After the loss to Green Bay the week before, Aaron Rodgers had wasted no time in holding a team meeting just two days later. He sent a clear message, “Stay the course.” The Pittsburgh Steelers bounced back from the heartbreak with a 27-20 victory against the Indianapolis Colts, who entered the game with an NFL-best 7-1 record and were leading the league in both total scoring and offense. Ultimately, Pittsburgh’s defense stepped up in a major way, forcing six turnovers that the offense would capitalize on for easy scoring opportunities.​ That prompted the quarterback to call out his offense.

In a brutally honest assessment, Aaron Rodgers said after the win, “We gotta look in the mirror and play better on offense.” Last week, Rodgers had made it clear that the offensive performance fell short of their standards. Today, Rodgers finished 25 for 35 with 203 passing yards and one touchdown pass.

After giving up 175 points in their first seven games, Pittsburgh forced six turnovers, sacked Daniel Jones five times, and held the NFL’s top-scoring offense to just two touchdowns.

For a while, though, it looked like another long afternoon. The Colts came in averaging a league-best 33.8 points per game and 6.5 yards per play and they opened hot. Even a fake punt deep in their own territory worked, continuing the early domination.

T.J. Watt flipped the game midway through the second quarter. The six-time All-Pro ripped past Braden Smith, stripped Daniel Jones, and recovered the fumble at the Steelers’ 44. A few plays later, Jaylen Warren punched in his first rushing touchdown of the year.

Head coach Mike Tomlin praised Watt’s impact. “It was everything,” Tomlin said, according to an official statement. “We were running on the beach offensively. We needed a short field. Like all great players do, he provided it when we needed it most.”​

Things spiraled quickly for Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones. The seventh-year signal caller threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles, totaling five turnovers on the afternoon. Rookie linebacker Payton Wilson picked off Jones over the middle, setting up Aaron Rodgers’ 12-yard strike to Pat Freiermuth for Pittsburgh’s first lead. Chris Boswell’s 25-yard field goal sent the Steelers into halftime up 17-7.

Rookie outside linebacker Jack Sawyer recorded his first career interception after Wilson deflected a pass intended for wide receiver Michael Pittman. Running back Jonathan Taylor, who had been an MVP-caliber performer throughout the season, leading the league with 850 rushing yards, was completely shut down.

Taylor managed just 45 yards on 14 carries. The Colts’ offensive struggles were unlike anything they had experienced all season.

Aaron Rodgers leads the Steelers to a redemption win

Coming into this game, Indianapolis had committed only four turnovers through its first eight games. Against Pittsburgh, they matched that total in a single afternoon. Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce both had solid receiving performances with over 100 yards each. But it wasn’t enough to overcome the turnover nightmare.

Despite gaining 368 total yards, a significant advantage over Pittsburgh’s 225 yards, the Colts’ mistakes proved catastrophic.​ After the loss to Green Bay the week before, Rodgers had wasted no time in holding a team meeting, asking his team to buckle up. And the team definitely lived up to that.

With the victory, Pittsburgh improved to 5-3 and snapped a two-game losing streak. The Colts fell to 7-2, ending their impressive winning streak.​

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