The Colts are soaring in the ESPN power rankings after beating the Steelers

The Indianapolis Colts (2-2) defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) 27-24 to win their second straight game, finishing the first month of the season at .500.

The Colts’ victory marked the Steelers’ first loss of the season. Indy secured the victory despite Anthony Richardson leaving the field in the second minute and Joe Flacco taking over as quarterback. The Colts’ impressive performance propelled them to fifth place recently ESPN Power Rankings as the team is currently ranked 19th.

The Colts haven’t been this high in the power rankings since Week 1, when they started the season in 18th place. The recent surge can be attributed to back-to-back home wins after an 0-2 start. The Colts seem to have found their way to the league’s elite after the first month of the season, but they still have a long way to go.

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In week five of the power rankings, NFL Nation reporters were asked to identify each team’s biggest defensive issues. For the Colts, Stephen Holder of ESPN identified third-down defense as the Colts’ glaring weakness on that side of the ball. The Colts struggled to get off the field with money down, which partially led to one of the worst time-of-possession records in the league.

“Stopping teams on third down continues to be an issue,” Holder wrote. “Statistically, the Colts were one of the worst third-down units, allowing a 49.2% conversion rate. The practical impact of this was evident in Sunday’s win over the Steelers, when the Colts allowed QB Justin Fields and Team Pittsburgh to convert 5. It helped cut the lead to 17-3 at halftime and turn a lopsided game into a close game. Fields completed 4 of 5 (80%) with 43 passes and a touchdown on third downs. the other half.”

The Colts will have a chance to fix their third-down issues this week when they travel south to face the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts haven’t won in Jacksonville in nine years. But considering the Jaguars are 0-4 and struggling to get anywhere, Indy may have its best chance at breaking the curse in a long time.

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