The Steelers Have Absolutely Dominated 1 AFC South Team Historically

Every team in the NFL has at least one opponent that they feel good against no matter what, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are no exception. In previous years, the Steelers have had their way with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns. However, games against both Ohio teams have turned into quality rivalries as of late, with teams trading wins back and forth constantly. There is another team that the Steelers have manhandled consistently, and it's a team that the majority of football fans would not expect. In fact, this team hasn't even defeated the Steelers since they had five championships.

It doesn't matter how good or how bad either team is. The situation doesn't matter. The Indianapolis Colts are almost physically incapable of beating the Steelers. The Colts have won a total of six games against the Steelers, and have had only one winning streak against them, which was a two-game win streak with wins in 1968 and 1971. The last time the Colts won in this series was in November of 2008, which was also the season where the Steelers won their sixth Super Bowl.

How lopsided is the Steelers/Colts "rivalry?"

Even when the situation is bad, the Steelers prevail. After an 11-0 start, the Steelers ended 2020 going 1-5. That one win was against the Colts after being down 24-7 early on. The year before that, Adam Vinatieri shanked what would have been a game-winning field goal to lose to Mason Rudolph's Steelers. How could we forget Mike Vanderjagt missing a game-tying field goal after a rare fumble by Jerome Bettis at the goal line?

Even when the situation is good, the Steelers prevail. The Steelers had three straight blowouts against the Colts in the mid 2010's. Ben Roethlisberger made history twice in 2014's 51-34 matchup, in which Pat McAfee and Troy Polamalu's famous "C Gap" play occurred. The next year, the Steelers had a 45-10 win, which was capped off by Antonio Brown's punt return touchdown and goalpost celebration. The Steelers showed mercy the year after by taking their foot off the gas in 28-7 victory.

The Steelers have swept the Colts in the playoffs 5-0, including the aforementioned 05/06 divisional round game where Bettis fumbled. Secret Base made a video about the 1976 playoff game between the two teams, where the Steelers' domination while in enemy territory actually saved some fans from a plane crash. The blowout caused fans to leave their seats early, where a reckless pilot crashed a rental plane while trying to impress the fans. 

There is no explanation for why the Colts can't ever finish off games against the Steelers. The only logical explanation is that after a while, the rivalry gets into the heads of the team, similar to how the New England Patriots live rent free in the Steelers' heads. The Colts are seemingly cursed when they match up against the Steelers, and luckily for Pittsburgh, the two teams will match up again in the upcoming 2023 season. Even with a new coaching staff, Jim Irsay will have plenty of flashbacks from this historical domination come gameday.