Veteran Leader Gave Steelers Passionate Speech Ahead Of Colts' Game

The Pittsburgh Steelers came to play in a big way on Sunday afternoon, securing a massive 27-20 home victory over the previously one-loss Indianapolis Colts. While Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith's unit scored 25+ points for the third consecutive week, the Steelers' defense was the story. Led by individuals such as Joey Porter Jr., TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and others, Pittsburgh forced six turnovers from Indianapolis.

The entire team played with its hair on fire in front of the home fans at Acrisure Stadium, and part of that might be connected to what future Hall of Fame defensive back Jalen Ramsey had to say to the team on Saturday night.

Four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers spoke to the Pittsburgh media after the team's win and cited Ramsey's speech as a clear catalyst for how everyone performed. 

"I noticed that something kind of changed last night when Jalen [Ramsey] spoke, and it's not easy to speak in front of the team, even when you're a player," Rodgers said. "It's unnatural. I think coaches are used to it because they do it every single day. Mike [Tomlin] is fantastic at it. But, Jalen kind of went on and on and had the attention of the room. He said some really good stuff. It felt like we had a different energy in the locker room."

This is part of the reason why the Steelers decided to make the moves that they did to bring in key veterans, such as Ramsey and Rodgers, during the 2025 offseason. When adversity struck, how would this team respond? On Sunday, after Ramsey's speech, the team showed up and showed out in a big way.

The defense's aforementioned six turnovers are the most that it has recorded under Mike Tomlin since the 2010 season. The offense took advantage of short fields when it was given opportunities. This was a complete effort from Pittsburgh, which is why they now have a two-game lead at the midway point of the season over the next closest AFC North foe in the divison race, the Baltimore Ravens. 

Steelers' Key To Success Is Playing Complementary Football

What happened on Sunday afternoon at Acrisure Stadium was exactly what fans from the Steel City are hoping to see moving forward from their team. The Steelers dominated the turnover battle, got after the quarterback, and were efficient in the red zone when they had the ball. 

Playing complementary football is how games are won in the NFL. Offenses have to score points and defenses have to prevent them. That is how the game works. In the last few weeks, Rodgers and the offense were doing all they could to keep up with the opposition's scoring. 

However, when the defense is giving up at least 33 points and 450+ total yards, that is not going to be the easiest way to win games. Against arguably the best team in the league, when the Steelers were in dire need of a win, and they played at the level they were hoping for. 

This result is a huge one, especially when you condsider the team's confidence level. Before beating the Colts, Pittsburgh had just one win over a team that had a winning record. That team was the New England Patriots, who are now 7-2. With this key victory over the Colts, Tomlin, Rodgers, Ramsey, and Co. have now beaten multiple seven-win teams. 

At their best, they truly can hang with any team on any field. But to do it, they need to create turnovers and score off of those turnovers. That is what they did today and more. Next up on the schedule for Pittsburgh are the 6-3 Los Angeles Chargers, another team with its eyes set on making a deep playoff run.