Game recap
Colts @ Steelers
2026 Wk 5 · PIT 34, IND 22
Jaylen Warren scored from 80 and 50 yards out while the Colts settled for five field goals.
Jaylen Warren scored on an 80 yard catch and a 50 yard run. He is the seventh player since 1999 with a 50+ yard rushing touchdown and a 50+ yard receiving touchdown in the same game.
RareEvery game since 1999 with a 50+ yard rushing TD and a 50+ yard receiving TD by one player
| Player | Season | Week | Game | Rush TD yds | Rec TD yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton Portis | 2002 | 15 | KC at DEN | 51 | 66 |
| Chris Johnson | 2009 | 2 | HOU at TEN | 91 | 69 |
| DeSean Jackson | 2009 | 7 | PHI at WAS | 67 | 57 |
| Darren McFadden | 2010 | 14 | LV at JAX | 51 | 67 |
| Lamar Miller | 2015 | 7 | HOU at MIA | 85 | 54 |
| Ashton Jeanty | 2025 | 16 | LV at HOU | 51 | 60 |
| Jaylen Warren | 2026 | 5 | IND at PIT | 50 | 80 |
Jaylen Warren's line in this game
| Carries | Rush yds | Rush TD | Targets | Rec | Rec yds | Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 101 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 87 | 1 |
The 80 yard catch came on Pittsburgh's first snap after the Colts took a 3 to 0 lead. The 50 yard run up the left guard gap made it 23 to 16 in the third quarter. Warren finished with 188 scrimmage yards on 21 touches, and he caught all six of his targets.
Why it matters. Pittsburgh scored 34 points, and 14 of them came on two plays by the same back. Both plays were explosive gains from a player who works as a between-the-tackles runner and a check-down outlet, not a deep threat. That combination is why the list is this short: a back rarely gets loose for 50 yards on the ground and on a reception in one afternoon.
The Colts ran 10 plays inside the Pittsburgh 10 and gained 1 net yard.
SplitIndianapolis offense by field zone, 2026 (run and pass plays)
| Window | Zone | Plays | Yards | TDs | EPA/play | Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 5 at PIT | Inside the 10 | 10 | 1 | 1 | -0.431 | 10.0% |
| Wk 5 at PIT | Outside the 10 | 59 | 331 | 0 | 0.077 | 44.1% |
| Wks 1 to 4 | Inside the 10 | 16 | 48 | 9 | 0.807 | 62.5% |
| Wks 1 to 4 | Outside the 10 | 235 | 1092 | 1 | -0.126 | 41.7% |
Every Colts snap inside the Pittsburgh 10
| Qtr | Clock | Down and distance | Play | Yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 9:42 | 1st and goal at PIT 2 | Taylor run | 1 |
| 2 | 9:04 | 2nd and goal at PIT 1 | Taylor run | 0 |
| 2 | 8:27 | 3rd and goal at PIT 1 | Jones run | 0 |
| 2 | 7:48 | 4th and goal at PIT 1 | Tyler Warren run, TD | 1 |
| 3 | 11:48 | 1st and goal at PIT 3 | Taylor run | 1 |
| 3 | 11:12 | 2nd and goal at PIT 2 | Taylor run | -2 |
| 3 | 10:32 | 3rd and goal at PIT 4 | Jones pass incomplete | 0 |
| 4 | 12:00 | 1st and 10 at PIT 10 | Jones pass incomplete | 0 |
| 4 | 11:55 | 2nd and 10 at PIT 10 | Jones pass incomplete | 0 |
| 4 | 11:50 | 3rd and 10 at PIT 10 | Jones pass incomplete | 0 |
Three trips reached the Pittsburgh 10. The first needed a fourth down sneak by tight end Tyler Warren to score from the 1. The second started at the 3 and ended with a 22 yard field goal. The third began at the 10 and ended with three straight incompletions and a 28 yard field goal. Outside the 10 the Colts averaged +0.077 EPA per play, better than their Weeks 1 to 4 rate there.
Why it matters. Through four weeks the Colts had been nearly automatic close to the goal line, with 9 touchdowns on 16 snaps inside the 10. Against Pittsburgh the same zone produced one touchdown and two short field goals, which is an 8 point swing on two possessions in a game that was 24 to 22 midway through the fourth quarter. Outside the 10 their offense was more efficient than its season average, so the loss traces to this short stretch of field.
Spencer Shrader made 57 and 56 yard field goals in the first quarter. One other kicker since 1999 has made two from 55+ in an opening quarter.
RareKickers with two made field goals of 55+ yards in a first quarter, since 1999
| Kicker | Season | Week | Distances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon McManus | 2015 | 1 | 57, 56 |
| Spencer Shrader | 2026 | 5 | 57, 56 |
Shrader's five field goals in this game
| Qtr | Clock | Distance | Score after |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:02 | 57 | IND 3, PIT 0 |
| 1 | 7:00 | 56 | PIT 7, IND 6 |
| 3 | 10:25 | 22 | PIT 17, IND 16 |
| 3 | 2:17 | 40 | PIT 24, IND 19 |
| 4 | 11:46 | 28 | PIT 24, IND 22 |
McManus matched the same two distances in the 2015 opener against Baltimore. Shrader went five for five on the day and scored 16 of the Colts' 22 points, counting his extra point.
Why it matters. Two makes from beyond 55 yards before the first quarter ended kept Indianapolis level early while its drives stalled near midfield. The leg kept the Colts close all game; the other three field goals came on drives that reached the Pittsburgh 22 or closer, which is where the offense let him down.
Aaron Rodgers has three straight games with three touchdown passes at age 42. Tom Brady is the only other QB with a 3 TD game at 42 or older, and he never strung three together.
MilestoneRegular season games with 3+ TD passes at age 42 or older, since 1999
| QB | Games | TD passes in those games | Seasons | Longest run of straight games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Brady | 21 | 76 | 2019 to 2022 | 2 |
| Aaron Rodgers | 3 | 9 | 2026 | 3 |
Aaron Rodgers, 2026 game by game
| Week | Opp | Comp/Att | Yds | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ATL | 24/40 | 221 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | NE | 23/39 | 187 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | CIN | 19/34 | 292 | 3 | 1 |
| 4 | CLE | 22/40 | 299 | 3 | 2 |
| 5 | IND | 22/31 | 235 | 3 | 0 |
Against Indianapolis Rodgers went 22 of 31 for 235 yards with no interceptions, his first clean sheet since Week 1. He was 42 years and 10 months old on game day. Brady's 3 TD games at 42 and older came in pairs at most: Weeks 3 and 4 of 2020, Weeks 16 and 17 of 2020, Weeks 1 and 2 of 2021, and Weeks 17 and 18 of 2021.
Why it matters. Rodgers opened the season with one touchdown pass in two games, so this streak is a sharp turn rather than a steady line. At his age the cohort is one name long, which makes the three week run the longest any 42 year old passer has put together since 1999. It also came with his lowest attempt count of the season, a sign the offense was finishing drives rather than piling up volume.
The Colts' only lead lasted one Pittsburgh snap. After that they pulled within a point three times and within two once, and never got back in front.
TrendEvery score, in order
| Qtr | Clock | Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:02 | IND | Shrader 57 yd FG | IND 3, PIT 0 |
| 1 | 8:57 | PIT | Rodgers 80 yd pass to J. Warren | PIT 7, IND 3 |
| 1 | 7:00 | IND | Shrader 56 yd FG | PIT 7, IND 6 |
| 2 | 13:20 | PIT | Rodgers 1 yd pass to Freiermuth | PIT 14, IND 6 |
| 2 | 7:48 | IND | T. Warren 1 yd run | PIT 14, IND 13 |
| 2 | 0:25 | PIT | Boswell 48 yd FG | PIT 17, IND 13 |
| 3 | 10:25 | IND | Shrader 22 yd FG | PIT 17, IND 16 |
| 3 | 7:16 | PIT | J. Warren 50 yd run | PIT 24, IND 16 |
| 3 | 2:17 | IND | Shrader 40 yd FG | PIT 24, IND 19 |
| 4 | 11:46 | IND | Shrader 28 yd FG | PIT 24, IND 22 |
| 4 | 6:40 | PIT | Rodgers 17 yd pass to Freiermuth | PIT 31, IND 22 |
| 4 | 3:47 | PIT | Boswell 54 yd FG | PIT 34, IND 22 |
Each of the Colts' first four scores drew an immediate Pittsburgh answer. The pattern broke when Indianapolis put up back to back field goals to make it 24 to 22 with 11:46 left. Pittsburgh then went 64 yards in 10 plays for a Freiermuth touchdown on third and 6, and a 54 yard Boswell field goal closed it out.
Why it matters. The final margin of 12 hides how close this was: the Colts trailed by eight points or fewer until 6:40 remained. The difference was the type of points. Pittsburgh scored touchdowns on four of its scoring drives and Indianapolis on one of six, so the Colts kept pulling close and the Steelers kept pulling away.
Pittsburgh's offense posted +0.243 EPA per play, its best game of 2026, four weeks after -0.303 against Atlanta.
ComparisonPittsburgh offense by game, 2026 (run and pass plays)
| Week | Opp | Plays | Yards | Yds/play | EPA/play | Success rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ATL | 61 | 267 | 4.38 | -0.303 | 32.8% |
| 2 | NE | 67 | 235 | 3.51 | -0.356 | 37.3% |
| 3 | CIN | 56 | 413 | 7.38 | 0.201 | 48.2% |
| 4 | CLE | 66 | 363 | 5.50 | 0.071 | 47.0% |
| 5 | IND | 52 | 354 | 6.81 | 0.243 | 44.2% |
Pittsburgh needed only 52 offensive snaps, its fewest of the season. Take out Jaylen Warren's 80 and 50 yard touchdowns and the other 50 plays averaged +0.059 EPA, close to the Week 4 level.
Why it matters. The Steelers sat below -0.30 EPA per play in each of their first two games, and three straight positive weeks since then show a real change. This game's number leans on two long Warren touchdowns, though: without them it sits closer to the Cleveland game than to the Cincinnati one. The efficiency is genuine, but part of it came in two big bursts rather than drive after drive.
Pittsburgh has now beaten Indianapolis six straight times at home. The Colts' last win there was in 2008.
MilestoneEvery Colts game in Pittsburgh since 1999
| Season | Week | PIT | IND | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 7 | 28 | 10 | PIT win |
| 2008 | 10 | 20 | 24 | IND win |
| 2014 | 8 | 51 | 34 | PIT win |
| 2015 | 13 | 45 | 10 | PIT win |
| 2019 | 9 | 26 | 24 | PIT win |
| 2020 | 16 | 28 | 24 | PIT win |
| 2025 | 9 | 27 | 20 | PIT win |
| 2026 | 5 | 34 | 22 | PIT win |
The six wins span 2014 to 2026. The series has been even in Indianapolis lately: the Colts won there in 2023 and 2024, and Pittsburgh won there in 2016, 2017 and 2022.
Why it matters. Home field has decided this series more than form has. Two of the six wins were by two and four points, so the streak is not a run of blowouts, but the Colts have found no way to finish the job in Pittsburgh since 2008.
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