INDIANAPOLIS – It’s not quite the befuddling Jacksonville “Streak,” but the Colts have had their share of problems against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The two teams aren’t in the same division, so they don’t play every year, but Saturday’s game at Lucas Oil Stadium represents their ninth meeting since 2011. Something notable about that stretch? The Colts lost all eight of their previous matchups against the Steelers.
It’s the longest active winning streak by the Steelers against an opponent.
History doesn’t favor the Colts. Pittsburgh beat the Colts in nine straight games from 1985 through 2002—the third-longest winning streak in Steelers franchise history. A win by Pittsburgh on Saturday would match that.
The only two Indianapolis Colts quarterbacks to notch a win against “Blitzburgh” are Mike Pagel and Peyton Manning.
Pagel's 'miraculous' 1984 win
Pagel’s 1984 win included a 54-yard touchdown pass to Ray Butler with 35 seconds left in the game. The Colts rallied from a 13-0 deficit to top the Steelers 17-16 at the then-Hoosier Dome.
Butler wasn’t even the intended receiver; a Pittsburgh cornerback tipped the ball before Butler snagged it and took it into the endzone. Colts coach Frank Kush called it a “miraculous” play.
Pagel had entered the game in relief of starting quarterback Mark Herrmann. He finished 13 of 17 for 178 yards and the touchdown.
The Colts ended up 4-12 that season, while the Steelers finished 9-7 and made it to the AFC Championship Game before losing to the Miami Dolphins.
Manning led Colts' last win vs. Steelers
The Colts’ last win in the series came in 2008, when Peyton Manning led Indy over Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers. Tony Dungy was on the sidelines for the Colts, while Mike Tomlin was in his second season with the Steelers.
Manning threw three touchdown passes in the game, including the go-ahead score to Dominic Rhodes in the fourth quarter. The touchdown came off the back of a Roethlisberger interception.
At one point, the Colts trailed 17-7 in the first half before rallying for win. And the end wasn’t without some drama—Melvin Bullitt picked off Roethlisberger in the endzone on the final play. It was Big Ben’s third interception of the day. The final score was 24-20.
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PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 9: Quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts talks to his players during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 9, 2008 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by: Rick Stewart/Getty Images) ![]()
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne runs with the ball after making a catch against the Pittsburgh Steelers, taking it in for a 66 yard touchdown in the first half of the NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) ![]()
PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 9: Dominic Rhodes #38 of the Indianapolis Colts makes a touchdown during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 9, 2008 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by: Rick Stewart/Getty Images) ![]()
PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 9: Head coach Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts watches the action from the sidelines during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 9, 2008 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by: Rick Stewart/Getty Images) ![]()
PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 9: Offensive Coordinator Tom Moore of the Indianapolis Colts watches the action during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 9, 2008 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by: Rick Stewart/Getty Images) ![]()
PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 9: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks to pass down the field during the game against the Indianapolis Colts on November 9, 2008 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by: Rick Stewart/Getty Images) ![]()
PITTSBURGH - NOVEMBER 9: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers hands off the ball to Mewelde Moore #21 during the game against the Indianapolis Colts on November 9, 2008 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by: Rick Stewart/Getty Images) ![]()
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin walks the sidelines during the fourth quarter of a 24-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in a NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Manning also threw touchdown passes to Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne; Wayne finished with six catches for 114 yards and the score.
Before that game, the Colts hadn’t won a road game against Pittsburgh since 1968—a streak of futility spanning 40 years.
The Colts finished the season 12-4 but got bounced from the playoffs by the Chargers in the first round. The Steelers also finished 12-4, but the playoffs were much kinder to them, as they won Super Bowl XLIII.