The Pittsburgh Steelers hit the road for a Week 4 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. Despite being favored, the Steelers fell behind 17-0 early, but mounted a strong comeback, creating several opportunities to potentially win. However, the slow start proved too much to overcome, and the team suffered its first loss of the 2024 season.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Justin Fields stands on the sideline during a loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
In the final moments, with the Steelers trying to tie or win the game, the worst-case scenario unfolded. A miscommunication on a snap caused the ball to hit quarterback Justin Fields in the head. Although Fields recovered the fumble, the mistake was costly.
He then completed a pass to Najee Harris for 11 yards, but Harris failed to get out of bounds. With time running out and the Steelers facing a fourth-and-11, Head Coach Mike Tomlin opted not to call his remaining timeout, a decision that left many fans baffled.
When asked after the game why he didn’t use the timeout, Tomlin’s response was direct but unlikely to satisfy Steelers fans. He explained that he was saving it in case the team converted the fourth down and needed it for a future play.
"You know I just wanted to hold it in my hip pocket. You know sometimes working at a pace is an advantage for an offense. It doesn’t give the defense the opportunity to get specialized people in the game to ponder calls and get imperfect calls. I was comfortable working that pace and I just wanted to keep it in my hip pocket in case we converted and got down the field."
After a loss like this, it's natural for Steeler Nation to feel frustrated with how the coaches handled the game. The entire coaching staff was out-schemed and out-coached by the Colts.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Mike Tomlin celebrates on the sideline during a loss to the Indianapolis Colts in 2024.
It's another disappointing result, with the Steelers having lost to the Colts on the road in 2023, only for them to hand Pittsburgh its first loss of the 2024 season. The key now will be for the Steelers to avoid overreacting and focus on getting back on track in their next game.
Much of the blame for this loss will fall on Tomlin, with many pointing to his decision not to use a timeout as a critical mistake. While it's not the response Steelers fans were hoping for, there's some logic to it. The Steelers were driving before the bad snap, and even if Tomlin had called a timeout, there was no guarantee they would have converted on fourth down. Overall, it was a disappointing finish, and Tomlin’s reasoning likely won’t sit well with many fans.
Steelers' Fields Has Solid Game Despite The Loss
There were certainly plenty of negatives for Steelers fans to take away from this game. Tomlin didn’t have his team prepared, the star players didn’t make their usual impact, and costly mistakes hurt the team. Fields had a strong game, but turnovers and a bad snap proved costly. Still, Steelers fans can take solace in seeing Fields battle through adversity and give his team a chance to win.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Justin Fields looks to pass in a loss to the Colts during the 2024 season.
For Fields, this was the first time he truly had to rally the offense. He threw for 312 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 55 yards and scoring two more touchdowns on the ground. Despite costly mistakes from several key players, Fields nearly led the Steelers to victory, offering a small glimmer of optimism for Steelers fans.
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