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PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers finally caught a glimpse of what tight end Ladarius Green can provide. Green, who signed a $20 million contract in March, was slow to contribute in his first two games of the season against Dallas and Cleveland, but he got behind the defense twice Thursday night and caught two passes for 67 yards in Pittsburgh's 28-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
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"You know he's just getting acclimated and getting on a moving train and we respect that process," coach Mike Tomlin said. "There's one thing to be ready and healthy, there's another thing to be football ready, and he's been healthy for a number of weeks and we're seeing him display some football readiness so hopefully that continues.
"I know he gave us a couple of field flipping plays tonight which was a positive contribution to our efforts."
Green spent the first half of the season on the physically unable to perform list because his ankle did not respond in training camp after offseason surgery. He played 12 snaps in his first game against the Cowboys and eight against the Browns before playing a season-high 14 against the Colts.
"I was excited for him," said wide receiver Antonio Brown, who had five receptions for 91 yards and three touchdowns. "He's a guy that's been through a lot. I think a lot of people put a lot of pressure on him. He puts a lot of pressure on himself. So to see him have some success was exciting."
Green played his first four seasons with San Diego, posting career bests in 2015 with 37 receptions and four touchdowns.
REPORT CARD VS. COLTS
PASSING OFFENSE: A -- Ben Roethlisberger didn't throw a lot, but he was efficient when he did, completing 14 of 20 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns, all to All-Pro receiver Antonio Brown. Roethlisberger and Brown love playing against the Colts. In the past three meetings, they have connected for seven touchdowns. Thursday night marked the first time in Brown's seven-year career that he caught three touchdowns in a game. Another positive sign for Pittsburgh's offense was tight end Ladarius Green catching two passes for 67 yards. The Steelers need another big-play threat besides Brown, and Green provided two big plays for the offense Thursday night.
RUSHING OFFENSE: A -- Le'Veon Bell recorded his third 100-yard rushing game of the season and his second in five days. Bell had 120 yards on 23 carries and scored the first touchdown of the game for the Steelers. It was the third consecutive game Bell scored a touchdown after being held scoreless in the first five games he played this season. Backup Fitzgerald Toussaint got more work than usual because of the short week, rushing for 28 yards on six carries.
PASS DEFENSE: B-minus -- The Steelers intercepted Scott Tolzein twice in the second half, but they allowed the backup quarterback who was making just his third career start to make it a game for three quarters. Tolzein was 22 for 36 for 205 yards and a touchdown and directed a 19-play drive. But give the secondary credit for stopping Tolzein when it counted. On two fourth-and-goals from the 1-yard line, Pittsburgh forced Tolzein incomplete passes, although Phillip Dorsett dropped one of them.
RUSH DEFENSE: B -- The Steelers turned in another solid effort, stifling the Colts on the ground. Frank Gore carried 15 times for 28 yards and his longest run was just seven yards. The Colts finished with 91 yards on 23 carries, but 37 of those yards came on three runs on their final drive when the Steelers were playing deep to prevent big passing plays. The loss of defensive end and team captain Cam Heyward was supposed to cripple the defensive line, but Stephon Tuitt and Javon Hargrave stepped up and did a nice job the past two games against the Browns and Colts. Better teams are ahead, and the line has to prove they can deliver against quality competition.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C -- The Steelers allowed the Colts to execute a fake punt that set up their only touchdown. They also allowed a 43-yard kickoff return to Jordan Todman after Chris Boswell was forced to kick off from the 20 following a celebration penalty following a touchdown. Chris Boswell booted four extra points, and Jordan Berry continues to punt well. He punted four times for a 44.3 average.
COACHING: B -- The defense had two goal-line stands that kept the Colts off the scoreboard, but one of those drives was 19 plays. Indianapolis converted a third-and-15 at the beginning of the drive that lasted more than 11 minutes. The defensive coaches have to find a way to get off the field and get the offense the ball. The offense had just eight plays in the third quarter as a result. In the big picture, give credit to head coach Mike Tomlin for winning twice on the road in five days. The Steelers were the first team since 2007 to play two games in five days on the road. They won both, becoming the first team to do that since the 2004 Colts.
