Top 5 Graded Colts From Week 15 Win vs. Steelers

Pro Football Focus was incredibly impressed by the Indianapolis Colts' defensive performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Indianapolis Colts (8-6) returned to their winning ways on Saturday, taking down the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7) 30-13 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Despite being down some of their best players and losing Zack Moss and Michael Pittman Jr. during the game, the Colts dominated in the trenches and played stifling defense on the way to 30 unanswered points. Gardner Minshew kept the offense afloat while the Colts' pass rush gave the Steelers fits throughout the game. The Colts have won five of their last six games and find themselves in a three-way tie atop the AFC South with three weeks remaining in the regular season.

According to the grades from Pro Football Focus, numerous players performed at a high level in the Colts' win. Let's dissect the five players who graded out the highest for the Colts on Sunday and analyze their performances.

Note: The player must have played at least 25% of the snaps to be eligible.

1.) DE Dayo Odeyingbo - 92.3 Overall Grade

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The Colts pass rush returned to form against the Steelers after a disappointing showing against the Cincinnati Bengals. Leading the charge was Dayo Odeyingbo, who continued his breakout campaign by terrorizing the Steelers' offensive line. Odeyingbo registered four tackles, 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss, and two QB hits in the win.

Odeyingbo leads off as the highest-graded Colt against the Steelers, with an elite overall grade of 92.3. His 91.7 pass rush grade was a team-high after co-leading the Colts in sacks and adding three pressures. Odeyingbo's tackling grade of 73.8 ranked seventh on the team after recording three stops and zero missed tackles.

Odeyingbo is second on the Colts with 8.0 sacks this season and seems to be improving by the week. The 2021 second-round pick is living up to his potential and may just be getting started.

2.) DT DeForest Buckner - 91.9 Overall Grade

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As we go through this week's top five, you will notice Odeyingbo was not the only defensive lineman to play great football. DeForest Buckner continued to be his disruptive self in the middle of the Colts' line. Buckner tallied four tackles, 0.5 sacks, one tackle for loss, and two QB hits.

Buckner was the second-highest-graded Colt, with an elite overall grade of 91.9. Buckner's 87.2 pass rush grade ranked second only to Odeyingbo after the half sack and five total pressures, including four hurries. He was also the second-highest-graded Colt against the run, with a run defense grade of 80.5 as he recorded two stops.

While the national media may not mention him much, Buckner is on a tear in 2023. He currently ranks as the No.11 interior defender in the NFL and is the leader of the Colts' pass rush. Buckner is putting together another Pro Bowl season.

3.) S Nick Cross - 91.5 Overall Grade

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For the second week in a row, Nick Cross finds himself on the top five graded Colts list. Cross is finally receiving playing time in the Colts' secondary and is continually impressing with his play. Cross racked up three tackles, a pass deflection, and his first career interception in the victory.

Cross checks in as the third-highest-graded Colt this week, with another elite overall grade of 91.5. His 90.8 coverage grade was the best mark for any Colts defender by almost 20 points. The only time Cross was targeted was on his interception, resulting in a passer rating allowed of 0.0.

From only seeing the field on special teams to becoming a playmaker on defense, Cross is seeing his role increase every week. Do not be surprised if Cross is named a starter at safety sooner rather than later.

4.) DE Samson Ebukam - 89.7 Overall Grade

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Returning to the defensive line, another player was nearly unblockable for the Colts on Saturday. Samson Ebukam put constant pressure on the Steelers' quarterbacks, making it impossible for them to get comfortable. Ebukam racked up three tackles, 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss, and three QB hits for the Colts.

Ebukam was the fourth-highest-graded player on the Colts, with the team's fourth elite overall grade of 89.7. Ebukam's 82.7 pass rush grade comes after adding seven pressures and four hurries to his 1.5 sacks and three QB hits. His 73.6 tackling grade ranked eighth on the team, as Ebukam did not record a missed tackle all game.

The seventh-year pass rusher has become a menace in Indy and currently ranks as the No.14 pass rusher in the NFL. Ebukam is quickly becoming one of the best free-agent signings in the Chris Ballard era and one of the better edge rushers in the league.

5.) LB E.J. Speed - 83.3 Overall Grade

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It is an all-defensive top five highest-graded list for the Colts this week after holding the Steelers scoreless through the final three quarters. Making his return from injury, E.J. Speed picked up where he left off on Saturday. The linebacker finished with a team-high 10 tackles and a forced fumble in the victory.

Speed rounds out the list as the fifth-highest-graded player in the Colts' victory, with an overall grade of 83.3. Speed led the Colts against the run with a 93.8 run defense grade, tallying six stops and the forced fumble. He also led the Colts with a tackling grade of 83.6 with zero missed tackles on the day.

The Colts missed Speed against the Bengals and were glad to have their young linebacker back in the fold. Speed has proven through his play this season that he belongs as a starting linebacker in the NFL.

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