Heavy on Steelers Justin Fields missed an opportunity to become the third quarterback in Pittsburgh Steelers history to start a season 4-0.
The Pittsburgh Steelers fell into a hole during Week 4 that they couldn’t quite climb out of against the Indianapolis Colts.
Despite scoring as many touchdowns in the final 18 minutes of the matchup as they did in the first three games combined, the Steelers fell to the Colts 27-24.
With a victory, the Steelers would have improved to 4-0 for just the second time in the last 45 seasons. Quarterback Justin Fields was also trying to join Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger as the only quarterbacks in Steelers history to begin a season 4-0.
Instead, the Steelers will settle for 3-1 with an intriguing matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on deck.
Fields and the Steelers may have missed out on a bit of history on September 29. But the good news is they’ve experienced plenty of success during seasons where they started 3-1.
Steelers Unable to Secure Historic 4-0 Start
No team has won more games than the Steelers since the NFL merger. Since Roethlisberger debuted in 2004, only the New England Patriots have more regular season wins.
However, the Steelers haven’t exactly been quicker starters, especially lately.
While the Patriots began a season 4-0 five times during the Tom Brady era, the Steelers started 4-0 only once with Roethlisberger. That was in 2020 when they sprinted out to the best start in team history at 11-0.
That’s Pittsburgh’s only 4-0 mark to begin a season since 1980.
The Steelers were sometimes quicker starters during their dynasty 1970s era. They were 4-0 to begin the 1973, 1978 and 1979 seasons. They won the Super Bowl in the latter two campaigns.
But the Steelers also won the Super Bowl during the 1974 and 1975 seasons when they didn’t finish 4-0. In 1974, they were 2-1-1 to begin the season.
The Steelers fell behind the Colts in Week 4 17-0 in the first half. Fields and the offense awoke in the second half, exploding for three touchdown drives. Fields rushed for 2 touchdowns and threw another.
With their last offensive opportunity, though, Fields and the offense were unable to run an effective 2-minute offense to either take the lead with a touchdown or force overtime with a field goal.
Pittsburgh Still in Good Spot With 3-1 Start
Staying undefeated was obviously the goal for the Steelers versus the Colts. But the team can find solace in the way it played this September, especially after the second half in Indianapolis.
One of the big questions coming into Week 4 was whether Fields and the Steelers passing game could lead the team to a victory. It didn’t on September 29, but Fields was why the Steelers had a chance to win at the end of the fourth quarter.
Fields completed 22 of 34 passes for 312 yards with 1 touchdown. He averaged 9.2 yards per attempt and didn’t throw an interception for the third time in four starts.
In addition to the 2 rushing touchdowns, he also had 55 yards on the ground.
Even after the loss, the Steelers should have confidence in Fields going forward. They should feel good about the 3-1 start too.
The Steelers started 3-1 in 2005, 2008 and 2010, all seasons in which Roethlisberger led them to the Super Bowl. Those first two seasons ended with titles.
Ironically, the Steelers nearly went 4-0 to begin 2010, but quarterback Joe Flacco led the Baltimore Ravens to a comeback win in Week 4. Flacco replaced an injured Anthony Richardson on September 29 and threw 2 touchdowns for the Colts.
The last time the Steelers started 3-1 was 2017. They finished that campaign 13-3 and won the AFC North division.
The other times a Mike Tomlin team began 3-1 was in 2007 and 2016. The Steelers won the division in those seasons too.
NFL teams always want to bank as many victories as possible early in the season. The Steelers’ 2024 schedule is also backloaded.
But even with the Week 4 disappointment, Steelers fans have reasons to be excited about the team’s 3-1 start.
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Steelers Miss Out on Mind-Blowing Milestone With Failed Comeback Against Colts