NFL Week 8 – Balanced Colts Take on Inconsistent Steelers

Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers (+3, 49 o/u) 

When it comes to the Indianapolis Colts (5-2, 2-1 away), the storyline usually begins and ends with quarterback Andrew Luck. So far this season, the Stanford product has put up some awe-inspiring numbers, including 2,331 passing yards (best in the league) and 19 TDs (tied for best in the league with the man he replaced, Peyton Manning).

However, the Colts defense should be getting plenty of attention, as well, this year. Greg Manusky’s crew has given up 17 or fewer points in four of the last five games (all wins). During that timeframe, the defense has also given up a league-low 271.8 yards per game.

Said Luck, “You don’t feel like you have to do too much when you’re playing with a defense like that. They do and have done a heck of a job all year.”

Added Colts coach Chuck Pagano, “The whole defense is feeding off of each other right now. The energy that they’re playing with, the effort that they’re playing with right now. Anytime you have success like they’re having, the confidence level is at an all-time high.” The Colts defense saved their best performance for their latest, as they pitched a shutout against the Bengals last weekend.

With the offense missing Reggie Wayne this weekend, the Colts defense will have to keep doing its part when they travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers (4-3, 2-1 home). Last Monday night, the black and gold scored three touchdowns and a field goal in less than three minutes en route to a 30-23 win over Houston.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 265 yards and two TDs, while Le’Veon Bell racked up 145 yards of offense

Said Bell, “We don’t want to be satisfied with the way we played. It was good but there are definitely things we can do better.”

Defensively, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is hoping his squad can start winning the turnover game.

Said Tomlin, “It’s not anything mystical. I think when we are doing what it is that we are supposed to do and playing with energy, it happens.”

Even though the Colts defense has been stellar of late, look for this game – thanks in part to the porous Steelers defense – to hit the over at 49.

(Photo credit: Mark Susina (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mss2400/7967230578/) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.)