There have been a number of elements that performed into the Steelers’ 24-17 win over the Colts on Monday night time. Indianapolis’ poor clock administration on the sport’s last drive was actually one in all them.
With 3:52 to go, the Colts moved from their very own seven-yard-line to the Steelers’ 37-yard-line by the two-minute warning. Still armed with all of their timeouts, the Colts picked up a primary down when Matt Ryan hit Michael Pittman for a four-yard acquire on the primary play after the two-minute warning.
Ryan was sacked on the subsequent play by Alex Highsmith however declined to make use of a timeout, which resulted in 36 seconds coming off the clock. The Colts declined to name a timeout once more after Ryan ran for 14 yards on the subsequent play, leading to 29 further seconds coming off the clock earlier than Indianapolis took its subsequent snap.
With 30 seconds left, the Colts lastly referred to as a timeout after Jonathan Taylor was stopped for no acquire on third down. The Colts walked off the sphere with two unused timeouts after Ryan’s fourth-down throw to Parris Campbell was damaged up by Minkah Fitzpatrick, securing the Steelers’ win.
“I believed we had loads of time,” Colts interim head coach Jeff Saturday stated of the Colts not calling a timeout following Ryan’s run. “We nonetheless had timeouts. I wasn’t actually involved. When he was taking place, I could not inform the place they have been going to [mark] Ryan from taking place. … I anticipated us to get on the ball and have one other play a bit of bit faster than that.
“This wasn’t a press for time. We simply did not make sufficient performs.”
Like Saturday, Ryan thought that the spot of the ball following his run performed an element within the Colts’ clock mismanagement. The veteran quarterback thought his run merited a measurement.
Had the officers given Ryan a primary down, he would have had these timeouts in his again pocket with 4 downs to work with. Unfortunately for him and the Colts, it did not work out that approach, because the officers decided that he slid a number of yards wanting the sticks.
“I believed I used to be perhaps a bit of bit nearer than the place they noticed it,” Ryan stated, “however that is neither right here nor there. … I do not thoughts the decision.”
The Colts had rallied again from a 16-3 deficit to take a 17-16 lead coming into the fourth quarter. But much like final Sunday’s loss to Philadelphia, the Colts have been unable to maintain their lead within the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh, regardless of shedding operating again Najee Harris within the first half to an harm, took the lead for good on backup operating again Benny Snell’s two-yard landing run. The Steelers obtained an impressed effort from rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett, who picked up his first highway victory.
While it was a giant win for Pickett and the Steelers, It was one other powerful loss for the Colts, who dropped to 4-7-1 and 1-2 since Saturday took over as interim head coach.
“It’s disappointing,” Ryan stated. “It actually is. I believe the hassle is sweet, however our execution hasn’t been adequate.”
