off the mat and came out swinging.

With a cornerback playing free safety, a strong safety who had been in town for all of three days and a secondary down to seven healthy bodies, the Steelers stifled the highest-scoring team in the NFL, the one that sat atop the AFC standings, in a 27-20 punch-out of the Indianapolis Colts.

The Steelers (5-3) bounced back Sunday at Acrisure Stadium and made sure they didn’t lose ground atop the AFC North. Aaron Rodgers managed the game well, throwing for just 203 yards and a touchdown on 25-of-35 passing, but more significant was that he didn’t turn it over and outplayed fellow comeback quarterback Daniel Jones.

Pumpkin season might be over now that it’s November, but Jones turned back into one against the Steelers, who sacked him five times, hit him six times, picked him off three times and ripped two fumbles off of him. Jones passed for 342 yards — much of which came in catch-up mode — and didn’t get the help expected from what had been a potent run game. The Steelers rose to the occasion against Jonathan Taylor, holding him to 45 yards on 14 carries, and didn’t let him rip off a run for double-digit yardage all game.

Rodgers thrived in a balanced passing attack and even overcame a few drops by his pass-catchers. He spread the ball around to Calvin Austin III (five catches, 56 yards), Darnell Washington (four for 43), Kenneth Gainwell (four for 35), Pat Freiermuth (three for 27) and Jonnu Smith (three for 25). This was the last chance for the supporting cast behind DK Metcalf to state their case ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, and the ancillary pieces stepped up and made plays after a rocky start.

It was over when

Joey Porter Jr., on a day the franchise was honoring his dad's Super Bowl XL team, intercepted Jones at the Steelers 39 with 2:51 left, a much-needed sigh of relief after Roman Wilson’s fumble trying to gain yards after a catch in Colts territory.

Player of the game

Alex Highsmith. It was T.J. Watt who had the first strip-sack and Jack Sawyer with the interception, but Highsmith was the most consistently productive pass-rusher in a game the Steelers needed to get after Jones. Highsmith had a 10-yard sack that effectively crushed a key Colts drive to open the second half, then doubled down with a strip-sack of his own to thwart any Colts momentum in the fourth quarter. He added a tackle for loss on Taylor early in the game and a pass breakup in which he dropped in coverage and read the quarterback’s eyes for the deflection. With many calling for the Steelers to play Nick Herbig as much as him, if not more, Highsmith reminded everyone what he can do opposite Watt against both the run and the pass.

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Payton Wilson. Whatever got into Wilson, the Steelers will take it. He was in the right place at the right time in the first half when Jones threw an interception right to him, just planted it into his chest as he dropped into his zone, but Wilson still had to make the play. And it didn’t hurt that he returned it 17 yards to the Colts 14 to set up the go-ahead touchdown from Rodgers to Freiermuth. Wilson made a more brilliant play in the third quarter, blitzing Jones, getting a hand up and tipping the pass way up in the air. It landed in the waiting arms of Sawyer for a second interception for Jones, who had thrown just two through the first eight games. Wilson also led the team with 13 tackles.

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Juan Thornhill. Do you think the Steelers were concerned with the way Thornhill played against the Packers last week? Despite the rash of injuries and illness in the secondary, they opted to play newly acquired safety Kyle Dugger 100% of the snaps and Jalen Ramsey exclusively at that position rather than turn to Thornhill with Chuck Clark, Jabrill Peppers and DeShon Elliott out. Thornhill’s feet were glued to the sideline in this one, and the defense took a major jump in his absence. Credit to Thornhill, though, for trying to coach up Dugger in between plays, showing plenty of emotion and helping the guys out there as an extra set of eyes.

Up next

A third prime-time game in the past four weeks, and second Sunday nighter, this time at the Los Angeles Chargers.

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