Payton Wilson just finished his second week as the Pittsburgh Steelers' special teams captain. Sure enough, Wilson made a tackle on special teams on Sunday.

However, the second-year inside linebacker was most special on defense as he helped spearhead the Steelers' 27-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts at Acrisure Stadium. The Colts entered the game leading the NFL in scoring and total offense, but the Steelers held them to just two touchdowns.

Wilson had 13 tackles on defense, intercepted a pass, and defended two other throws. One of his defended passes was a tipped ball that resulted in an interception by rookie inside linebacker Jack Sawyer.

Wilson helped the Steelers have six takeaways – three interceptions and three fumble recoveries --- after they had none in the previous three games. Yet on a day filled with splash plays, Wilson was his team's best defender and played a key part in the Steelers limiting league rushing leader Jonathan Taylor to 45 yards on 14 carries.

"He's a heck of a player," Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith said of Wilson. "He's getting better week in and week out. For him to make the plays that he did today, and also being our special teams captain, shows how he's grown as a player and as a leader. He's a special player for us."

Wilson leads the Steelers in tackles with 70 despite starting just four of eight games this season. He also has five tackles for loss and one sack. Wilson replaced Miles Killebrew as the special teams captain after the two-time Pro Bowl pick sustained a season-ending knee injury in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 16.

The Steelers selected Wilson in the third round of the 2024 draft. In his rookie season, the North Carolina State product was fourth on the team in tackles with 78 while making four starts in 17 games. Wilson's improvement has been noticeable this season beyond the stat sheet.

"It's a reasonable expectation, a second-year player who played a lot last year, made some plays last year," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "It's a natural progression when you've got a good relationship with the game, you work the way that he works and you have the talent that he has, I don't think anybody is surprised by the impact and the general trajectory of his game."