The Pittsburgh Steelers Week 4 matchup will see them travel to Lucas Oil Stadium to take on Anthony Richardson and the Indianapolis Colts. Heading into the Steelers-Colts game, Pittsburgh has surprised the league in the early going and hold a 3-0 record, while Indianapolis is sitting at 1-2. Ahead of this key matchup for both teams, let’s look at some Steelers Week 4 predictions.
If the Steelers can improve to 4-0, they’ll emerge as one of the best teams in the NFL and will be in a strong position to make a push for the playoffs in the second half of the season. With that being said, here are our bold Steelers Week 4 predictions.
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Steelers hold Anthony Richardson to under 200 passing yards, pick him off twice
Anthony Richardson is a talented quarterback, but he has struggled to put it all together this year. Even with several highlight-reel plays, including a near 70-yard throw, he just hasn’t done enough in the big picture to justify himself as a capable NFL quarterback. He struggles to complete passes consistently and still doesn’t always make the right read.
Richardson can sometimes get deceived by a clever defensive scheme, and he trusts his arm talent to a fault. This means he can get lured into attempting risky throws that backfire more often than not. Richardson also sometimes struggles to sense pressure and know the proper move to avoid it. He’ll step up into the pocket right as it’s about to collapse or bail out far earlier than necessary.
The Steelers might just have the best defense in all of football. They certainly have a terrifying pass rush led by TJ Watt and the seemingly ageless Cam Heyward. Watt seems like an annual threat to set a new mark for the single-season sack record, while Heyward just knows how to play the game and always puts himself in position to make an impact play.
The Steelers’ secondary is nothing to sneeze at, either. This isn’t the same secondary that the team had during the Killer B’s era which was consistently a weak point and would give up big plays to seemingly any receiver that may be starting against them.
Minkah Fitzpatrick is a legitimate shutdown centerfielder at the safety position who can completely erase the middle of the field from an opposing offense's game plan.
On the outside, Joey Porter Jr. is quickly establishing himself as an elite number-one boundary receiver who can shut down the best wide receivers in the league week in and week out. Porter Jr. hasn’t had a ton of opportunities for interceptions, primarily because most quarterbacks are wise enough to avoid throwing the ball in his direction.
Porter Jr.’s ability to erase the other teams' best receiver will impact Richardson‘s passing yardage, and Fitzpatrick is an athletic and intelligent ballhawk who should be able to bait him into poor throws throughout the game. Don’t be surprised if the Steelers have two or even three interceptions this week against Richardson, while limiting him to fewer than 200 passing yards.
Justin Fields has his best passing game of the season, pulls off his Lamar Jackson impression
Justin Fields has been showing consistent week-over-week improvement in the Steel City, and there’s every reason to think that will continue against the Colts in Week 4. The Steelers appear to be slowly opening the playbook more and more for the former Chicago Bears’ signal caller, and Fields could easily have the best game of his career. He has demonstrated the ability to make big-time NFL throws that only a handful of quarterbacks can make, and he’s cut down on his mistakes.
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Fields is still a dual-threat quarterback, though, and he would be remiss not to use his legs to help his team win. He is a Lamar Jackson-level athlete who has had several 50+ yard runs in his career and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him put one or two of those on film this week.
Fields could conceivably have 400 yards of total offense this week, with 300 or more coming through the air and another hundred or so on the ground. If he can approach these numbers, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the rising star find the promised land three or four times.
George Pickens destroys the Colts' secondary with 200+ receiving yards
George Pickens is a supremely talented receiver who is still building a rapport with Fields. The potential they have together should be terrifying for the rest of the league, though. Pickens is at his best getting deep down the field for splash plays, and Fields has an absolute cannon on his right shoulder and is capable of throwing the ball 60+ yards in the air.
If these two can connect for two or three explosive plays of 40 or 50 yards or more, Pickens could conceivably make a run at 200 yards in this game. He hasn’t found the end zone this season, but, as the old baseball saying goes, that just means he’s due. Look for Pickens to break out in a major way against the Colts as his connection with Fields continues to grow and both young players flourish together.
