The Pittsburgh Steelers will look to improve to 4-0 on the season with a road win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4. So far this season, the Steelers have looked much better than the Colts, but this could prove to be a tough matchup for the Steelers. As always, a victory for Pittsburgh will come via a strong defensive performance. This week more than usual, the Steelers will need star defenders Minkah Fitzpatrick and Cameron Heyward to carry the team to a win.
Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cameron Heyward Keys for Steelers in Week 4
Minkah Fitzpatrick is the Steelers Glue
While he hasn’t been racking up gaudy stats or making splash plays left and right, Minkah Fitzpatrick has once again been the glue holding the Steelers defense together in 2024. The defensive front has gotten most of the credit, but Fitzpatrick has led a secondary that has exceeded expectations through three weeks of the season.
Fitzpatrick’s performance as the Steelers deep safety will be of paramount importance against a Colts team who has explosive play potential at all times. While Anthony Richardson has had a rocky start to his second season, there’s no doubt he can take the top off of a defense. Insert Minkah Fitzpatrick. If the Steelers want to slow down the team with the league’s second-highest rate of explosive plays, Fitzpatrick is the man for the job.
Explosive play rates on offense
1) GB: 14.1%
32) CHI: 3.3% pic.twitter.com/kO5f5ZFMWE— Football Insights 📊 (@fball_insights) September 24, 2024
By taking away the homerun balls, the Steelers will force Richardson to throw more intermediate passes. That is where he will get himself into trouble. Couple that with a Steelers pass rush who will have Richardson under pressure and it’s not hard to imagine him turning the ball over. But it all starts with Minkah Fitzpatrick keeping everything in front of him and not allowing Richardson and the Colts wide receivers to connect for an explosive touchdown.
Cameron Heyward Does It All up Front
Speaking of that dangerous Steelers pass rush, they draw their toughest matchup of the season this week. The Colts offensive line has been elite all around this year, but especially in the passing game. With Alex Highsmith injured and Nick Herbig stepping in, Pittsburgh’s rotation at edge rusher is a little thrown off. They don’t have great depth at the position. But if Cameron Heyward can consistently get pressure up the middle, the pass rushers (who will need to play more snaps than usual and could be gassed by the end of the game) will find their jobs much easier.
It will be no easy feat for Heyward to wreck the game, as he matches up with Colts all-world offensive guard Quentin Nelson. The two have went to battle many times over the years, with each guy winning his fair share of reps. Not only will Heyward need to beat Nelson as a pass rusher, but he’ll need to disrupt the run game, too. If the Colts aren’t able to hit the aforementioned deep passes, they will turn to Jonatan Taylor, Richardson’s legs, and a stout run-blocking offensive line. That said, Heyward has been a monster against the run so far this year. He won’t dominate Nelson and Colts center Ryan Kelly, but he should be able to win enough reps to make the difference in the game.
While the same argument could be made every week, it’s fair to call Minkah Fitzpatrick and Cameron Heyward x-factors for the Steelers in Week 4. If the two veterans can hold down their respective areas of the defense, Pittsburgh should leave Indianapolis 4-0 and in a great early spot to find themselves back in the playoffs.
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