*Ben Roethlisberger and his three-headed monster at wide receiver tore apart an overmatched Indianapolis Colts secondary (6-6) on Sunday night, leading the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5) to a 45-10 victory at Heinz Field. *
- Seven days removed from shredding the Seahawks' secondary in Seattle, the Steelers' offense, led by the indomitable Big Ben, did it again on Sunday night. Roethlisberger was firing on all cylinders to his plethora of Pro Bowl-worthy wideouts, finishing with 364 yards and four touchdowns. It's an absolute delight to watch the Steelers quarterback sling perfectly-timed bombs alongside sharp short routes over and over again to the Three Amigos; Pittsburgh's confidence on offense bleeds through the screen.
Antonio Brown, who had an off day against Richard Sherman and the Seahawks, continued his feverish tear against the Colts, gaining 118 yards and three total touchdowns on eight catches; his 48-yard snag in between two helpless Colts defenders was miraculous. Martavis Bryant gained most of his 114 yards on a physical 68-yard catch-and-run down the sideline for six, using every bit of his 6-foot-4 frame in the process. Following his breakout game, Markus Wheaton (3 for 50) didn't get left out, running a tight curl in the end zone late in the first half for his weekly touchdown.
- Pittsburgh's three-headed monster couldn't wreak its havoc on Indianapolis and the league if it weren't for the consistently heroic work of DeAngelo Williams. The 10-year veteran has made Terrible Towelers forget about Le'Veon Bell, kind of, by displaying an effective and eerily similar running style. Williams gains most of his yardage on the ground by staying patient behind his linemen before the right holes open up, often outside the tackles. Sunday night, Williams earned his third 100-plus-yard performance of the season and proved he could be a workhorse against playoff-caliber fronts.
- The Matt Hasselbeck Project isn't over yet, but it is mercilessly coming to an end. The veteran moved well in the pocket against James Harrison and the ferocious Steelers linemen, but he took a beating early and often. We saw the resurrection of Clipboard Jesus, a.k.a. Charlie Whitehurst, when Hasselbeck left in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand due to shoulder and neck injuries; he also had limped off the field with trainers following a big hit in the third quarter. If you hadn't heard -- and you most certainly had heard -- Hasselbeck is 40 years old. With Andrew Luck on the sideline until at least Week 16 with a lacerated kidney, Hasselbeck has performed admirably in his stead, save for Sunday night (16/26, 169 yards, TD, 2 INTs, 1 fumble lost) but the wear-and-tear of consecutive contests is clearly wearing on him at his age.
- Maybe the most pleasantly surprising development in Pittsburgh this season has been the return of Harrison and the classic Steelers defense. The veteran linebacker was dominant on Sunday night, totaling three sacks, forcing a key fumble and keying the Steelers front seven's resurgent night. Pittsburgh safety Will Allen and linebacker Arthur Moats also tallied sacks.
- Journeyman returner Jacoby Jones might have seen his last (muffed) punt in a Steelers uniform. Jones fumbled two returns in the first half -- one on the opening kickoff that set the Colts up in the red zone. After fumbling a second-quarter punt in Steelers territory, Tomlin was caught yelling at special teams coordinator Danny Smith to get Jones out of the game. Though Indianapolis turned his turnovers into just three points, the Steelers pulled Jones from returning at halftime with Brown taking over the duties. Adding insult to injury, Brown returned a fourth-quarter punt for a touchdown.
- Thankfully for the Colts, their counterpart atop the AFC South also lost on Sunday, so no ground was lost or gained between them and the 6-6 Texans. Indianapolis doesn't play a team with a winning record for the remainder of the season and will have an opportunity to gain two games on Houston with a home win over the Texans in Week 15. However, Indy's future lies in the hands kidney of Luck, whose return date isn't expected until the following week against the Dolphins.
