PITTSBURGH -- Though fans held a tailgate funeral for the Steelers' defense outside Acrisure Stadium before Sunday's game, Pittsburgh resurrected its much-maligned unit by thwarting the Indianapolis Colts with six takeaways and five sacks in a 27-20 win Sunday afternoon.
"This was a statement game for us," said cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who had one of the Steelers' three interceptions. "As a defense, we didn't like what we put out on film the last two weeks. We had to come out and make a point, and I think we did today."
Steelers fans didn't like what they saw from their team over the past two weeks, either. That's what led to a group of them to light a candle, surround a casket and bow their heads before kickoff. Hanging from the lid of the yellow-lined casket was a cardboard sign with a block letter D and a white picket fence -- and instead of body, a cutout of a black Steelers helmet lay in the bed.
Prior to Sunday's contest, the Steelers hadn't forced a turnover in more than a month, and they had just two sacks in the past two games. They also gave up more than 400 yards of offense in the previous two losses. Factor in that the Steelers were down four safeties going into a game against a prolific tight end and an MVP-caliber running back, and the outlook appeared bleak.
But the Steelers didn't allow themselves to be buried, even after giving up a touchdown drive on the Colts' 13-play opening possession. Instead, they held the Colts to 20 points, tying Indianapolis' lowest output of the season, and handed the AFC South leader only its second loss of the campaign.
"We got guys that care," Pittsburgh linebacker Patrick Queen said. "I think when you got guys that care, a lot of those things don't matter, them other factors don't matter. And we just came out, played for each other, played with a lot of energy, played with passion, played fast, played physical.
"We gave our guys a chance to get in the backfield. Payton [Wilson] had a hell of a game. The guys up front had a hell of a game. The guys on the back end kept everything in front of 'em. So when we do that, we're going to be hard to beat."
Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones was responsible for five turnovers, the most committed in a single game by a Colts player since Peyton Manning threw a career-high six interceptions in a 2007 game against the Chargers. And Indy running back Jonathan Taylor had just 45 yards on 14 carries for a season-low 3.2 yards per carry.
"This was a really important win for us, to not lose three in a row, to not go to 1-3 at home," Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said, "and to get that big elephant that was starting to try and jump on the backs of that defense, which is made up of media and outside conversation about them.
"We're all human, and I think those guys felt pretty upset, a little red ass about what's been going on. So, I'm proud of 'em, the way they came back and responded."
Though several Steelers defensive players said they felt an energy shift in practice this week after last Sunday's home loss to the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers said he felt "a different energy in the locker room" before the game thanks to a Saturday night speech by defensive back Jalen Ramsey.
"I noticed that something kind of changed last night when Jalen spoke," Rodgers said. "It's not easy to speak in front of the team even when you're a player ... but Jalen kind of went on and on and had the attention in the room, and he said some really, really good stuff ... it was meaningful to me on the offensive side, and I feel like we had a different energy in the locker room today."
Ramsey himself played with an edge, something that was even more important as he shifted positions and played free safety instead of his normal roles at slot and outside corner to fill in for all of the injured defensive backs.
"I can't say enough about Jalen," Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. "Jalen does any and everything that we require of him to do. We needed him to play exclusively free safety today, and he did and did it at a high level. I'm just glad he is on our team."
Ramsey finished with five tackles and was at the back of a secondary that also featured Kyle Dugger, who was acquired in a trade with the New England Patriots on Tuesday. Dugger had just two practices before playing 72 defensive snaps (97.3%) and making four tackles on Sunday. Afterward, Tomlin gave Dugger a game ball to acknowledge his contribution and effort.
"I got to give him a lot of credit," Rodgers said of Dugger. "As a professional that's hard to do.
"I saw him in the weight room on Wednesday and chatted him up and felt like the guys kind of just brought him in and said, 'You're our guy to go out there and just be yourself and have fun."
The fun got started on the Colts' second drive when T.J. Watt forced a strip sack of Jones. The Steelers turned that into the first of Jaylen Warren's two touchdowns and the first score of the Steelers' 24 points off turnovers.
Watt's strip sack and fumble recovery kicked off an onslaught of Steelers takeaways, their first since grabbing two against the Minnesota Vikings in Ireland in a Week 4 win. Wilson, who led the team with 13 tackles on Sunday, had an interception and tipped another pass that turned into rookie Jack Sawyer's first career interception.
"The guy is a high-energy, high-effort guy, really smart," Queen said of Wilson. "When he's playing like that, you get the whole team going too. Dude is a f---ing animal, man. I love it, bro. I'm so hype for him."
It was a fitting defensive performance on an afternoon when the Steelers honored their Super Bowl XL-winning team at halftime. Before the game, a number of those Super Bowl players, including linebacker Joey Porter Sr., hyped up the current players as they prepared for one of their biggest tests of the season by recalling Pittsburgh defenses of the past.
"I feel like we all knew what we had to do on the field and what we're capable of," Porter said. "And we were really just talking about going back to that Steel Curtain, that gritty, that mean-mouth football that we trying to get back and trying to find. We're looking for that, and we're finding that slowly."