PITTSBURGH – They entered as one of the most highly touted units in the league – playing a massive, understated role in the standout 2025 statistical performances from Colts quarterback Daniel Jones and running back and MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor. And Sunday night, the Colts offensive line left Acriscure Stadium in the wake of a 27-20 loss to the Steelers – a game where the top offense in the league turned it over five times – humbled and puzzled.
But Colts head coach Shane Steichen said by no means has he lost faith in what in many ways is the heart of a Colts team that, even with Sunday’s road loss, still holds a tie for the best record in the NFL through Week 9 and the top seed in the AFC.
“I’ve got a lot of faith in our offensive line. Give credit to Pittsburgh. I think they did some good things,” Steichen told reporters after the game. “We’ll get it cleaned up and get ready for (Week 10 opponent) Atlanta.
“Our offensive line has been playing great all year. I have a lot of faith in those guys.”
Spearheaded by five-time All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson, the Colts offensive line entered Sunday’s duel having given up just nine sacks in eight games – tied for the second-fewest in the league – and overall was credited with the third-best sack percentage.
And in 2025, those statistics had come against several of the best defensive front-sevens in the league. The Broncos and Rams have racked up first and second-most total sacks in the league entering this weekend, and those teams’ units rank 1st and 4th-best in sack percentage, 1st and 4th in total QB hits, and Denver ranks tops in knockdown percentage and pressure percentage.
The Indianapolis defense gave up a single sack against the Broncos and a pair against the Rams. Every day in practice, Nelson, right tackle Braden Smith and company face a defense with the fifth-most sacks in the league through eight games and the third-most QB hits.
Sunday, where the Colts offense gave up five sacks – including a pair of strip-sack fumbles – as well as a tipped pass interception that came with three total picks credited to quarterback Daniel Jones, Nelson didn’t see his team’s performance as a preparation issue.
“I think losing is a part of life, and individually and as a team, we just need to get better and learn from the game. Losing makes you better in the long run, just as long as you learn from it, and that’s what we’re going to do,” he said. “There’s nothing I would change that we did early in the week to game-plan.
“The plan’s good. We just need to go out and execute better.”
The first of those mistakes in the trenches came early in Sunday’s second quarter, the Colts leading 7-0, driving toward the red zone in a drive sparked by an Indianapolis defensive stand near the goal line that led to a turnover on downs. Just inside the Pittsburgh 40-yardline, Jones dropped back to pass on a first-and-10, play-action-faked and settled into his drop and was scanning the receivers downfield when edge rusher T.J. Watt came almost effortlessly around the right edge Smith is charged to protect and swiped at the ball out of Jones’ hands.
Watt recovered and led to the Steelers’ first touchdown. Pittsburgh would score 24 of its 27 points off of Indianapolis turnovers.
“I needed to get a bit more depth. I gave (Watt) a short edge, and I can’t do that. Obviously, he makes a play there, and that’s what he does. Split seconds are very precious in this league,” Smith said of the strip-sack. “It’s just a balance of making it happen with an extra shove or technique here and there. Little things become big things and, ultimately, we have just no real margin for error.
“(Pittsburgh) played a heckuva game, We just need to get back to our fundamentals and back to the basics. But that’s the great thing about the NFL, it’s week-to-week, and nothing matters about what you did last week. It’s about what can you learn from last week, so you can win the next game.”
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
