Two young quarterbacks are at the center of Sunday's showdown between the Steelers and Colts. For Pittsburgh, Justin Fields is hoping to win his fourth consecutive start while further strengthening his case to be the Steelers' permanent QB1. His counterpart, Anthony Richardson, is out to prove that he is indeed the right man for the job in Indianapolis.
Interestingly, both quarterbacks are associated with turning the ball over. But while Fields has taken much better care of the ball this year as opposed to his three seasons in Chicago, Richardson's miscues have drastically increased this season from his rookie campaign. No one has thrown more interceptions this season than Richardson's six so far through three games.
Richardson will have to take care of the ball Sunday against a Steelers defense that has allowed the fewest points in football, led by T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick. A key matchup on Sunday will be the Steelers' second-ranked run defense against Jonathan Taylor and a Colts rushing attack that is fourth in the NFL in rushing touchdowns and yards-per-carry average.
Here's how you can follow the action in real time, along with a prediction for Sunday's outcome.
All NFL odds are via SportsLine Consensus.
Steelers-Colts where to watch
Date: Sunday, Sept. 29 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Steelers -1.5, O/U 40.5
One other matchup sticks out to me outside of Richardson's picks and Taylor and Co. against the Steelers' run defense, and that's Pittsburgh's running game against Indianapolis' 32nd-ranked run defense. Given how well Najee Harris has run so far, along with Pittsburgh's commitment to running this ball, this is a huge mismatch the Steelers should exploit. One thing that might hinder the Steelers' ability to take full advantage, though, is Jaylen Warren's absence as he has been ruled out with a knee injury.
More than anything, this game will come down to the play of the quarterbacks. For Fields, it'll be about taking advantage of a Colts defense that will be without cornerback Kenny Moore and defensive linemen Kwity Paye and DeForest Buckner. For Richardson, it's about not turning the ball over while also making enough plays in the passing game to keep Pittsburgh honest. Richardson will also be called on to make plays with his legs, which is something Pittsburgh will have to account for.
I can definitely see the Colts winning this one if Richardson takes care of the ball, Taylor gets going and the Steelers' offense struggles early. But because I was burned last week after picking against the Steelers, I'm putting more faith in Fields and Co. this week while picking Pittsburgh to get to 4-0.
Prediction: Steelers 20, Colts 16
Bonus: The SportsLine Projection Model, which is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception, also likes the Steelers to cover -1.5 against the Colts. Check out what the model thinks about the total at SportsLine.
