Indianapolis, IN
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.
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Colts vs. Atlanta Falcons prediction, pick for NFL Week 10 on Sunday 11/09/25
Dan Johnson takes you through his preview, prediction, and pick for NFL Week 10’s game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons.
Berlin finally gets its first regular-season NFL game at Olympiastadion, with Indianapolis designated as the host for a true neutral-site theater. The kick lands at 3:30 p.m. local—a breakfast window here at home, crisply stamped for 9:30 a.m. ET—so coffee meets kickoff while two seasons ask to be defined. The place will pulse: at least 72,000 in the bowl after million-plus ticket requests turned the week into a citywide event. The surface won’t steal the script, either, because a stitched hybrid bluegrass field went in this summer to meet NFL specifications. Atlanta arrives having reset at kicker to steady late-game decisions, while Indianapolis leans into the “host” cadence and a stage designed to feel like January. Atlanta’s late-week pivot to Zane Gonzalez after Parker Romo’s missed extra point resets fourth-down calculus and red-zone nerve. Indianapolis arrives off a 27–20 defeat scarred by six turnovers and an utterly and horrifically human Daniel Jones, sharpening a ball-security mandate on Berlin’s fast, trustworthy surface. Below is my prediction for NFL Week 10’s game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons.
Here’s how I’ll play it. I’ll be pumping out these predictions for individual games all season, with plenty of coverage here on DraftKings Network. Follow my handle @dansby_edits for more betting plays.
The edges start where film meets math. Atlanta brings heat at 52.2% with a 39.9% pressure rate, a 53.5% pass-rush win rate, and twenty-four sacks. Indianapolis answers with 25.3% pressure allowed and nine sacks surrendered, so protection governs cadence before snap one. The Colts rank fourth in neutral pass rate and keep calling it if the score stays tight. Coverage tilts the route tree because Atlanta lives in 75.8% zone and only 21.0% man. Drake London punishes zone with 191 routes for forty and five-thirty-four, while man has yielded seven for fifty-three on fifty-six routes. Indianapolis toggles roughly one-quarter man and two-thirds zone and squeezes man explosives to 11.8% with a 37.0% first-down or touchdown clip.
Alec Pierce led targets last week and owns a 20.4 aDOT, while other primary options sit below 9.0. That depth forces a safety to honor the roof and frees Michael Pittman Jr. to carve glance, dig, and deep out. Against man sprinkles, Pittman sits at eleven for one-oh-five on sixty-one routes, while Pierce owns six for one-twenty-two on fifty-four. Sauce Gardner’s arrival tightens third downs and red-zone leverage, letting Indianapolis keep a safety honest and choke stagnant isolations. Atlanta must earn releases through motion, stacks, and bunch, then pivot to crossers and backs underneath.
Jonathan Taylor carries an RB1 projection on a 113.5 total-yards baseline and fits duo and inside-zone into light boxes. Indianapolis sustains 383.3 yards per game and keeps second-and-manageable alive. Atlanta counters with Bijan Robinson’s outlet access because Indianapolis has allowed forty-one catches and two-seventy-three to backs. Availability trims ceilings both ways: DeForest Buckner sits out, while Matthew Bergeron and Storm Norton are out and Chris Lindstrom battled late-week limitations, with Kaleb McGary on injured reserve. Zane Gonzalez replaces the kicker after a one-point loss and brings an 80.0% career rate with a long of fifty-seven. Indianapolis arrives off six turnovers that should regress toward a cleaner sheet. In this exchange, third-and-four becomes the truth test, not third-and-ten.
Falcons vs. Colts pick, best bet
The counterargument wears pads and breathes fire. Atlanta can squeeze play-action depth and pull a premium projection down into the mid-twenties; a 43% pass-rush win rate (6th) attacking a line with a 57% pass-block win rate (25th), paired with −0.02 defensive EPA/play and a 44.69% success rate allowed, creates honest turbulence. Drake London keeps chains alive when coverages soften; Atlanta sits in zone on roughly 76% of snaps, and he leads the team with 10.13 targets per game and 587 receiving yards. A stable first swing from Zane Gonzalez can also calm the fringes; he carries an 80.0% career field-goal clip on 96 of 120 with a long of 57. Third-down defense lives in the top-ten band at about 36% allowed, which drags snap counts if first-down runs land. That path gains credibility with Indianapolis’ four-man rush trimmed by absences: the defense sits at −0.04 EPA/play with a 6.68% sack rate, and DeForest Buckner is out.
I still back Indianapolis because stability beats volatility on neutral grass. The Colts anchor the plan with 25.3% pressure allowed and only nine sacks; that protection marries to an offense at 0.18 EPA/play (1st) with a 50.09% success rate and a 4.29% sack rate. The coverage menu answers both zone spacing and man emergencies, and Sauce Gardner now erases the opponent’s best access point on money downs; the defense has allowed 45.63% success, posted a 2.57% interception rate, and historically held man-look explosives to 11.8%. Identity shows up everywhere: a top-tier neutral pass rate and a 27.5 team total, plus 32.2 points per game and 383.3 yards per game (2nd). Atlanta’s interior strain meets a defense comfortable heating pockets and spot-dropping behind it; with zone near 76%, a 43% rush win rate, and a 29.4 seconds-per-snap pace that suppresses volume when trailing, the Falcons must thread a thinner needle. Indianapolis can keep stacking second-and-manageable and win the possession math; the Colts’ third-down offense grades in the top-ten neighborhood and the red-zone touchdown rate sits at 71.4% (5th).
I’m laying the points with Indianapolis; a 25.3% pressure-allowed spine and Sauce Gardner’s clamps flip third downs and red-zone truth. A fourth-ranked neutral pass rate and 71.4% red-zone touchdowns sustain drives on neutral grass while Atlanta chases answers. Colts −6.5 is the bet, 27–19 on my card, with steady chains, fewer negative plays, and Alec Pierce’s depth keeping safeties stretched.
Final: Colts 27, Falcons 19. Colts win big in Berlin.
Best bet: Colts -6.5 (-110) vs. Falcons
Tail it with me in the DKN Betting Group here!
For a prop lean, I’m playing Bijan Robinson 6+ receptions at +140 fits the geometry and the math. Indianapolis has allowed 41 running-back catches for 273 yards, about 5.1 targets per game to backs, and they toggle 23.8% man with 68.4% zone that encourages swings and arrows over stubborn boundary shots. Sauce Gardner’s arrival tightens outside access, so Atlanta should funnel early-down rhythm to Robinson and lean on designed screens when Indianapolis sits in shell. The morning stage rewards patience, and Atlanta’s 29.4 seconds per snap sustains outlet volume when chasing possessions. Robinson just drew 10 targets and caught 8 last week, a usage spike that matches this environment. With a spread hovering near Colts −6.5, two-minute sequences should add another look or two late. At 7–8 targets, last week’s 80% catch clip yields 5.6–6.4 receptions, which clears 6+ often enough to justify +140.
Best prop lean: Bijan Robinson 6+ receptions (+140)
Tail it with me in the DKN Betting Group here!
Indianapolis, IN
Colts Get Adonai Mitchell Replacement, Elevate Two Others
The Indianapolis Colts have made three roster moves ahead of a cross-conference matchup with the Atlanta Falcons.
Wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, defensive end Durell Nchami, and defensive tackle Tim Smith were all elevated from the practice squad to the active roster.
we have signed WR Laquon Treadwell to the 53-man roster from the practice squad; elevated DE Durell Nchami and DT Tim Smith to the active roster from the practice squad for #ATLvsIND. https://t.co/ilbb8DnmoZ
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) November 8, 2025
Nchami has seen very limited action, accumulating two tackles in as many games played. With Samson Ebukam and Tyquan Lewis out for this game, it makes perfect sense to bring more depth.
We’ll see what kind of impact Nchami has on the defense and if he gets an opportunity to play in a rotation with Laiatu Latu, J.T. Tuimoloau, and Kwity Paye.
Next is Indy’s sixth-round selection (190th overall) from the 2025 NFL draft, former Alabama Crimson Tide defensive tackle Smith.
Smith had moments where he shined during the preseason but ultimately landed on the Colts’ practice squad.
After superstar defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury, elevating Smith is a smart move to keep the depth solid.
Smith will join Grover Stewart, Adetomiwa Adebawore, Neville Gallimore, and Eric Johnson II to try to control the inside gaps against a Falcons offense that will focus on attacking with the ground game.
However, even with solid talent behind star Stewart, Buckner’s absence will leave a massive target on the Indy defensive line for the Falcons to try to exploit.
The #Colts are placing DT DeForest Buckner on IR with a neck injury. Very significant loss.
He’s out at least four games. pic.twitter.com/1kB7wm8DGE
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 7, 2025
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Lastly, veteran Treadwell was elevated to fill the roster spot left behind by Adonai Mitchell. The former second-rounder was part of the blockbuster trade that brought cornerback Sauce Gardner to the team.
Mitchell and two first-rounders (2026 and 2027) were dealt to the Jets to get the dynamic, All-Pro level cornerback to Lou Anarumo’s defense.
Treadwell hasn’t had the career that a first-rounder should (drafted in 2016 – 23rd overall pick), but at this point, he doesn’t need to be given what Indianapolis has offensively.
While Treadwell isn’t a game-changer, and doesn’t have the skills and explosiveness that Mitchell did, he far outpaces him in experience and reps.
Treadwell has played for a decade in the NFL and compiled 85 games (24 starts). During that time he’s secured 111 catches on 178 targets for 1,242 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
It will be interesting to see if the offense really changes much without Mitchell, and how he performs with a badly struggling Jets squad moving forward.
Indianapolis is coming off a horrific offensive showing against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where quarterback Daniel Jones coughed up a whopping five turnovers.
This is a get-right game, but won’t be as easy without Buckner on the defensive side of the ball. Anarumo, yet again, must traverse key injuries. But, that hasnt’ slowed him down much this season.
Keep an eye on Nchami, Smith, and Treadwell, as with so many injuries and departures, they all might get some snaps in this one when kickoff occurs in Berlin tomorrow morning.
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Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis colleges, universities have food pantries for students
With SNAP benefits still up in the air, many people are looking for ways to get food for free to fill the gap.
That includes college students. A 2020 federal survey found that about a quarter of U.S. college students are food insecure, meaning they either have no access or limited access to healthy food.
Local universities are aiming to address that gap with campus food pantries.
Here’s where Indy students can find food at their schools:
IU Indianapolis
IU Indy students can get free food at the university food pantry, called Paws’ Pantry.
To make an appointment, log into this online portal and sign in with your IU login information.
Students and staff can visit the pantry once a week. Appointment slots are available one week in advance and will close 24 hours before the pantry opens — for example, availability for a Wednesday appointment will close Tuesday at 11 a.m. The pantry is open Tuesday-Thursday.
When you get to the pantry, you’ll be able to shop for 15 minutes. Bring your IU Crimson Card with you to the appointment.
If you need food immediately and can’t make an appointment, email jagsfood@iu.edu. The pantry will provide an emergency one-time bag of food.
If you go: PAWS Pantry, located in Room 130 of the Campus Center, 420 University Blvd. The pantry is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and noon to 6 p.m. Thursday.
Ivy Tech
Ivy Tech students and employees can get food at both the main Indianapolis campus near downtown and the location in Lawrence.
Students and staff can shop once every two weeks at either pantry. But because demand has increased a lot this semester, options for available food might vary day to day. You do not need to make an appointment.
If you go: Students can shop from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday at the Bear Necessities food pantry, located in Room 414 of the North Meridian Center, 50 W. Fall Creek Parkway North Drive. The Lawrence food pantry is located in room 376 and open twice a month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For the rest of the year, the pantry is open Nov. 13, Dec. 4 and Dec. 9.
For more information, email indianapolis-ivycares@ivytech.edu.
Butler University
Butler’s food pantry is located in Atherton Union Room 301 and is open for all Butler students.
The pantry provides shelf-stable foods and a limited number of meal swipes for the dining program.
If you go: The pantry is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays.
Marian University
Marian’s food pantry, called Knightro’s Pantry, is located in Clare Hall and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
There’s no limit to the number of items a student can choose, according to the website.
If you go: Shop from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m in Clare Hall. For more information, email jmayo1@marian.edu.
UIndy
UIndy’s food pantry is open to students, staff and faculty at the University of Indianapolis.
Students should make an appointment online to shop at the food pantry, located inside the campus chapel, at their assigned time.
The pantry offers non-perishable food on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you go: Make an appointment online using this Google form. The pantry is located inside University Height United Methodist Church, 4002 Otterbein Ave., Door 1.
This story may be updated with additional information and resources.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, on most social media @clairerafford or on Signal 317-759-0429.
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