Steelers’ Big Week 4 Matchup Against Colts Has Massive Implications

Most NFL pundits didn't have the Pittsburgh Steelers sitting at 3-0 with the other three AFC North teams combining for two total wins through the first three weeks of the 2024 regular season. It has been a solid mix of incredible defense, reliable special teams play, and a nearly turnover-free offense. All have put the team in a position to be in the driver's seat in a jam-packed division. With a very difficult eight-game stretch to end the year, it was critical for the franchise to start off hot in September. It has done just that, but there is plenty of work to be done.

With 14 more regular season games still to be played, some may believe that it is much too early to be talking about the Steelers being a legitimate contender in the AFC. The main thing that could get Mike Tomlin's squad into more of the conversation is continuing the trend of playing winning football, which leads the fan base to look ahead to a Week 4 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts sit at 1-2, but demolished the Mitch Trubisky-led Steelers by a score of 30-13 in 2023. Pittsburgh will look to go back to Indianapolis and avenge that loss as the defense prepares to face Anthony Richardson for the first time in the young quarterback's career. This matchup is more than Tomlin and co. just looking to stay undefeated on the 2024 season, however.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to determine that the other two undefeated teams in the AFC, the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, have more dynamic offenses than Pittsburgh does. It has looked better in the Steel City with Arthur Smith running the show and Justin Fields at quarterback, but potentially having a home game in the playoffs against one of those two organizations could make a massive difference looking down the line.

Everyone wants to be undefeated, but it's unrealistic in today's NFL. This is why if fans are going to come to grips with a loss, it would preferably be one that occurs to a team in the NFC. Pittsburgh, early on, currently has the tie-breaker over the Bills and Chiefs due to strength of victory, but a start to the season of 3-0 in the AFC would be a huge leap forward to being in the conversation for home-field advantage come January.

One of the biggest problems during the Steelers' two postseason appearances since 2021 was the fact that both Wild Card games came on the road. It would be beneficial for the organization to be able to host at least one, or multiple, playoff contests at Acrisure Stadium once the regular season wraps up and the single-elimination tournament begins.

It might be looked at as too early to consider such scenarios, but a 4-0 start to pair with three early wins in the conference is exactly what Pittsburgh needs if its going to have a chance entering a rough end-of-season stretch. No one is handing out the one seed to Tomlin's team yet, or anytime soon, but an in-conference matchup versus a beatable opponent in Indianapolis is one a group doesn't want to have to look back at as a bad loss when seeding is determined.

Steelers Took Big Step In Week 3

While it's still way too early to focus solely on playoff implications, Pittsburgh took a big step forward against the Los Angeles Chargers. The team's eyes are set on the divisional crown, but it sure is nice to know that it has a full game up on the Chargers when it comes to any kind of head-to-head tiebreaker. Conference matchups are imperative and a 3-0 start in the AFC could prove to be a huge difference-maker late in the season.

Do you think the Steelers will beat the Colts in Week 4? Let us know in the comments below!

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