Steelers hold off the Colts

Time management, execution pose issues for Indianapolis at the end of the game.

INDIANAPOLIS — Benny Snell Jr. kept waiting for his first carry of the season.

When he finally got the chance, in Week 12 during prime time, Snell showed everyone what he could do.

He ran for 62 yards, scored the go-ahead touchdown with 9:55 left and then watched as his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates fended off a last-minute comeback bid to beat the Indianapolis Colts 24-17 on Monday night.

“We go to any guy wearing a helmet,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “He was on the punt team coming in and sometimes you get battlefield promoted.”

The Steelers (4-7) didn’t have much of a choice after Najee Harris limped off the field in the first half. Harris was ruled out with an abdominal injury, and Snell took over.

He carried 12 times, produced his highest rushing total since an 84-yard game on Dec. 21, 2020, and with the Steelers trailing 17-16 and hundreds or thousands of Terrible Towels waving on third and goal, Snell found an open lane to the end zone. Kenny Pickett threw to George Pickens for the twopoint conversion to make it 24-17.

Pittsburgh’s eighth straight win in this lopsided series allowed the Steelers to match San Francisco for the most Monday night victories in league history (52). The 49ers had edged in front last week when they beat Arizona in Mexico City.

Matt Ryan drove the Colts (4-7-1) into position to score, but they let a minute run off the clock in a span of three plays in Steelers territory, finally using their first timeout on fourth down with 30 seconds remaining. Ryan then threw incomplete to Parris Campbell on fourth and three from the Steelers 26.