The idiom “a knee jerk reaction” means that you respond to something in an equally unthinking way. That’s something as sports fans that we typically do, and if it’s in an unthinking way then I definitely qualify. Knee jerks apply especially if you are a full blood Yinzer, or even just a part Yinzer, who am I fooling it’s more like if you are a Steeler fan in general. As is the custom, I compile my knee-jerk thoughts and publish them immediately after each Steelers game (my son Kyle might have a few things to say as well). It’s my version of running my mouth first and apologizing later (if at all). So with that being said, it’s time to react to the Steelers Week 15 matchup against the Colts. Let’s get this going, HERE……WE……GO!!!

1st Quarter

• Big Bro has an announcing gig for basketball this week because of the game being on Saturday, so it’s Lil’ Bro Scho getting tapped in this week.
• I can’t decide if I should be nervously optimistic or preparing myself for disappointment.
• I don’t mind the Steelers getting the ball first, but I like it better when it wasn’t their choice. Choosing to do so means they have to come away with points.
• Nice kickoff return to start.
• Najee gets buried for no gain. Not the start you want.
• Trubisky takes the sack on the second play. What a waste of taking the ball to start the game.
• Three and out to start. You choose to take the ball to start like you have something in mind with nine days off and that’s how you start the game? My optimism needle has dropped to zero.
• Colts staying ahead of the sticks and already in Steelers territory.
• There T.J. Watt gets the sack to force a third and long. Here comes the weighty down.
• That’s a big hit by DeMonte Kazee. With the NFL rules these days that pretty much allow any hard hit to be called a penalty, the Steelers are lucky that it wasn’t.
• The Colts go for a 56-yard field goal and shank it left. Steelers start with good field position. The chance to move my optimism needle is still there.
• With the Steelers going against a team who has not done well against the run, they haven’t been able to run the ball.
• The dump off the Freiermuth gives the Steelers their first 1st down of the game.
• Jaylen Warren gives the Steelers their first positive rushing play of the game.
• The Colts knew that screen was coming and almost intercepted it.
• Trubisky has all day to throw and Pickens has the slide and catch to give the Steelers the first down just outside the red zone.
• The needle is starting to budge.
• Another Pickens reception and a tiptoe up the sidelines has the Steelers at first and goal.
• Warren gets the ball down to the one with a great block by Allen Robinson…
• Warren gets it inside the one…
• Trubisky short on the sneak. This is a huge play at the end of the first quarter on fourth and goal inside the one.
• I have no idea what I just saw.
• That was a terrible call to say Trubisky was down. He was across. I guess we have to wait until after the commercial to know what is going on.
• Officials correctly overturn the call and it’s a touchdown for the Steelers. But right as my optimism needle was getting ready to move, Boswell misses his first PAT of the season and it’s 6–0 Steelers.
• Larry O gets the third down sack to end the first quarter! Steelers will get the ball back to start the second up 6–0.

2nd Quarter

• Steelers with another blocked punt! I thought it was a TD for Herbig but it looks like they’re going to rule him short. Connor Heyward was the player to block it.
• The Steelers need to add seven or eight more points in the next few seconds.
• Najee Harris can’t get anything today. How many yards did he just lose from the 1-yard line?
• That’s a touchdown to Diontae Johnson!
• Boswell drives it through this time and the Steelers take a 13–0 lead less than a minute into the second quarter.
• My optimism needle has moved! But I still don’t trust this team quite yet because they’ve burned me in the past. But I want to see how this defense plays with the lead.
• After being inactive last week, Markus Golden gets the pass deflection on first down.
• A significant pass down the middle and a run play later means the Colts are across midfield. Yuck.
• The Colts have one main receiver. How are the Steelers constantly letting him get open? Now they are first and goal. Steelers lose the weighty down.
• T.J. Watt with the big loss. Not sure if that will go as a sack or if they’ll call that a run play.
• Once again the Steelers can’t cover the running back out of the backfield and give up the 16-yard touchdown but also would have had a horse collar tackle anyway. 13-7.
• It’s looking like I wasn’t smart in taking the under.
• Another good return from Igwebuike on the kickoff.
• There’s Najee Harris getting going. Nice pull by Dan Moore and Harris picks up about 15 yards to start the drive.
• Trubisky gets sacked again but an obvious defensive holding gives the Steelers first and 10 in Colts territory.
• Jaylen Warren rips a big run but there’s a flag. Mason Cole with a hold that wouldn’t have affected it being a big gain.
• Trubisky takes a deep shot to Pickens but the defender out-jumps him and has the interception.
• I thought Pickens got bumped before he had a chance to go up and get it. But they’re not calling that kind of stuff today.
• Kazee with the killer hit. It deserves to be a penalty. Kazee gets ejected.
• Oh no. Minkah is down.
• Steelers lose safeties on back-to-back plays.
• Colts convert the fourth down and are on the edge of the red zone. This beat up Steelers defense looks to be in trouble.
• Once again, the Steelers can’t cover the running backs in the passing game and the defense surrenders a touchdown off the turnover. Or maybe not.
• The knee was down short. Can the Steelers get to stop on third down?
• Colts pass it on third down from the 1-yard line and it’s incomplete. Now what?
• Levi Wallace should have given up a touchdown but the receiver can’t catch it and the Steelers get the goal-line stop. No points surrendered off the turnover. Still 13–7.
• Najee flies forward, but the defender make him fly backwards. That’s a nice hit.
• Steelers get the third down conversion with the Johnson catch even though there was a pass interference call. That could have gone either way.
• Freiermuth was wide open and Trubisky throws it behind him and now they have to punt. That’s a play that could loom large depending on what the defense can do in this last minute.
• One play and the Colts gain over 30 yards.
• Porter gets called for PI on the next play and the Colts are back in the red zone.
• That should have been a touchdown.
• It took the Colts four plays to go 76 yards. Technically it was only three because the 26 yard penalty doesn’t count as a play. And because the Steelers can’t convert an easy third down pass the Colts take the lead 14–13 and get the ball to start the second half.
• If Trubisky is just going to throw it off his back foot, just take a knee.
• Not sure what happened there. But the Steelers are down one point at the half. With the Steelers defense decimated in the middle of the field on the second and third level, my optimism needle is almost buried at zero again.

3rd Quarter

• The defense has to do something this first drive to start the half.
• The defense gets a three and out. Now the offense needs to get it done but they will be starting at their own 10-yard line.
• Najee Harris was lucky to get positive yards as Freiermuth can’t make the block. And it looks like that’s a fumble.
• So the Steelers have one offensive play and turn it over to the Colts in the red zone.
• The very next play they give up a touchdown. Mark Robinson will likely never be able to cover a play like that. 21-13.
• Last week the Steelers had a stretch where they were outscored 21–3. This week it’s 21–0 and blowing a 13–0 lead.
• What a response by the Steelers offense. They go three and out and have negative yards because of a third-down sack. And now the Colts have the ball just shy of midfield.
• The Colts rip a big run on first down and are at the 20. Plus Trenton Thompson gets hurt so there’s another safety down.
• Miles Killebrew is the only safety left.
• Porter rips one out or it’s another Colts touchdown.
• It’s fourth and one at the 11 and the Colts are going for the field goal. This is smart to go up two scores.
• Colts lead 24–13. There’s a lot of time left in this game, but with my optimism needle bottomed out it only feels like there’s more time for the Colts to have a blowout win.
• Steelers start this drive with a 10 yard penalty. After gaining some yards they get another decent play but it gets called back for a 10-yard penalty.
• What will the Steelers do on third and 20?
• Trubisky steps up into the pocket and throws it for the first down.
• Steelers face another third down in Colts territory. They’ve got to get points on this drive.
• Dangerous pass should have been picked, but there’s a flag. It’s another hold on the Steelers and the Colts accept it to force them out of field goal range.
• I have no problem with them calling that hold on Dan Moore. I just want them to make the same call when that happens to T.J. Watt.
• The throw goes to nobody and the Steelers opt to punt it rather than go for the 57-yarder. Talk about waving the white flag.
• Your defense is decimated. They’ll be doing good to only give up field goals the rest of the way. You can’t punt the ball there.
• Colts just running the ball and running out the clock. That ends the third quarter with the Steelers down 24–13.

4th Quarter

• Third down? Doesn’t matter. Colts are owning the line of scrimmage.
• If the Colts runner gets passed the defensive front, he’s home free. That’s the only defense the Steelers have left.
• It’s been all runs on this drive. Now it’s third and four. What will the Colts do? Run for the first down.
• Now it’s third and six. Will the Colts run again? They throw their first pass of the series and it’s incomplete. So they settle for a field goal and it’s 27–13.
• The Colts held the ball for almost 9 minutes and got three points. How many times are Steelers fans going to say this game is over?
• The Steelers scored 13 points in the first 16 minutes of the game. For the next 35 minutes they have nothing.
• Broderick Jones lost that one and the sack forces third and long.
• First a false start, then a minimal gain. Fourth and nine coming.
• Trubisky hits Johnson for the conversion.
• It’s another throw off his back foot and Trubisky overthrows Pickens for an easy INT.
• If the Steelers get it back, it looks like it’s Rudolph time.
• The Colts miss another field goal so it’s still mathematically possible to come back, just not realistic.
• Rudolph’s first pass goes for hey 3 yard loss. There’s two minutes left to get through this agony.
• The third down pass is nowhere close. Fourth and seven upcoming.
• And Rudolph gets sacked to give the ball back. Please don’t call any timeouts Steelers. Just let them take a knee.
• Really? A timeout?
• The timeouts means three more points for the Colts. Now it’s 30-13 with 30 straight points given up.
• Two Warren runs and this thing is finally over. Steelers are now back in a familiar place- needing help. But this team would be doing good to win another game in their last three. They are who they are.

Once again, I just fired off what was going through my head at the time. All reactions were in real time. Basically, it is the equivalent of watching the game with a me and Kyle, you just don’t have to go to another room because of my screaming at the television (sometimes Kyle leaves the room). Now time to process it, some quick analyzing for the Scho Bro Show, and then put it behind me as we move toward, Week 16 and the Bengals. Make sure you get your voice heard in the comments below.