Indianapolis, IN

14 things to watch as streaking Colts offense takes on reeling Pittsburgh defense

Published

2 months ago

November 2, 2025

14 things to watch as streaking Colts offense takes on reeling Pittsburgh defense

The toughest stretch of the Indianapolis schedule begins with a trip to a place that has been an intermittent house of horrors for the Colts over the years.

Indianapolis hasn’t won in Pittsburgh since 2008.

Daniel Jones, Jonathan Taylor and the rest of the Colts will try to end that streak at 1 p.m. Sunday in Acrisure Stadium (WTTV-4) against a reeling Steelers team hoping to bounce back from disheartening losses to Cincinnati and Green Bay.

Plenty is at stake for both teams. Indianapolis (7-1) placed itself in the driver’s south for the AFC South title and potentially the No. 1 seed with its fast start, and Pittsburgh (4-3) is trying to hold onto the lead in an ugly AFC North this season.

1. Pittsburgh is typically known for defense. Not this Steelers team. These Steelers rank 30th in the NFL in yards allowed (386.0 per game), 32nd in passing yards (273.3), 18th against the run (112.7), and they’re not much better on a per-play basis. Pittsburgh ranks 22nd in scoring defense, giving up 24.1 points per game, but the wheels are coming off there, too — the Steelers allowed 33 and 35 points in their last two games. Their reward is facing a Colts offense that is the No. 1 attack in the NFL, leading the league in yards (385.3) and points per game (33.8) while sitting in the top 10 in essentially every major category.

2. The Steelers made a trade to upgrade their defense this week, picking up strong safety Kyle Dugger from New England for a low pick. Dugger was once considered one of the NFL’s best up-and-coming safeties, earning him a four-year, $58 million extension from the Patriots, but he’s fallen out of favor in New England due to issues in coverage. Pittsburgh may need Dugger to play right away; normal starting strong safety DeShon Elliott is out with a knee injury this week.

3. Rookie tight end Tyler Warren should be licking his chops. Warren leads all NFL tight ends with 492 receiving yards through the first eight games, averaging an impressive 13.3 per catch, and now he gets to go up against a Pittsburgh defense that will likely counter with Dugger and free safety Chuck Clark, who is allowing opposing quarterbacks to produce a 144.4 quarterback rating when he’s the nearest defender in coverage. Pittsburgh has given up 555 yards to tight ends this season, the third-worst mark in the league, and the Steelers are susceptible to players who can make plays downfield like Warren.

4. Then again, Indianapolis wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce and Josh Downs are going to get their opportunities. Pittsburgh has allowed the third-most catches and sixth-most yards in the NFL to wide receivers this season. The Steelers doubled down on experience by picking up aging star cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay, but both players are allowing opposing quarterbacks to post ratings of more than 100 when they’re the nearest player in coverage. Indianapolis can beat secondaries in a variety of ways with Pittman, Pierce and Downs, and Jones has been excellent at spreading the ball around, making the Colts’ tendencies difficult to gauge.

5. Pittsburgh’s old defensive formula was to overwhelm offenses with the pass rush, and the Steelers are tied for eighth in the NFL in sacks this season with 22, but the pressure has been far from consistent. Pittsburgh ranks 14th in the league in pressure rate, getting pressure on 35% of dropbacks, and the Colts have been one of the league’s best at avoiding sacks this season, giving up just nine sacks through the first eight games.

6. The edge tandem of T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig drives the Pittsburgh rush. Herbig has 4.5 sacks, Watt has four of his own and the two outside linebackers each have 27 pressures this season, a number that ranks firmly within the top 10. Indianapolis will counter with the excellent tackle tandem of Bernhard Raimann and Braden Smith, who have been solid in pass protection all season long.

7. With Jones at the helm, Indianapolis simply hasn’t turned the ball over this season. The Colts have committed just four turnovers (three interceptions, one fumble), trailing only Philadelphia and Green Bay for the NFL’s top spot. Pittsburgh has forced 10 turnovers, tied for eighth in the NFL and a big reason why the Steelers’ tendency to hemorrhage yards hasn’t hurt them as bad as it could have this season. If Pittsburgh is going to make life tough on this Indianapolis offense, the Steelers are going to have to force a few Jones mistakes, but when Pittsburgh took on the Packers last week, Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love carved up the Steelers instead of turning the ball over.

8. Taylor has forced his way into the MVP discussion this season because he’s been remarkably consistent, producing something special in almost every game. Pittsburgh’s run defense is probably better than its numbers; the Steelers have been solid in five games this season, giving up big days on the ground to only the Jets and Bengals. Taylor’s a different kind of test, though; the Colts superstar leads the NFL with 850 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns even though he’s faced five defenses ranked higher in rush defense than Pittsburgh.

9. With Taylor on the ground and Jones finding Taylor, Warren, Downs and Pittman through the air, the Indianapolis offense has been a nightmare for opposing linebackers this season, and according to the numbers, Pittsburgh’s primary passing tandem of Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson looks ripe for the picking. Queen has allowed a rating of 132.7 when he’s the nearest defender in coverage, and Wilson isn’t far behind at 111.9. Expect Jones to attack the soft underbelly of the Pittsburgh defense as often as possible.

Can the Colts stop Aaron Rodgers?

10. Aaron Rodgers could be a problem for the Indianapolis defense. Decimated by injuries at the cornerback position, the Colts have struggled against the pass this season, ranking 29th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (252.0) even though they’ve been 13th in yards per dropback (6.4). Rodgers has been good, completing 68.3% of his passes, averaging 7.2 yards per attempt and posting a 104.4 quarterback rating while taking just 12 sacks through the first seven games. Green Bay was able to put Rodgers under fire in the second half last week, but the Packers pass rush is far more dominant than Indianapolis has been. Making matters worse, defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is going to have a hard time confusing Rodgers, who has seen just about everything in his career by this point.

11. D.K. Metcalf is a problem for young Colts cornerbacks Mekhi Blackmon, Johnathan Edwards and Cameron Mitchell. Metcalf is volatile, but he’s also racked up 461 yards and five touchdowns on just 27 catches this season, and his combination of size and speed makes the former Seahawk a difficult matchup for any Indianapolis cornerback. If third-year cornerback Jaylon Jones is finally ready to make his defensive debut after missing the first half of the season due to recurring hamstring injuries, he will help, but it will also be his first action of 2025.

12. Indianapolis has Warren at tight end. Pittsburgh has Jonnu Smith (22 catches, 134 yards), Pat Freiermuth (16 catches, 200 yards) and mammoth red-zone target Darnell Washington (9 catches, 84 yards). The Colts have struggled against tight ends, allowing the third-most catches and second-most yards to the position. With Rodgers at the helm, Indianapolis safeties Nick Cross and Camryn Bynum must be on top of their games.

13. Pittsburgh’s running game has been fairly pedestrian this season. Running backs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell are both averaging 4.5 yards per carry, but the Steelers rank just 22nd in the NFL in yards per carry (4.07) and 25th in rushing yards per game (94.3). If Indianapolis can jump on Pittsburgh early, it might take the running game out of it entirely, but if the Colts start a little slow, nose tackle Grover Stewart might be able to take the Pittsburgh running game out of it by himself.

14. The Steelers have been incredible in the red zone, converting 73.68% of their chances into touchdowns, the third-best mark in the league. Indianapolis has been a middling defense in the red zone, allowing scores on 61.54% of its chances to rank 18th, and Anarumo is going to need a plan to limit Rodgers when Pittsburgh starts sniffing the goal line.

Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.

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Indianapolis, IN

Brief anti-ICE protest pops up on East 86th Street in north Indianapolis

Published

11 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Brief anti-ICE protest pops up on East 86th Street in north Indianapolis

Anti-ICE protesters lined up on both sides of East 86th Street, near the Monon Trail crossing, in Indianapolis on the afternoon of Jan. 10, 2026.

The group of roughly 200 people chanted, “this is what democracy looks like” and held up signs as vehicles drove by, with some drivers beeping in support.

“Since President Trump took office for his second term, it’s not normal and we can’t be conditioned anymore,” Peter Moore, a 48-year-old resident of Carmel, told IndyStar when asked why he was attending the protest. “The more we protest, the more of an effect we’re going to gradually have. I’m very encouraged by the response out here.”

More than 1,000 anti-ICE protests are scheduled nationwide for Jan. 10, and Jan. 11, following the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. Good, 37, was shot and killed on Jan. 7 by Jonathan Ross, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement removal officer based in Minnesota.

“We’re seeing U.S. citizens at risk, we’re seeing people’s safety at risk,” said Brittany Miller, 27-year-old Indianapolis resident, when asked why she was attending the protest. “Silence is compliance. If we don’t do something, if we don’t say something , I think we’re headed in a really scary way. If we keep showing up and keep pushing back, there’s power in the people.”

Anti-ICE protesters line up on East 86th Street in Indianapolis

Patti Freeman Dorson, a 69-year-old resident of Indianapolis, talks about why she attended an anti-ICE protest in Indianapolis on Jan. 10, 2026.

Anti-ICE protesters line up on East 86th Street in Indianapolis

Brittany Miller, a 27-year-old resident of Indianapolis, talks about why she joined an anti-ice protest on East 86th Street on Jan. 10, 2026.

Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @Jake_Allen19.

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Indianapolis, IN

How IMPD Chief Chris Bailey will center public safety as Hogsett’s new chief of staff

Published

23 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

How IMPD Chief Chris Bailey will center public safety as Hogsett’s new chief of staff

After more than two decades in law enforcement, IMPD Chief Chris Bailey will move into one of the city’s top civilian roles.
In a sit-down interview, Bailey discussed how public safety is the start of good governance, Statehouse politics and his future political aspirations.
Bailey also discussed what he wants to see in the next Indianapolis police chief.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Chris Bailey says he didn’t see his new job coming.

He expected to remain police chief through the rest of Mayor Joe Hogsett’s third term, digging into IMPD’s core issues as part of a new five-year strategic plan that he oversaw. But after two years leading the police department, Bailey will become Hogsett’s chief of staff Feb. 2, moving from one of the city’s top law enforcement jobs to one of its most influential civilian roles.

The job, also known as chief deputy mayor, has been the source of controversy and repeated turnover. Bailey will be Hogsett’s fourth chief of staff in a decade as mayor.

Former Department of Public Works Director Dan Parker stepped down from the role Dec. 31, halfway through Hogsett’s third term, after more than three years as the mayor’s right-hand man.

The mayor’s first chief of staff, Thomas Cook, quietly resigned in late 2020 after Hogsett discovered Cook’s prohibited sexual relationship with a subordinate. In a 2024 IndyStar article, Lauren Roberts, Caroline Ellert and a third anonymous woman accused Cook of sexual misconduct; Ellert also accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2019. A Marion County grand jury is now investigating city development deals involving Cook, as well as allegations of “unlawful touching.”

In a sit-down interview with IndyStar Jan. 9, Bailey said none of that fraught history gave him pause as he considered the new job. “I’m focused on service and governing,” he said.

To that end, Bailey’s more than two decades of law enforcement experience — starting as an IMPD patrol officer in 1999 and rising through the ranks to become chief in February 2024 — taught him something that he plans to keep top of mind: Good governance starts with public safety.

Bailey also discussed how he will navigate tensions over violent crime between the Democrat-led capital city and the Republican-dominated state legislature, what the city needs in its next police chief and whether he plans to run for political office someday.

Read the full Q&A with Bailey below:

IndyStar’s full Q&A with incoming Chief of Staff Chris Bailey

This conversation has been edited for length, brevity and clarity.

Question: In late December, you told an IndyStar colleague the following: “The average tenure for a police chief is about three years. My goal while I’m here is to do the right thing, and to leave this organization better than I got it.” So you’ve been chief for two years. Was the offer to become chief of staff a surprise? Why leave IMPD now?

Answer: Yeah, it’s a surprise. It wasn’t on my bingo card to be the chief of staff for a major metropolitan city mayor.

But as I contemplated the offer, I think everything in my career, in my life, has set me up for this opportunity, and it’s always been an interest of mine to govern. I did that as a police chief. I wasn’t really a police officer, as a police chief — I was an administrator. I managed a $350 million budget, 1,800 employees responsible for the safety of millions of people that either live or visit and come and go in our city every single day.

My intention when I said ‘yes’ to the mayor to take the police chief’s job was to finish this term as the police chief, and then walk away. But as fate has it, the opportunity came. And after careful reflection and discussions with my family, I thought it would be a great opportunity to help continue my service to the city.

And it will be a different way of serving. How will the ways you try to influence the city’s direction as chief of staff differ from how you did so as police chief?

I think that leadership generally is about people and relationships. And I think I’ve done a good job, from my time as deputy chief of investigations through assistant chief and chief, of building relationships across the political spectrum, across our city, across our state and across our country. [Through] my work with the Major Cities Chiefs Association, I have friendships with chiefs all over the country, and that allows me to have great perspectives and understand things that are happening in whatever city, things that may come here eventually.

A lot of people [make this transition], and I didn’t realize that until one of my close advisers sent me a bunch of articles about all these police chiefs that transfer to city manager, to public safety director, and some even to mayor — which, by the way, I have no interest in. So I’ll just answer that question for you now.

But [there are] skills that you learn in those positions, managing people, navigating obstacles, working through interdepartmental issues. An issue for [the Department of Public Works] is an issue for the police. An issue for [the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services] is an issue for the police. [Working] through those issues has prepared me for this role, and for Mayor Hogsett to see that is truly an honor for me.

On that note, after more than two decades in policing, what perspective will you bring to the mayor’s office about how public policy decided up here on the 25th floor of the City-County Building affects what’s happening on the ground in neighborhoods?

Everything that we do as a government revolves around public safety to start. If you don’t feel safe in your neighborhood, if you don’t feel like a city is safe, then you don’t come here. You don’t visit here. You don’t live here. You don’t raise your family here. You don’t invest your money here.

I think having that perspective helps lead everything else among the priorities that the mayor has: better roads, investments in parks, ending chronic homelessness, removing the barriers for housing, making the price of housing more affordable so people can have a home and then create some generational wealth that comes along with being a homeowner. All those things play a part, with public safety being at the top of that.

As chief of staff, how will you handle the often contentious relationship between the mayor’s office and the state legislature, whose members frequently are talking about intervention in local law enforcement after episodes of violent crime?

I really am going to lean into the example that was set by [former Chief of Staff] Dan Parker. Dan Parker has a great relationship with people at the state on both sides of the aisle, and I think that our shared interests are to make sure that Indianapolis is great.

Same thing with me: I’ve spent a lot of time being apolitical and being focused on doing what’s right and what’s best for the people of this city and working with both sides of the [Indianapolis City-County] Council, with both sides of the General Assembly, to pass bills like the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force bill or to work with the council on a bipartisan effort to help us combat issues related to street takeovers and street racing.

I think when the focus is on governing, which is mine — I am not an elected person — and so my obligation is to every single person who lives, works and visits Indianapolis. Politics play a part in everyday life. I play politics at home with my kids. You can’t escape it. But I’m here to govern and work with people to make Indianapolis better tomorrow than it is today.

Obviously, there’s been some turnover in the chief of staff role. Currently, development contracts involving Hogsett’s first chief of staff, Thomas Cook, are being looked at by a Marion County grand jury. There’s been a lot of strife over the last year and a half regarding Cook’s impact in this role. Did any of that give you pause when you considered taking the role as chief of staff?

No, because my focus is on the city. Everything I have in my life is because of this city. I’m focused on service and governing.

There’s challenges in every single administration and every single agency within any giant enterprise. There’s been steps taken to mitigate issues related to those things, but what I’m focused on now is continuing to push Mayor Hogsett’s agenda forward for the next two years and making sure that the people of Indianapolis have what they need to live in the greatest city in the country, in my opinion.

Moving to your current department: Now IMPD will be without a chief. What do you want to see from the next police chief, and are there any specific people you’ll vouch for to the mayor?

Between myself and [former IMPD Chief Randal Taylor], and my time as assistant chief and now as chief, we’ve spent a really large amount of time creating a deep bench and a leadership legacy within the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. And I’m proud of our team. Any successes that we’ve had in my tenure as a chief … you can give [my team] credit for them, and our officers, our professional staff, and our partnerships in the community and other city enterprises.

So I think we all want someone who is visible, who is supportive, who will listen, who is accessible in the community, who is service-oriented, who understands what our mission is, who understands what the goals are that we’ve worked together on in the last two years. … And there’s someone within our existing team that I think fits that bill. Multiple people.

So the mayor’s choice is going to be very hard. I’ll provide input in all that, and whoever he decides on will be a much better chief than I could ever have imagined.

Do you think it’s important that someone from the current rank and file is promoted from within?

I think at this time, where we are right now, the best candidate to be police chief comes from right here within our department.

During your time as chief, IMPD dealt with some controversies related to outbursts of downtown violence, a number of officers being charged with sex crimes. Are there regrets from your time as police chief that you want the next chief to focus on improving?  

Yeah, those are challenges. Any time you’re dealing with human beings, you’re going to have people that unfortunately step out from under their oath. And those things have to be dealt with. I think what you saw from us is that those things were dealt with, they were dealt with quickly and in the right way. It’s super unfortunate that it happened.

I think I could have done a better job at fixing our recruitment and retention issues. This is a national issue, no doubt. The issues of 2020 and George Floyd and the racial reckoning, and all the things that occurred over the last five years in policing, definitely have impacted people who want to be police not just in Indianapolis, but across the country. There were tremendous investments made by Mayor Hogsett in starting pay in this last labor agreement to push our pay up significantly. And this is a great job if you have a mind for service.

So I want the next chief to really — and it was going to be part of our strategic plan — to dive deeper into hiring practices. The whole process, from start to finish, which includes recruiting and all those things. We had just gotten started in doing some of those things and I have no doubt the next chief will continue those efforts to improve that area.

You said you won’t run for mayor. That’s not in the works. Does this new job mean that you’re thinking of a future in elected office?

I didn’t expect this job, and so I don’t know what the future holds. I may have my fill of governing in the next two years and just want to escape to some deserted island and stare at a palm tree. I don’t know.

I don’t want to box myself into anything, but at this point, I have no desire to run for political office.

Email Indianapolis City Hall Reporter Jordan Smith at JTSmith@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @jordantsmith09 and Bluesky @jordanaccidentally.bsky.social.

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Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis Colts highest and lowest PFF grades on offense in 2025

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Indianapolis Colts highest and lowest PFF grades on offense in 2025

These Colts’ players on offense received the highest and lowest PFF grades over the 2025 NFL season.

With the Indianapolis Colts’ season now behind us, let’s take a look at which players on offense received the highest and lowest grades from Pro Football Focus.

Below is a look at PFF’s grading system for some context. While this metric is very helpful when it comes to quantifying a player’s performance, PFF’s grading system isn’t the be-all and end-all either. It is one metric out of many that are out there.

90.0+: Elite
80-89.9: High quality
70-79.9: Good
60-69.9: Above average
50-59.9: Average
40-49.9: Below average
39.9 or less: Poor

Now, here are the Colts’ five highest graded players on offense from the 2025 NFL season.

Colts’ five highest graded players for 2025 season

LG Quenton Nelson: 84.5
C Tanor Bortolini: 82.6
LT Bernhard Raimann: 82.0
WR Alec Pierce: 79.3
RB Jonathan Taylor

In both pass-blocking efficiency and run-blocking grade, Nelson was one of the highest-rated guards in all of football by PFF’s metrics. Bortolini wasn’t credited with allowing any sacks, but what really boosted his overall grade was his performance as a run-blocker.

Raimann was steady across the board, grading out very well as both a run blocker and pass blocker.

Pierce led the Colts in receiving, totaling over 1,000 yards, and he also led the NFL in yards per catch. Taylor was the NFL’s second-leading rusher this season.

Colts’ three lowest graded players in 2025

OL Dalton Tucker: 39.3
QB Phillip Rivers: 51.0
WR Anthony Gould: 52.0

Tucker’s pass-blocking grade is what brought down his overall grade. He allowed eight pressures and two sacks in just 86 pass-blocking snaps.

Remember at the beginning of this I said take these grades with a grain of salt? Rivers’ grade is an example of that. Overall, he provided the Colts’ with stability at quarterback and kept them in games. However, the late interceptions and lack of explosive plays brought his grade down.

Gould has a very small sample size to pull from, but of his two receptions, he generated just six yards of offense.

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