The finale of our Thanksgiving tripleheader wasn’t quite as exciting as the first two games, as the Pittsburgh Steelers handled the Indianapolis Colts on the road.
Steelers vs. Colts 2016 final score: Antonio Brown’s 3-touchdown night leads Pittsburgh to 28-7 win
Andrew Luck’s absence hurt Indianapolis, as the Steelers cruised past the Colts.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
The Steelers didn’t waste any time in the first quarter scoring. Ben Roethlisberger kept dumping off short passes to his teammates for various gains, and by the end of the drive, Le’Veon Bell was able to punch it in for a 2-yard rushing touchdown.
On their second drive, the Colts were able to piece together a pair of first downs.
They set up Adam Vinatieri for a 52-yard field goal, and the vet was unable to convert.
The ensuing Steelers drive took just over three minutes, and was capped off with an Antonio Brown touchdown reception, his first of the night.
That score made the Steelers perfect on drives in the first quarter, and they weren’t finished there.
Before the Steelers could get another shot on offense, it appeared the Colts might actually make it a game, when Scott Tolzien found Donte Moncrief for a 5-yard touchdown pass.
The Steelers weren’t fazed by the Colts touchdown. Big Ben and the Steelers marched right back down the field, and Brown had his second receiving touchdown on the night early in the second quarter.
The remainder of the first half would be nothing but punts, and a turnover on downs by the Colts. Despite their lone touchdown, the biggest highlight for the Colts was a fake punt and celebration by Pat McAfee. The Steelers were up 21-7 going into the locker room.
Things didn’t get better for the Colts in the second half. One of the few completions that Tolzien made was an interception to Mike Mitchell.
The turnover turned into points for the Steelers, when Roethlisberger and Brown connected for a third time. It’s the first time in his career that Brown has had three touchdowns in a game.
That touchdown pretty much sealed things up for the Steelers. Whatever energy was left in Lucas Oil Stadium was gone.
Tolzien would throw yet another interception on the following drive, this time to William Gay.
The loss put the Colts at 5-6, tied with the Titans for second in the AFC South. It wasn’t a game they were necessarily expecting to win, with their star quarterback in Andrew Luck out.
For the Steelers, the win helps them stay in what appears to be a two-team race for the AFC North between them and the Ravens, who are currently 5-5 heading into Week 12. The Steelers are now 6-5, and are in good standing for now.
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