National Football League

Colts trying to end Steelers hex by maintaining momentum

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:16 p.m. ET

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PITTSBRUGH (5-5) at INDIANAPOLIS (5-5)

Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC

OPENING LINE - Steelers by 2 1/2

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Pittsburgh 5-5, Indianapolis 5-4-1

SERIES RECORD - Steelers lead 21-6

LAST MEETING - Steelers beat Colts 45-10, Dec. 6, 2015

LAST WEEK - Steelers beat Browns 24-9; Colts beat Titans 24-17

AP PRO32 RANKING - Steelers No. 16, Colts No. 17

STEELERS OFFENSE - OVERALL (12), RUSH (23), PASS (7).

STEELERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (22), RUSH (9), PASS (26).

COLTS OFFENSE - OVERALL (14), RUSH (24), PASS (12).

COLTS DEFENSE - OVERALL (30), RUSH (24), PASS (32).

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Steelers have won three straight in series and 13 of 15 since Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984. ... Pittsburgh has lost four straight Thanksgiving Day appearances since 1983. ... Steelers have outscored Indy 96-44 in last two games. ... QB Ben Roethlisberger has thrown for three TDs vs. Colts in last two games and needs three more to tie John Elway (295) for No. 9 on NFL's career list. ... Roethlisberger's next 300-yard game will be No. 50 in career. ... WR Antonio Brown needs 93 yards to join Hines Ward as only players in franchise history with four straight 1,000-yard seasons, and one 100-yard game to break Ward's career franchise record (29 games). .... Brown also is tied with Antwaan Randle El on Steelers' list for most careers punt returns for touchdowns (five). ... RB Le'Veon Bell needs two TD runs to tie Rocky Bleier (23) for No. 10 in franchise history. ... CB William Gay is tied with Hall of Famer Rod Woodson for most interception returns for score (six) in Steelers history. ... Pittsburgh defense had eight sacks against Cleveland last week in warmup to facing Colts team that has allowed league-high 35 sacks. ... Former Colts coach Tony Dungy and former Indy receiver Marvin Harrison will receive Hall of Fame rings during halftime ceremony. ... Indy is 2-0 on Thanksgiving Day, winning at Detroit in 2004 and at Atlanta in 2007. ... Colts have won 10 straight Thursday night games since 2007. ... Indy is 35-21 in prime-time games since 2004, but 3-9 in last 12 night games, with four straight prime-time losses. ... Colts are chasing third straight win after stringing together first back-to-back wins since final two games in 2015. But QB Andrew Luck (concussion) could miss first game of season. ... If Luck sits out, QB Scott Tolzien would likely make first start - and throw first regular-season pass - since replacing injured Aaron Rodgers for Green Bay in 2013. ... Tolzien would become Colts' fifth starting quarterback (Matt Hasselbeck, Luck, Kerry Collins, Peyton Manning) to face Steelers in last five games of series. ... RB Frank Gore needs 58 yards rushing to pass Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett (12,739 yards) for No. 8 on league's career list. ... WR T.Y. Hilton, former youth league teammate of Brown, needs 112 yards receiving for fourth straight 1,000-yard season. Harrison and Reggie Wayne are only other Colts to achieve feat. ... K Adam Vinatieri needs 13 points to extend NFL record of 100-point seasons to 19. ... Fantasy Tip: Go with Brown. Steelers receiver has torched Colts' defense each of past two seasons: 18 catches, 251 yards, four TDs combined. Against NFL's worst-rated pass defense, there's no reason to suspect Colts will have answer this time, either.

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