3 Colts overreactions from shocking upset victory over Steelers 3 Colts overreactions from shocking upset victory over Steelers

On a day where the Indianapolis Colts suffered injuries to quarterback Anthony Richardson and also to running back Jonathan Taylor , the end result of a 27-24 Week 4 win over the previously unbeaten Steelers had to be nice. But here are three Colts overreactions from the shocking upset victory over the Steelers.

Richardson left early, but the Colts played well under the guidance of veteran quarterback Joe Flacco. He completed 16 of 26 passes for 168 yards. Flacco shrugged off the performance, according to espn.com.

"You just see the guy and hit him," Flacco said. "That's all you do. Some guys like to think about every little thing and that's how they play best. But I think my personality lends itself to this kind of situation. Just don't overthink it."

Overreaction #1

Colts can make playoffs without Richardson

Folks, Flacco is pushing 40 years old. He'll be there in a few months. That's very old in NFL years for anybody not named Tom Brady.

Yes, he turned the clock back last year in Cleveland. He passed for 1,616 yards while winning four of his five starts. But he's a short-term solution. And he wouldn't hold up for a long stretch against the rigors of touch NFL defenses. Colts head coach Shane Steichen said Flacco did his job , according to colts.com.

"(He's a) veteran presence," head coach Shane Steichen said. "Obviously, he's played a lot of football, went in there and operated pretty darn good."

Flacco added, "I'm glad I'm not wearing some kind of heart rate monitor. It's just one of those things where you have to kind of go back to the basics and let everything else take care of itself."

Richardson may not be out for a long time, but the Colts need his young legs. He said he only has soreness , according to indystar.com.

"Feeling good, we got the W today," Richardson said. "Great execution by everybody on the field today. I think I'm going to be good. Just a little soreness."

"Just my hip. My hip was hurting. I tried to go back out there, but I just couldn't accelerate how I wanted to. Coach was, like, trying not to mess up the team right now, so I was like, I'll just sit."

Richardson said he doesn't know if he will return for Week 5.

"I don't know," he said. "We've just got to see what they say. My hip's just a little sore right now. "People are going to talk about injuries, people are going to say injury-prone, blah, blah, blah. But nobody wants to get injured. Everybody wants to stay on the field. Of course, I was like, 'Man, damn, not again.' But it's all good. It's God's plan. I'm just trusting it."

Overreaction #2

The Colts defense is for real

Most of what the Steelers failed to accomplish came of their own accord. They weren't sharp and made big mistakes. And if Justin Fields didn't forget the snap, the Steelers might have climbed out of a 17-0 road hole and walked out of Indianapolis with a big W.

Still Steichen said he liked the way his defense finished, according to the Colts' YouTube page.

"The guys were resilient all the way through," Steichen said. "All four quarters, we knew it was going to be a fist fight against those guys. To come out and finish the way we did. Our defense out there, getting the stop to end the game was huge."

The Colts defense had four sacks and five tackles for loss. But remember the Steelers are far from a top-notch offensive unit. The Colts did an admirable job against the ground game. Take away 10 carries for 55 yards by Fields, and the Steelers managed only 67 yards on 20 carries by the other guys.

But still, this is a unit that entered with a Pro Football Network defensive ranking of No. 26 . They are considered a solid run defense, but below average against the pass. Also, the Colts entered the week ranked dead last in pressure rate without blitzing (19.5%). Combine that with bottom 10 rankings on third down and red-zone efficiency.

Overreaction #3

The Colts are ready for prime time

This is still a team in flux. There are good elements, but the overall rating puts them in the bottom half of the NFL.

One of the big problems is utilizing threats like Michael Pittman Jr. when Richardson plays. Pittman looked like one of the NFL's better receivers last year with Gardner Minshew, but before Flacco took over he looked lost in the offense.

Still, Pittman had to be happy with his 113 yards receiving. Pittman said he liked it , according to colts.com.

"It just kept happening," Pittman said. "The opportunities were there, and it felt good to get out there and play some football again. I felt like it's been a long time."

Perhaps the return of Josh Downs helped Pittman get loose.

"(Pitt's) been patient," Downs said. "Everybody knows he's an excellent player, and today he showed it."

Downs showed off, too, with eight catches for 82 yards and a score.

"Definitely getting in the game early helps a lot," Downs said. "Getting some quick targets — like Pitt had a few early, I had a few early. So once you feel like you're involved in a game, you're more locked in."

Certainly Sunday's win helped the Colts steady their playoff hopes. And it's the type of victory that can create momentum. But this is still a team in parts, not the whole.