The Pittsburgh Steelers just laid down the law in Week 5, smashing the Indianapolis Colts 34-22 at Acrisure Stadium. This wasn’t just any win, either, considering the Colts’ defense had only given up an average of 13 points to opponents over their previous two games. Now sitting pretty at 3-2, it’s clear the Steelers are figuring some things out after this massive performance.
The Offense Is Absolutely Humming!
We gotta talk about Jaylen Warren first, man, because we’re all witnesses to his breakout. He got the scoring started with an electric 80-yard catch-and-run that set the tone. Then, after a somewhat quiet first half on the ground, he absolutely exploded midway through the third quarter with a ridiculous 50-yard touchdown scamper! That’s three straight games where Warren has posted at least 100 scrimmage yards. He’s the engine of that Steelers’ offense, no doubt, and it looks like he’s gonna be a feature back all season long.
And Aaron Rodgers? Over the last three weeks, this Steelers offense has looked significantly better than it did when the season kicked off, and Rodgers is absolutely a huge part of that. Today was the first time since December 2021 that he’s thrown for three or more touchdowns in three consecutive contests. He even started this game completing 11 straight passes before his first incompletion. The dude can still sling it, and the Steelers are reaping the benefits big time.
Pat Freiermuth is also making moves, catching five passes today, two of them for touchdowns. Right now, he’s tied for the league lead in receiving touchdowns by a tight end with four. It’s obvious the Steelers see their tight ends as a major piece of their offensive puzzle, and with the wide receiver room a bit banged up, we could easily be watching Freiermuth put together a career year. Even rookie second-round pick Germie Bernard had himself a career day, leading the team with 84 receiving yards despite a couple of drops. Rodgers was clearly looking to get him the ball, even before other guys got hurt, and Bernard has totally earned himself some serious playing time going forward after that breakout.
Injury Woes and Special Teams Headaches
While the offense was cooking, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. The wide receiver health situation is getting rough. Michael Pittman Jr. was already on short-term injured reserve coming into this game, and then the hits kept coming. Roman Wilson and Ben Skrownek both got hurt late in the first half and missed the rest of the game. Brandon Smith saw more snaps after those injuries, but if Wilson and Skrownek are out for any real stretch of time, the Steelers might seriously need to look at adding to their receiver room.
Then there’s Kaden Wetjen. Honestly, it’s just hard to see what value he’s brought to the team right now. The kickoff team, in general, has been questionable at best. That’s gotta tighten up.
This 3-2 start and that offensive explosion? It’s gotta have Steelers fans buzzing. With Warren as the engine, Rodgers slingin’ it, and Freiermuth stepping up, this team is showing what they’re truly capable of. Let’s see if they can keep this momentum rolling!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Behind the Steel Curtain.
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