Steelers struggle, but Ben saves win
INDIANAPOLIS — Ben Roethlisberger’s old game plan still works.
Pittsburgh’s quarterback kept taking shots yesterday, and eventually the Steelers’ playmakers broke through. Roethlisberger threw two second-half touchdown passes to erase a 14-point deficit and then hooked up with Antonio Brown on a 32-yard completion with 35 seconds left to set up Chris Boswell’s 33-yard field goal as time expired for a 20-17 victory at Indianapolis.
Roethlisberger made sure the Steelers (7-2) got out of town on time with a fourth straight win, padding their AFC North lead on Baltimore. Aside from the second-half comeback and frantic finish, things didn’t exactly go according to script.
Brown, the league’s top receiver, only caught three passes for 47 yards. Bell, the league’s No. 3 rusher, finished with 80 yards on 26 carries, and Roethlisberger wound up 19-of-31 for 236 yards after being picked off on the second play of the game.
And the Steelers never led until the final play.
But when it mattered most, Roethlisberger played his best ball, methodically moving around and buying just enough time to pick apart the Colts’ young secondary. It was no match for the 35-year-old comeback master.
The Colts (3-7) have lost five straight to the Steelers, this one perhaps being the flummoxing yet. They appeared to be in control after Jacoby Brissett threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to Donte Moncrief early in the second quarter and a 61-yard TD pass to Chester Rogers just our plays into the third quarter to make it 17-3, but Roethlisberger came right back.
Brissett didn’t take postgame questions because he was still being evaluated for a head injury by team doctors. He was cleared through the NFL’s concussion protocol late in the third quarter, after he took a shot to the head from Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier on a 3-yard run.
Team officials said Brissett was initially evaluated for a concussion on the sideline twice — once with team doctors and once by the unaffiliated neurological consultant. He passed both times. Then, after the game, he developed concussion-like symptoms again and returned to the protocol.
Brissett finished the game, winding up 14-of-24 for 222 yards with two TD passes and one interception despite getting sacked three more times.