Colts vs. Steelers preview: 3 things to watch in AFC showdown

The Colts and Steelers are set to face off on Sunday, and here’s some questions before the Week 8 matchup.

Oct 25, 2014, 1:30 PM UTC

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Both the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers have had their struggles this season, but they're both also in relatively good shape heading into their Week 8 matchup. Indianapolis is 5-2 on the season with all five wins coming in their last five games. The Colts started the season with two consecutive losses, falling to the Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles. But their winning streak has included quality wins over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5 and Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7.

The Steelers are 4-3. They got the season started with a win over the Cleveland Browns, and haven't had consecutive wins -- or consecutive losses -- all season. If that trend continues, they'll be losing this one.

Both teams are well in the race for their respective divisions, but only one will get a boost on Sunday. Here’s three questions on the game:

1. Which team will win the battle on third down?

The Colts have been one of the best teams in the league at stopping their opponents from converting on third down. They rank fourth in the league in passing yards allowed per game and ninth in rushing yards allowed per game, but over the past four games they’ve been better than everyone else at preventing third down conversions. Each of their last four opponents had just a single third-down conversion.

While Colts opponents have managed just four third-down conversions in those games, the Steelers have put up 25 themselves in the same time span. Those are two drastically different numbers, and it’s a safe bet to make that the Steelers aren’t going to win if they only manage to convert just one time.

2. Can Le'Veon Bell keep it up?

Indianapolis just held the Bengals, one of the better teams in the NFL, to 135 yards of offense. That includes 103 yards passing and just 32 yards rushing, despite the fact that the Bengals have been solid at both this season. The Bengals were out-gained significantly, as the Colts put up 506 yards themselves. Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell will have his work cut out for him.

But Bell is up to the challenge. He’s carried the ball 117 times for 599 yards and a touchdown this season, which ranks him third in the NFL. But he has also put up 36 receptions for 339 yards and a touchdown, second on the team. Bell is second in the NFL in yards from scrimmage this year and he’ll be counted on the make something happen against a very stingy Colts defense.

3. Will the Steelers continue the buck the trend and create turnovers?

Pittsburgh has not been good at creative turnovers this season. They were near the bottom of the NFL with just six takeaways heading into Week 7 against the Texans, but they changed the tide of the game with a pair of turnovers on back-to-back plays in the second quarter. They also recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter. They haven't been a good takeaway team in years.

But the Colts aren't particularly good when it comes to holding onto the ball. Indianapolis is tied for fourth in the league with 13 turnovers. It's one of their biggest weaknesses, and one that the Steelers definitely need to exploit to help their chances in this game. Cornerback Cortez Allen has a pair of interceptions, while Brice McCain and Brett Keisel both have one. The team has recovered five fumbles and has two defensive touchdowns.