Colts Slide in Power Rankings After Another AFC Loss

The Indianapolis Colts (2-3) delivered an uninspiring road performance last week, losing 34-22 to the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2).

After two straight wins in which their defense performed better than in their early-season woes, the group regressed to lackluster tackling, which spawned multiple long touchdowns. Steelers running back Jaylen Warren became the first player since 1986 (40 years!) to have an 80-yard receiving touchdown and a 50-yard rushing touchdown in the same game.

Overall, the performance was a sobering reminder of who this Colts team is, earning them the No. 24 rank in ESPN's latest NFL power rankings. It's two spots down from last week's No. 22, now just above the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans, and Miami Dolphins.

Heading into Sunday's game, everyone knew another trip to Pittsburgh would be a tough matchup. The Colts haven't won there since 2008, and they lost there last year after turning the ball over six times.

That game actually sparked a trend in quarterback Daniel Jones for the first time since joining the Colts, and that was turning the ball over with unreasonable frequency.

While Pittsburgh is a tough place to win, especially for the Colts, the Steelers weren't doing well heading into this year's game, having lost two of their last three. The common outside thought was that if Jones could just take care of the ball, the Colts could pull off the win.

Well, Jones didn't commit any turnovers and was sacked only once, but the Colts still lost by two scores.

While the Colts remain without top receiver Alec Pierce, they have not established any vertical threat to their passing game, allowing defenses to load up the box and focus on superstar running back Jonathan Taylor.

The Pittsburgh front held Indy to just 66 yards and a touchdown on the ground on 24 carries (2.8 avg.). Taylor finished with 15 carries for 45 yards (3.0 avg.), but if not for a 20-yard run in the fourth quarter, those numbers change to 14 carries for 25 yards (1.8 avg.).

Defensively, the Colts' tackling issues have been a factor in their three losses to the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, and Steelers.

"The Colts have a litany of issues on defense, but tackling is a fundamental problem that affects many areas," ESPN's Stephen Holder wrote. "Consider: They rank 28th in yards allowed after contact (482). That showed up repeatedly Sunday, including on a 50-yard touchdown run from Steelers running back Jaylen Warren. It's not a coincidence the Colts are 31st in the league in yards allowed per play (6.2). Most responsible for this issue are the team's underwhelming linebackers."

Issues with tackling have been a common topic of discussion from the media to Colts coaches and players since the game, from the postgame locker room, through the week of media availability.

It's the defense's chief focus to fix moving forward, and it starts this Sunday back at home against the Titans.

The Colts host the Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX.