Steelers fail to overcome big early deficit against Colts

INDIANAPOLIS — When the Pittsburgh Steelers last visited Lucas Oil Stadium 10 months ago, they frittered away an early two-score advantage and gave up 30 unanswered points in a deflating loss.

Presented with a chance to turn the tables Sunday on the Indianapolis Colts, the Steelers pieced together a furious second-half rally only to come up short.

Trailing by 17 points in the first half, the Steelers twice cut the deficit to one score and had a chance to tie or win the game in the final two minutes only to fall apart and drop a 27-24 decision.

It was the opposite of the way they lost 30-13 here in December.

“We were sloppy in a lot of ways,” coach Mike Tomlin said after the Steelers’ unbeaten streak to open the season ended at three games.

Too sloppy, as it turned out.

• On offense, George Pickens lost a fumble inside the Indianapolis 5, Justin Fields lost one after a 25-yard loss on a play that began at the Colts 33 and Fields was stopped for no gain on a fourth-and-1 keeper. Fields also claimed responsibility for a too-early snap by rookie center Zach Frazier that lost 12 yards on the final drive.

• On defense, the top-ranked Steelers unit gave up more points in four quarters than it did in the previous three games combined. The Colts scored touchdowns on their opening two possessions and held a 17-0 lead in the second quarter while transitioning from Anthony Richardson to 39-year-old Joe Flacco at quarterback.

“We didn’t play like the team I’ve seen us play like whether it was training camp or a game,” safety DeShon Elliott said.

Fields ran for two touchdowns and threw an 8-yard TD pass to Pat Freiermuth — all in the second half — to pull the Steelers within 27-24. When they got the ball back a minute later after a three-and-out — just the second forced by the defense on 10 Colts possessions — the Steelers had a chance to keep their record unbeaten.

“I really believed we were going to go down there and score,” Frazier said. “I feel like we had the momentum.”

The momentum shifted on first down with 1 minutes, 43 seconds left and the Steelers at their 42, needing about 20 yards to put Chris Boswell in position to attempt a tying field goal.

With Fields still surveying the defense, Frazier snapped the ball, and it hit the quarterback in the helmet. Fields pounced on it after a 12-yard loss. Fields said he already had lifted his leg once, the signal that is OK for Frazier to snap the ball.

“My fault,” Fields said.

The Steelers got 11 yards back on third down, but Fields’ heave on fourth-and-11 was incomplete. Fields finished with 312 yards passing, and the Steelers totaled a season-high 404.

“We knew the whole game they weren’t stopping us. We were just stopping ourselves,” Fields said. “It’s kind of crazy we stopped ourselves on the last drive, too.”

The Colts, meanwhile, couldn’t be stopped for much of the first half, beginning with the first play when Richardson threw a laser to Michael Pittman for a 32-yard gain. Jonathan Taylor ripped off a 14-yard run. Six plays later, Taylor scored on a 2-yard run.

Flacco entered when Richardson left with a hip injury on the next series and threw a 4-yard TD pass to Josh Downs.

With the Colts ahead by two scores, the Steelers went for it on fourth-and-1 at their 39. With an extra offensive lineman on the field to block, Fields lined up in the shotgun and tried to run on a delayed sneak. He was stopped for no gain, and the Colts responded with Matt Gay’s 33-yard field goal for a 17-0 lead.

“We’ve got to start faster,” defensive captain Cameron Heyward said. “You can dig yourself out of a hole, but you (darn) near have to be perfect, and we missed opportunities, too.”

Even the Steelers’ best drive of the half ended with negativity. With Cordarrelle Patterson doing the bulk of the work, the Steelers moved from their 4 to the Indianapolis 15. Pickens fumbled near the sideline as he tried to get extra yards, and the Colts recovered at their 3.

It wasn’t until a Boswell 50-yard field goal on the final play of the half that the Steelers cut into their deficit.

The Keystone Kops routine continued into the second half when Fields backpedaled for a 25-yard loss trying to avoid a sack. At the end of the play, he fumbled and the Colts recovered.

A missed field goal cracked open the door for the Steelers’ comeback. Fields scored on a 5-yard run to make it 17-10. Flacco, however, had third-down completions of 12 and 25 yards, and a personal foul call on Minkah Fitzpatrick helped the Colts go 70 yards in 10 plays. Flacco’s 15-yard TD pass to Drew Ogletree pushed the Colts’ lead to 14 points with 14:43 to play.

Fields brought the offense back down the field and finished a 70-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown to make it a one-score game with 11:23 left.

Needing a quick stop, the Steelers were unable to get one. The Colts ran more than five minutes off the clock and picked up three first downs before Gay kicked a 35-yard field goal with 6:03 left.

“It’s very deflating,” Heyward said. “As a defense, we pride ourselves on getting to that point, but to not execute in those moments is unacceptable.”

Fields brought the Steelers back again, finding Pat Freiermuth for an 8-yard touchdown with 3:40 to play.

It was as close as the Steelers would get.

“I’m appreciative of the fight, but I’m not congratulating them for it,” Tomlin said. “It’s the business that we’re in.”