Roethlisberger, Brown lead Steelers past Colts

(The Sports Xchange) – Ben Roethlisberger passed for 221 yards and three touchdowns – each to Antonio Brown – and the Pittsburgh Steelers recorded a 28-7 victory Thursday night against the Indianapolis Colts, whose starting quarterback Andrew Luck was out with a concussion.

Roethlisberger completed 14 of 20 passes, and Le’Veon Bell rushed 23 times for 120 yards and a touchdown as the Steelers (6-5) won for the second time in five days on the road after winning Sunday at Cleveland.

Starting in place of Luck, who suffered a concussion late in Sunday’s victory against Tennessee, Scott Tolzien completed 22 of 36 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown, but he was intercepted in the fourth quarter by free safety Mike Mitchell and cornerback William Gay during the final 7:51, the first setting up a 22-yard TD pass to Brown that extended the lead to 28-7.

Another key was Pittsburgh twice stopping the Colts on fourth and goal from the 1. Each time, a Tolzien pass fell incomplete. The second was the final play of a 19-play, 89-yard drive.

Roethlisberger completed 9 of 13 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns, and Bell rushed 12 times for 73 yards and a score, helping the Steelers take a 21-7 lead through two quarters.

Pittsburgh scored touchdowns on each of its first three drives.

Bell’s 5-yard touchdown run capped a seven-play, 52-yard drive the first time the Steelers had the ball, and the Steelers led 7-0 with 9:10 left in the first quarter.

Roethlisberger made it 14-0 with 1:06 to go in the opening quarter on a 25-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown, capping a seven-play, 58-yard drive.

With the help of a 35-yard pass on a fake punt by Pat McAfee, the Colts pulled to within 14-7 with 13:02 left in the second quarter on Tolzien’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Donte Moncrief.

Pittsburgh countered with a 33-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Brown with 9:00 to go in the half, increasing the lead to 21-7.

Indianapolis had a chance to pull to within one score with 1:08 remaining in the half, but Tolzien misfired on a fourth-down pass from the Pittsburgh 1. Tolzien was 8 of 15 for 84 yards and two sacks in the first half.