The Pittsburgh Steelers have a very important game coming up in Week 5 as the Indianapolis Colts are coming to town. This same matchup occurred at the same venue during the 2025 season, and the Steelers were able to win that game pretty handily -- even though the final score of 27-20 doesn't necessarily reflect that. The Steelers need to win this game to get back above .500, and there is also a chance that both of these teams could be competing for a spot in the playoffs near the end of the regular season. This head-to-head matchup can prove to be very consequential down the line.
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Quarterback Aaron Rodgers delivers a pass during the Steelers' 27-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season.
Aaron Rodgers has had a pretty up and down season so far in 2026. He has been able to find some success, but he has not been protected well overall. He has been under constant duress, and the receivers for Pittsburgh have struggled to get open against man coverage. The pressure, plus the lack of open receivers has made Rodgers' life much harder in the pocket, and that is an area the offense has needed to focus on improving.
ESPN's Seth Walder doesn't see pressure being an issue for Rodgers in Week 5 against the Colts, which means he could be set up to have one of his best games as a Steelers. When he has time to operate he usually makes things happen, and that should be the case this Sunday. Walder wrote about how he doesn't believe the Colts have the players to get to Rodgers.
"Rodgers will not take a single QB hit," Walder wrote. "The veteran actually isn't getting rid of the ball lightning-quick this season like he did last year, but the Colts have the worst pass rush win rate in the league. I think Rodgers could have a comfortable day, especially if the Steelers get out to a lead."
Rodgers would love to not take a single hit from the Colts' defense, especially after getting pummeled in Pittsburgh's last game against the Browns. The veteran quarterback was sacked five times when taking on Cleveland, and he was hit 10 times in total during the game. That is not sustainable for a 42-year old quarterback, but thankfully he should have time to throw in Week 5.
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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks at the sideline during Week 4 matchup against the Browns on Thursday night in October 2026.
Rodgers was pressured a ton against Cleveland as mentioned, but the pressure also got to him because the Browns played a ton of man coverage. In 2026, the Colts run man coverage below 30 percent of the time, but that might change this week after seeing how the Steelers struggled against the Browns. The Colts do have two former All-Pros at cornerback in Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward, so it could be a challenging day for the wide receivers for Pittsburgh.
Indianapolis' supposed weakness is at inside linebacker and safety, which could mean both tight ends for Pittsburgh may have strong outings.
Steelers Have No Excuse To Lose To The Colts
Pittsburgh has a ton of advantages over the Colts heading into this matchup. The lack of a pass rush for the Colts is near the top of that list. The longer it takes a rush to get home, the more time wide receivers have to get open down the field. Rodgers should be able to have a productive day. On top of that, the Colts played in London last week. Indianapolis was on another continent a week ago and is being forced to play an away game just seven days later, pair that with the fact that the Steelers are coming in off of an extended week of rest, and it is obvious that the Colts are being messed with by the schedule makers. The Steelers need to win this game as everything is playing into their favor.
What do you expect from Rodgers against the Colts defense on Sunday? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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