From the Press Room: Steelers at Colts

Unbelievable drive: A 16-3 halftime advantage had degenerated into a 17-16 deficit and the third quarter was 16 seconds away from becoming the fourth, but rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett maintained he knew just what was required at that critical juncture.

"I mean, listen, it's reading the room, knowing what we need," Pickett insisted. "I think everyone was dialed in, locked in on what we had to do. There is no rah-rah speech that's going to go put the ball in the end zone. You just kind of had that look about you, and everybody else responds that way and it was business.

"So it was an unbelievable drive, great drive to get in there, and then get the two-point conversion."

The drive began at the Steelers' 25-yard line and started with an incompletion and a 1-yard gain by running back Benny Snell Jr.

The Steelers faced a third-and-9 when the fourth quarter clock began ticking.

That's when Pickett found rookie wide receiver George Pickens for a 13-yard gain.

Another 15 yards were tacked on due to a roughing-the-passer flag against Colts linebacker E.J. Speed.

Suddenly, the Steelers were off and running.

What ultimately became the game-winning drive covered 75 yards on 11 plays in 5:21.

It included two more conversions on third downs, a 17-yard connection to tight end Pat Freiermuth to the Indianapolis 3 and then a read/option handoff to Snell for a 2-yard touchdown run on third-and-goal.

Pickett campaigned for the play that resulted in Snell's touchdown during an injury timeout.

"Yeah, 'Coach T' (head coach Mike Tomlin) puts a lot of confidence in myself, just asks me what I like, what I don't like," Pickett said. "We were in four-down territory. Yeah, so we were going to go for it again on the next play if we didn't get it.

"I felt confident, real confident with that play and real happy we got to the end zone."

Pickett followed up Snell's go-ahead touchdown by delivering a strike to Pickens in the back corner of the end zone for a two-point conversion and a 24-17 lead the Steelers would not relinquish.

Pickett scrambled right and threw on the run and Pickens went to his knees to make the catch on the two-point play.

"The window, I mean, when the defender's back is to you, you can kind of place the ball where you want," Pickett explained. "It's George that has to make the play. I was happy. He kind of jabbed inside, went out, so low and away is usually the safe bet to give him the best chance to make a play. He went down and made a hell of a play.

"I was talking to him all game, just keeping his head in it. He's an unbelievable player. There will be ups and downs in this thing, but if we stick with it, I think we'll be all right at the end of the day."