Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson was a limited participant in Thursday's practice session, just three days out from his potential debut with the team.

Wilson joined the Steelers after cutting short a largely unsuccessful two-season spell with the Denver Broncos in March.

Wilson, a Super Bowl XLVIII champion with the Seattle Seahawks, played 30 games through his two seasons in Denver but only managed 11 victories as the team twice missed out on the playoffs.

Having joined the Steelers on a one-year deal on the veteran's minimum salary of $1.2million for 2024, Wilson beat out fellow new arrival Justin Fields for the starting job during preseason.

However, coach Mike Tomlin confirmed on Thursday the 35-year-old had self-reported tightness in his right calf and would undergo further examination.

The Steelers open their 2024 campaign against the Atlanta Falcons, who also have two new quarterbacks on their roster in Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr., on Sunday. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers have extended the contract of long-serving head coach Mike Tomlin to run through the 2027 season, the team announced on Monday.

Tomlin, who is set to enter his 18th season in charge of the Steelers, had seen his future become a subject of debate during an up-and-down 2023 campaign.

Pittsburgh appeared as though they might miss the playoffs when a three-game losing streak saw them slump to 7-7 by mid-December, but they bounced back with three straight victories to finish 10-7 and make the wild-card round.

They were then eliminated by the Buffalo Bills after benching 2022 first-round quarterback Kenny Pickett in favour of Mason Rudolph.

Nevertheless, Tomlin maintained his record of having never endured a losing season with Pittsburgh, who he led to glory at Super Bowl XLIII to cap the 2008 season, also losing to the Green Bay Packers at Super Bowl XLV two years later.

Tomlin's worst seasons with the Steelers came in 2012, 2013 and 2019, all of which saw them finish with an even 8-8 record.

Confirming Tomlin's three-year extension, franchise president Art Rooney II said: "Mike Tomlin's leadership and commitment to the Steelers have been pivotal to our success during his first 17 years as head coach.

"Extending his contract for three more years reflects our confidence in his ability to guide the team back to winning playoff games and championships, while continuing our tradition of success."

Tomlin told the team's website: "I am appreciative for this contract extension and thankful for Art Rooney II for his support during my first 17 years in Pittsburgh.

"We are continuing to work diligently to get back to where we belong – sustained playoff success with the ultimate goal of winning the franchise's seventh Lombardi Trophy.

"I am very excited to get the 2024 season under way and provide our fans with a memorable year."

The Steelers have undergone a major rebuild this offseason, revamping their QB room by bringing in Russell Wilson from the Denver Broncos and Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears, with Pickett being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The arrival of former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen in free agency also bolstered the team's defense, which ranked sixth in the league for fewest points allowed per game (18.5) in 2023.

After losing four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb for the remainder of the season, the Cleveland Browns decided to bring in a familiar face Wednesday by signing free-agent Kareem Hunt.

Chubb sustained a gruesome knee injury in Monday’s 26-22 loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers after getting off to a solid start to the 2023 season with 28 carries for 170 yards.

Chubb was third in the NFL in 2022 with 1,525 rushing yards and tied for fifth in the league with 12 touchdowns on the ground.

Jerome Ford took over as the No. 1 back at Pittsburgh and will remain in that role, with Hunt serving as his backup.

Ford, a fifth-round pick by Cleveland in the 2022 NFL Draft, ran the ball 16 times for 106 yards against the Steelers and added three receptions for 25 yards and a TD.

The Browns signed Hunt, an Ohio native, in February 2019 after he was released by the Kansas City Chiefs in November 2018 amid an NFL investigation of a video that showed him pushing a woman in the hallway of a hotel.

He was suspended for the first eight games of the 2019 season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Hunt, who led the NFL with 1,327 rushing yards as a rookie in 2017 while with the Chiefs, ran for 1,874 yards and 16 TDs in 49 games over the last four seasons with Cleveland while totaling 132 receptions for 973 yards and seven scores.

The Browns (1-1) host the Tennessee Titans (1-1) on Sunday.

Allen Robinson is on the move again, reportedly being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers from the Los Angeles Rams.

The 29-year-old wide receiver is travelling to Pittsburgh on Tuesday for a physical, according to reports, and the trade will be completed if he passes.

There is no word on what the Rams are getting in return.

Robinson requested a trade out of Los Angeles last month and a move to Pittsburgh would mark a third team in as many seasons for the former Pro Bowler.

Robinson signed a three-year, $46.5million contract with the Rams in March 2022, but he added little to the offense, finishing with 33 catches for 339 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games last season as Los Angeles endured a dismal defence of their Super Bowl title.

He spent the previous four years with the Chicago Bears after playing his first four professional seasons for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who selected him in the second round of the 2014 draft.

A nine-year veteran, Robinson has three 1,000-yard receiving seasons – most recently with the Bears in 2020, when he had a career-high 102 receptions for 1,250 yards and six touchdowns.

In the two seasons since then, however, he’s caught just 71 passes for 749 yards and four TDs in 22 games.

His most receiving yards came during his Pro Bowl season of 2015, when his 1,400 receiving yards ranked sixth in the league.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin remains thrilled about drafting quarterback Kenny Pickett to be the future of the franchise, highlighting his excitement heading into year two.

Pickett, 24, was the first quarterback selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, and the only player at his position to get picked in the first two rounds.

He ended up starting 12 games in his rookie season, and while he finished with more interceptions (nine) than passing touchdowns (seven), his team managed to go 7-5 with him under center.

Pickett's completion percentage of 63.0 was the 15th-highest ever for a rookie quarterback, and he showed off some impressive wheels, with 55 carries for 237 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

He continued to improve as the year went on as well, recording wins in each of the last five games he played where he attempted more than one pass.

At the league's annual owners meetings on Sunday, Tomlin spoke about how impressed he was with the former Pittsburgh Panthers star, who shared a practice field with the Steelers during his college career.

"I'm excited about Kenny individually in terms of the growth that he's capable of making and, and what he's willing to do to realise that," he said.

"I think I'm probably more excited about that because I've just been around him intimately now for 12 months. 

"There were some anticipation things because of the close proximity [in college] that we've all talked about quite a bit, but the reality of having worked with him for 12 months, it's just more evidence of what we should be excited about – his willingness to work, his professional approach, his maturity in processing. It's exciting."

There were questions about the Steelers' decision to retain offensive coordinator Matt Canada, but Tomlin said he is hoping the continuity and not forcing Pickett to learn a new offense will only be positives.

"I think it's reasonable to expect that [continuity] to be significant," he said. "But we'll have an opportunity to make it so."

Despite missing the playoffs in 2022 by going 9-8, it continued the Steelers' incredible streak of 19 consecutive seasons without a losing record.

Pittsburgh Steelers assistant coach John Mitchell has confirmed his retirement after a 29-year stint with the organisation.

Mitchell, the first African-American football player at the University of Alabama who won two Super Bowls as an NFL assistant, announced his retirement on Wednesday.

He had been with the Steelers since 1994 after being hired by Bill Cowher and remained on their staff ever since.

The 71-year-old was part of Pittsburgh's last two championship teams, one in 2005 under Cowher and the most recent coming in 2008 under Mike Tomlin.

"I'm not sure that I can offer sufficient praise and admiration for Mitch, as both a man and football coach," Tomlin said in a team statement.

"Mitch has been a central figure in the success of the Pittsburgh Steelers for nearly three decades. He has coached some of the best players in this franchise's illustrious history, and each one of them, to a man, would tell you their success was a direct result of not only Mitch's coaching acumen, but also his mentorship, leadership and character."

Mitchell spent a total of 50 years as a coach, a career which began at alma mater Alabama in 1973 under the legendary Bear Bryant.

The Crimson Tide won a national title in 1973 with Mitchell working as the team's defensive line coach.

He would later have coaching stops at Arkansas, Temple and LSU as well as the USFL's Birmingham Stallions before a three-year run as the Cleveland Browns' defensive line coach under Bill Belichick from 1991-93.

Mitchell's greatest notoriety, though, came in 1971 when he and running back Wilbur Jackson became the first Black players at the storied Alabama programme. Mitchell was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection as a defensive end for the Crimson Tide and earned All-America honours in 1972.

"When you consider his path, as both a player and coach, Mitch created opportunities in football for young Black men that quite honestly, didn't previously exist," Steelers president Art Rooney II said.

"He has left an imprint on this franchise, and the sport and culture of football, that continue well beyond his retirement."

The NFL has been in shock this week, following the terrible scenes in Monday's game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills.

Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest on the field has sent shockwaves through the sport, though it appears the 24-year-old is making progress in his recovery.

While Hamlin's health remains the league's priority over the rescheduling of that game from Week 17, there is also focus on the final round of fixtures.

There's plenty still be decided in Week 18, and Stats Perform has used Opta data to preview some of the key matchups.

SATURDAY (all times EST)

Chiefs (13-3) at Raiders (6-10) - 4:30pm

With the Bills and the Bengals having yet to finish the game that was rightly suspended on Monday, the AFC picture is not entirely clear. As things stand, a Kansas City Chiefs win in Las Vegas would mean they remain in with a chance of claiming the top seed, pending a decision on the Bengals-Bills game and the outcome of Buffalo's Week 18 clash against the New England Patriots.

The Chiefs have scored 28 or more points in nine consecutive games against the Raiders. The only longer streak of such games against a single opponent in NFL history is 10 by the Los Angeles Rams against the Green Bay Packers, and that came way back in 1949 to 1953. 

Jerick McKinnon caught two touchdowns in Kansas City's 27-24 win over the Denver Broncos and has seven touchdown catches in the Chiefs' last five games. That is the most receiving touchdowns by a running back over a span of five team games in the Super Bowl era. 

The Chiefs have scored 264 points on the road this season, averaging 33.0 points per game. If they hit their average on Saturday, they will finish with the third-most road points in a single season in NFL history, behind only the 2007 New England Patriots (314) and their own effort in 2018 (306).

Patrick Mahomes has 5,000 passing yards (5,048) and 250 rushing yards (329) in a single season for the second time in his career, also doing so in 2018.

Titans (7-9) at Jaguars (8-8) - 8:15pm

It will be winner-take-all in the AFC South when the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans face off. The victor will clinch the division and become the fourth seed in the playoffs. While Jacksonville would still be able to make the postseason via a wild card should they lose, Tennessee must win if they are to avoid elimination.

The Jaguars are looking to sweep the season series with the Titans for the first time since 2005. The only other NFL teams that have gone that long since they last swept a current divisional opponent are the Cleveland Browns, who last swept the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1988, and New York Jets, who last swept the Patriots in 2000 (the Browns also have a chance to end their drought this week).

Jacksonville could become the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs immediately following back-to-back 14-loss seasons.

Meanwhile, the Titans are looking to avoid joining the 1994 Eagles as the only teams in league history to have at least seven wins before ending the season on a seven-game game losing streak.

SUNDAY

Giants (9-6-1) at Eagles (13-3) - 4:25pm

The Philadelphia Eagles have been the team to beat in the NFC all season, yet after successive defeats in the absence of Jalen Hurts, they now need a win to clinch the top seed.

Should they lose to the New York Giants, both the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers will have to suffer defeats in order for the Eagles to be guaranteed home advantage in the playoffs.

The omens are good for the Eagles, who have won eight straight home games against the Giants, tied for the second-longest home win streak against a single opponent in team history. It trails only their active 10-game home win streak against the Steelers that started in 1966. 

A win against the Eagles would give the Giants 10 wins after having just four last season. It would be the first time New York earned double-digit wins in a season after having four or fewer wins since doing so in 1933 (11 wins after a 4-6 record in 1932).

Lions (8-8) @ Packers (8-8) - 8.20pm

Given the NFC East will get two of the conference's three wild cards, matters are relatively simple for the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. A Packers victory sends them through to the playoffs, while Detroit need to win and hope the Los Angeles Rams defeat the Seattle Seahawks.

The Packers are coming off a 41-17 win over the Vikings in which they had four takeaways and no giveaways. Green Bay are now 50-0-1 in the Super Bowl era (including playoffs) with a turnover margin of +4 or better in a game.

Green Bay's record at home against the Lions is 61-27-4, the most home wins by any team against a single opponent.

With another win, Aaron Rodgers would be the first QB in NFL history to have two seasons where his team was multiple games under .500 immediately before going on a five-or-greater game winning streak to end the regular season. 

But the Lions have scored at least 20 points while throwing no interceptions in eight straight games, tied for the longest streak in NFL history (regular season) with the 2005 Broncos, 2010 Patriots and 2018-19 Ravens.

Elsewhere...

New England will clinch a playoff spot should they defeat the Bills, who are of course recovering from that incident involving Hamlin. The Bills have won their last two games against the Patriots and are looking for three straight wins in the series for the first time since 1999-2000.

The Miami Dolphins have lost five in a row but can make the playoffs should they beat the Jets. The matchup is perfectly balanced all-time at 56 wins apiece with one tie entering this game. 

A run of five wins from six games has put the Steelers in playoff contention. They will have to beat the Browns and need results elsewhere go their way. Cleveland won against the Steelers in Week 3 this season. The Browns have not won multiple games against Pittsburgh in a season since the 1988 season.

The 49ers can still claim the top seed in the NFC by beating the Arizona Cardinals. San Francisco beat Las Vegas in Week 17, 37-34, despite trailing by 10 points in the third quarter. It was the Niners' second-largest comeback victory in the second half under Kyle Shanahan.

It has been a terrible season for the Rams (5-11), but they are 7-3 in their last 10 games against Seattle. The Seahawks got a 27-23 win in Inglewood in Week 13, the closest game between these teams since a 30-29 Seahawks win in Week 5, 2019. 

Kenny Pickett came up clutch for the second week running to keep the Pittsburgh Steelers alive with a come-from-behind 16-13 win over the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday.

The Steelers rallied from a 10-point third-quarter deficit to score the game's final 13 points, including Pickett's go-ahead touchdown pass for the dominant Najee Harris with 56 seconds left.

Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley's desperate pass with 13 seconds remaining to clinch victory for the Steelers, who claimed their third straight win to improve to 8-8 behind the Cincinnati Bengals (11-4) and Ravens (10-6) in the AFC North.

The Ravens' defeat, which is the fourth time they have lost after having a double-digit lead this season, significantly impacts their aspirations to win the division, with the Bengals able to clinch it with victory against the Buffalo Bills on Monday. The Bengals host the Ravens in Week 18.

Pickett and Harris were the stars for the Steelers, with the 24-year-old quarterback completing 15 of 27 passes for 168 yards with his only touchdown coming when it mattered most.

In the game-winning 11-play drive, the QB made 20-yard and 28-yard gains with passes to Pat Freiermuth and Steven Sims Jr respectively before evading Jason Pierre-Paul's tackle and finding Harris in the left corner on a third-and-8.

Steelers running backs Harris (111 rushing yards on 22 carries) and Jaylen Warren (76 rushing yards on 12 carries) were outstanding. Huntley completed 14 of 21 passes for 130 yards for the Ravens.

Earlier, the Ravens benefitted from a controversial unnecessary roughness penalty against Cameron Heyward on a third-and-14, which led to a verbal exchange with team-mate Fitzpatrick, after Huntley threw a touchdown pass for Isaiah Likely on the next play shortly prior to half-time.

The Pittsburgh Steelers remain in the playoff hunt for at least one more week after some rookie heroics led to a 13-10 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday.

With both teams entering the contest at 6-8, it meant anything but a win would spell an early end to the season, and it was the Raiders controlling the contest throughout.

Playing on the road, Hunter Renfrow gave the Raiders the lead in the first quarter after an impressive contested catch near the sideline, before staying inbounds and juking the safety on his way to the endzone

The two sides would kick a field goal each in the second quarter, and besides another Chris Boswell field goal early in the fourth period to cut the Raiders' lead to 10-6, there were no other points scored in the second half until the final minute.

Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett got the ball back for his game-winning drive with 2:55 remaining, proceeding to march 76 yards down the field in 10 plays in the freezing temperature and driving snow. 

It culminated in a quarterback sneak to convert a fourth-and-one, before Pickett found fellow rookie George Pickens in the endzone for a 14-yard touchdown with 46 seconds on the clock.

The Raiders had one late chance to work their way into field goal range and potentially force overtime to keep their season alive, but it all came crashing down when Derek Carr threw his third interception of the game. It tied Carr's career-high for interceptions in a season with 14, with two games remaining.

Pickett, on the other hand, played a strong game considering the conditions, completing 26 of his 39 passes for 244 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The Steelers will need to beat the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns in the final two weeks to give themselves a chance to make the playoffs.

Franco Harris, the former Pittsburgh Steelers running back and four-time Super Bowl champion, has died aged 72.

News of his death came three days before his number 32 shirt number was to be retired.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, a nine-time Pro Bowl honouree, was the 13th overall pick in the 1972 NFL draft for the Pennsylvania outfit.

Over the following decade, he helped the Steelers to the game's biggest prize on four separate occasions, while he was named the MVP of Super Bowl IX.

Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said: "The entire team at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is immensely saddened today.

"We have lost an incredible football player, an incredible ambassador to the Hall and, most importantly, we have lost one of the finest gentlemen anyone will ever meet. Franco not only impacted the game of football, but he also affected the lives of many, many people in profoundly positive ways.

"The Hall of Fame and historians everywhere will tell Franco's football story forever. His life story can never be told fully, however, without including his greatness off the field.

"My heart and prayers go out to his wife, Dana, an equally incredible person, a special friend to the Hall and someone who cares so deeply for Franco's Hall of Fame teammates."

Having rushed for over 11,000 yards, Harris was the Steelers' leader in franchise history, and he was due to become just the third player to have their shirt number retired this weekend.

The Steelers had intended for the honour to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, the match-winning play Harris was involved in for their first ever playoff win.

The running back famously was the apparently unintended receiver of Terry Bradshaw's last-gasp throw in the 1972 AFC divisional match with the Oakland Raiders, and ran for the clinching touchdown in the final minute.

Though the team subsequently lost their next match to the Miami Dolphins, the victory is widely regarded as an instrumental turning point that helped the club become the NFL's dominant force over the following decade.

Pittsburgh are due to face the now Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, 50 years and a day since Harris had his magical moment.

Mike Tomlin's side are bottom of AFC North with a 6-8 record this season, and are looking to string back-to-back wins together for only the second time in 2022.

Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett entered the NFL concussion protocol after suffering a blow to the head early in Pittsburgh's loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

It was the second time this season that rookie Pickett has been put in the protocol, after also leaving a game against Tampa Bay in October.

Pickett was sacked by Roquan Smith on the Steelers' opening drive against the Ravens.

The 24-year-old left the field for concussion checks before being reintroduced for the Steelers' second drive. However, that drive marked the end of his involvement as he was then withdrawn.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin looked to explain the move to briefly bring Pickett back into the action but said he did not know "about the sequence or the details".

Speaking after the game, Tomlin said: "Kenny is being evaluated for concussion, he's in the protocol.

"I think when he became symptomatic he was pulled from the game and evaluated for concussion.

"I don't know about the sequence or the details regarding the sequence."

Mitch Trubisky took over from Pickett and completed 22 of 30 passes for 276 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions, as the Steelers suffered a 16-14 defeat to slip to 5-8 for the season.

Trubisky also spoke about Pickett's blow to the head, saying: "I just kept asking him how he was feeling. He said he was feeling fine, and that was that."

Lamar Jackson is listed as doubtful for the Baltimore Ravens' clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his prospective absence spells trouble for the AFC North leaders.

Jackson was knocked out of last week's win over the Denver Broncos because of a knee injury, which has kept him out of practice all week.

The Ravens listed him as doubtful on Friday, meaning backup Tyler Huntley will likely get the start for 8-4 Baltimore.

History says the Ravens will find victory difficult to come by against Pittsburgh without their former MVP quarterback, even against a 5-7 Steelers team that is a shadow of the former AFC powerhouse it once was.

Indeed, since drafting Jackson in 2018, the Ravens are 45-16 (73.8 win percentage) in games started by Jackson and 6-10 (37.5%) when anyone else starts at quarterback.

And, though the Steelers appear unlikely to make the playoffs, the Ravens are facing Pittsburgh likely without Jackson at a time when their arch rivals are showing signs of life. 

The Steelers have won three of their past four games and have not committed a turnover in that stretch. It is the Steelers' longest such streak since turnovers have been tracked in 1950.

Mike Tomlin's Steelers have the edge in recent matchups with the Ravens. They are on a four-game win streak against the Ravens with all four wins coming by five or fewer points.

Only two matchups in NFL history have seen a team beat another five straight times all by fewer than six points (Philadelphia vs. Washington – six, 1992-95 and Raiders vs. Denver – five, 1989-1991).

Past performance from the Ravens suggests Huntley will not be able to end that run. With the Bengals (8-4) breathing down their neck in the division, there is huge onus on him to throw the formbook out of the window in a tough road matchup.

It's crunch time in the fantasy football season.

For many leagues, this is the final week of the regular-season campaign.

By this point, the contenders have been firmly separated from the pretenders and, if you're lucky enough to be in the former category and still in the hunt for the playoffs, you need to nail your lineup every week.

Stats Perform is here to offer a helping hand, with a look at four offensive players and a defense that are excellent bets for success in Week 14 of the NFL season.

Quarterback: Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins @ Los Angeles Chargers

It would be understandable to be somewhat deterred by Tagovailoa's four-turnover performance in the Dolphins' defeat to the San Francisco 49ers last week.

But even in one of his worst performances of the season, Tagovailoa still threw two long touchdown passes and, on another day, several of the potential big plays he missed would have resulted in game-shifting completions.

Having faced the NFL's top defense in Week 13, Tagovailoa gets a more favourable opponent in Week 14, with a Chargers defense allowing the eighth-most yards per play (6.59) in the league sure to present plenty of opportunities for him to bounce back.

Running Back: Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens

It's tough to trust the Steelers offense, but things are lining up well for Harris to excel in this AFC North rivalry game.

Harris has at least 86 rushing yards in three of his last four games, which have seen him score three touchdowns.

With Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson injured, a defensive struggle in which the Steelers can lean on the run game appears likely in Pittsburgh, potentially setting Harris up for his best game of the year, if he can shake off an oblique issue.

Wide Receiver: Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Rams

Adams has returned to his Green Bay Packers form as the Raiders have surged back to somewhere near playoff contention.

Since Week 9, Adams leads the NFL in receiving yards per game (132.8) and receiving touchdowns (7).

On Thursday, he faces a Rams defense that is a shadow of its 2021 self without Aaron Donald. Look for his hot streak to continue in primetime.

Tight End: T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions

How about a little tight end revenge game?! 

Okay, so Hockenson might not have much against the Lions after they dealt him to a Vikings team destined for the playoffs, but he is in a great spot to do significant damage against his former employers.

Hockenson has averaged eight targets per game since his Vikings debut in Week 9. Against a Lions defense allowing 402.2 total yards per game, that kind of target share could result in a huge day for the former first-round pick.

Defense/Special Teams: Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos

The Kansas City defense is vulnerable to the run and last week gave up 431 yards to the Cincinnati Bengals.

But the Broncos' offense is not close to the standard of the Bengals and is averaging just 13.6 points per game. There is no concern for Kansas City's defense here.

Indianapolis Colts interim coach Jeff Saturday defended the decision not to use any of their three timeouts earlier in Monday's 24-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Saturday, who never coached at the pro or college level prior to his shock appointment by owner Jim Irsay earlier this month, led the Colts for the third time in the narrow defeat, slipping to a 1-2 record.

But Saturday only used the Colts' first timeout on fourth down with 30 seconds remaining before quarterback Matt Ryan threw an incomplete pass to the left sideline for Parris Campbell on fourth-and-3.

Ryan had scrambled for a run on the second-and-17 of the final drive but dived short of the first-down line, yet the Colts played quickly on third-and-3 with running back Jonathan Taylor bottled up before the timeout was called.

"I thought we had plenty of time," Saturday told reporters. "We had plenty of timeouts, so I wasn't too concerned.

"This wasn't a press for time, we just didn't make enough plays."

Ryan, who admitted he thought he was closer to the first-down line on his run, backed Saturday's decision not to call an earlier timeout.

"I don’t mind the call going with some tempo, trying to get that first and probably bang a timeout after that first," he said.

"We didn’t get it, then have to take that timeout on the fourth down call. Credit to them, they did a good job on jumping inside, we had some in-breaking routes.

"It's disappointing. It really is, I think the effort is good, but our execution just hasn’t been good enough."

Ryan was pressured on 44 per cent of dropbacks, which was the highest in a game this season.

The win means the Colts are 4-7-1 overall and second in the AFC South behind the 7-4 Tennessee Titans.

The Steelers improved to 4-7 but remain last in the AFC North. Rookie Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett enjoyed his third straight game without a turnover, completing 20 of 28 passes for 174 yards.

"He's getting better every week, he's a competitor, he's smart but there's still a lot of meat on the bone," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said about Pickett.

"I've always said he's good enough and we're good enough to win while that happens. We acknowledge he's very much in development."

The Indianapolis Colts' flickering playoffs hopes have all but been extinguished, as their third-quarter rally was not enough and the Pittsburgh Steelers staved them off for a 24-17 victory at Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday.

Benny Snell Jr's six-yard touchdown run followed by George Pickens' two-point conversion were the only scores in the final quarter, after the Colts charged back with two third-quarter TDs to claim a 17-16 lead at the final change.

Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett completed 20 of 28 passes for 174 yards, along with 32 rushing yards from six carries, as the Steelers improved to 4-7. The Colts, who came into the game second in the AFC South, fall to 4-7-1.

The Colts had rallied from a 16-3 half-time deficit with touchdowns to Jonathan Taylor – sparked by Dallas Flowers' 89-yard kickoff return – and Michael Pittman Jr.

Matt Ryan passed for Pittman for his only touchdown of the game, completing 22 of 34 passes for 199 yards with one interception.

At 16-10, the Colts coughed up a costly fumble as Ryan and Taylor botched an exchange at first-and-goal from the one-yard line, which was recovered by defensive end Chris Wormley. Indianapolis gave up two turnovers for the game, with their season tally up to an NFL-high 21.

The Steelers offensive had 172 rush yards, with four players totalling at least 30 for the first time in the same game since 1999, with Snell (62 yards on 12 carries), Najee Harris (35 on 10), Anthony McFarland Jr (30 on six) and Pickett.

Harris crossed for the only first-half TD on a six-yard second-quarter run, with Matthew Wright converting three-of-three field goals.