Veteran Joe Flacco (15) was pressed into service in the first half on Sunday against the Steelers after starter Anthony Richardson left with a hip injury. Flacco, 39, threw two touchdowns to lift Indianapolis over Pittsburgh.
Darron Cummings | AP photo
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Justin Fields (2) made his fourth straight start at quarterback for the Steelers but couldn’t lead them back from an early 17-0 deficit on Sunday.
Michael Conroy | AP photo
INDIANAPOLIS — When the Indianapolis Colts needed Joe Flacco to relieve the injured Anthony Richardson, the 17-year veteran kept it simple.
The 39-year-old Flacco threw two touchdown passes, and the Colts got the stop they needed in the final minute to preserve a 27-24 victory over the previously unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
“You just see the guy and hit him. That’s all you do,” Flacco said after going 16 of 26 for 168 yards. “Some guys like to think about every little thing and that’s how they play best. But I think my personality lends itself to this kind of situation. Just don’t overthink it.”
The one-time Super Bowl MVP and a longtime Steelers nemesis during his 11 seasons with Baltimore proved he could still play at a high level last season when he helped the Cleveland Browns reach the playoffs. Indy signed Flacco as a free agent to back up the injury-prone Richardson.
Richardson left twice in a span of four plays, initially taking a big hit on his right hip and later after a hard hit to the head, both on designed runs. He went straight to the locker room the second time and was ruled out by the time he returned to the sideline.
Coach Shane Steichen had no immediate update on Richardson or running back Jonathan Taylor, who hurt an ankle in the final minutes.
Flacco continued to build on the momentum from Richardson’s fast start and the Colts (2-2) won their second straight overall and second in a row against the Steelers (3-1), who fought back from a 17-0 first-half deficit.
Flacco hooked up with Michael Pittman Jr. six times for 113 yards. He connected with Josh Downs for a 2-yard scoring pass and Drew Ogletree on a 15-yard TD strike to keep Indy ahead. Taylor ran 21 times for 88 yards and scored on Indy’s first series.
“He’s been out there, a veteran presence,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said of Flacco. “Obviously, he’s played a lot of football, went in there and operated pretty darn good.”
The Steelers’ top-ranked defense allowed a season high in points as Pittsburgh’s six-game regular-season winning streak ended.
Justin Fields played well again, running for two second-half scores and finding Pat Freiermuth for an 8-yard TD pass on third-and-goal to get within 27-24 with 3:40 to play. But Pittsburgh couldn’t recover from a botched snap that resulted in a 12-yard loss on its final possession.
Fields was 22 of 34 for 312 yards and ran 10 times for 55 yards but was but was sacked four times and lost a fumble — one of two Pittsburgh turnovers. George Pickens finished with seven receptions for 113 yards and also lost a fumble.
Fields took the blame for the snap that ruined the final drive.
“After I kick my leg up, I have to be ready for the ball. It’s on me,” he said.
Richardson started fast, completing a 32-yard pass on the first play. Taylor’s TD run made it 7-0 with 12:01 left in the first quarter. But for the fourth time in his eight career starts, Richardson failed to finish a game.
Flacco threw a 4-yard TD pass to Josh Downs on his fourth play and then helped set up a 33-yard field goal to give the Colts a 17-3 halftime lead.
When the Colts needed Flacco to make plays late, he mostly succeeded.
After Fields scored on a 5-yard run late in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 17-10, Flacco found Ogletree. After Fields again scored, this time on a 2-yard run, to get the Steelers within 24-17 with 11:23 left, Flacco led the Colts on a 10-play, 54-yard drive that took nearly 5 1/2 minutes and resulted in a 33-yard field goal for 27-17 cushion.
Fields answered with TD pass to Freiermuth and when Flacco couldn’t get the first down he needed to close it out, Indy’s defense got a stop.
“You’re never going to get the (practice) reps,” Flacco said. “You’re just going through the emotional roller coaster on the sideline, and as the backup quarterback you always try to stay ready and stay clam.”
FIELDS MAKES HIS CASE
Even when Fields’ initial plan goes awry, he finds a way to prove he should remain ahead of Russell Wilson on the depth chart.
Fields did it again in Sunday’s loss.
Despite being sacked four times, losing one fumble and blaming himself for the critical botched snap in the final two minutes that led to a game-sealing turnover on downs, Fields gave the Steelers a chance to win.
“It’s something we can control,” Fields said. “It’s coming out on game day and executing. Nothing more than that. It’s not complicated. At the end of the day, we feel like we beat ourselves. We knew we were shooting ourselves in the foot.”
Many observers believe Fields has done enough to be named Pittsburgh’s starter over Wilson, who is recovering from a calf injury and was the emergency third quarterback on Sunday.
Fields has completed 70.6% of his throws for 830 yards with three TD passes and one interception with a passer rating of 98.0.
Still, coach Mike Tomlin has been reticent about making an announcement. Even this week, he said he would only make a decision when it became necessary. For now, it’s not.
Although Tomlin liked the resilience Fields showed Sunday, he wasn’t giving Fields points for effort.
“I’m appreciative of his fight, but I’m not going to congratulate him for it. That’s the nature of the business that we’re in,” Tomlin said. “I appreciate his fight, but he, and me, were a little bit sloppy at times, too sloppy to be able to secure a victory.”
On third-and-10 from Indy’s 33—yard line in the third quarter, Fields tried to avoid the oncoming pass rush by scrambling backward before twisting to make a throw and fumbling. Indy recovered at the Steelers 39 to snuff out the scoring chance.
Then there was the botched snap that cost the Steelers 12 crucial yards on their final possession. Pittsburgh never recovered from a second-and-22 and wound up turning the ball over on downs.
All he can do now is keep playing well and hope Tomlin rewards him for it.
INJURY REPORT
Steelers: RG James Daniels, RB Cordarrelle Patterson and LB Nick Herbig all suffered ankle injuries. Patterson was carted to the locker room.
Colts: Played without three starters — CB Kenny Moore II (hip), DE Kwity Paye (quadriceps) and C Ryan Kely (neck).
STAR POWER
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl champion who attended high school in northwestern Ohio, watched his ex-rival Flacco at Lucas Oil Stadium. Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark also attended.
UP NEXT
Steelers: Host Dallas next Sunday night.
Colts: At Jacksonville next Sunday.