Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco looks downfield from the pocket against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

INDIANAPOLIS – Drew Ogletree made one of the biggest plays for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

With the Pittsburgh Steelers rallying in the fourth quarter, the Colts faced third-and-10 at Pittsburgh’s 15-yard line.

A field goal would extend the lead to 10 points, but with quarterback Justin Fields and the Steelers’ offense catching fire, a touchdown seemed critical.

Ogletree found open space in the middle of the field, caught a pass from backup quarterback Joe Flacco and rumbled into the end zone for a crucial score in Indianapolis’ 27-24 victory.

Some members of the third-year tight end’s family, however, were impressed for entirely different reasons.

“I don’t think it hit me until my brother called me and told me like, ‘Hey, that’s Joe Flacco,’” Ogletree said. “One of my other brothers, that’s his favorite quarterback of all-time.”

The 39-year-old Flacco brings a different aura to the Colts’ roster.

He was the MVP of Super Bowl XLVII with the Baltimore Ravens, and he’s thrown for 44,104 yards and 247 touchdowns during his 17-year career.

Flacco was 16-of-26 for 168 yards and two touchdowns Sunday in relief of starter Anthony Richardson, who suffered a hip injury on a 14-yard run in the first quarter.

But the experience was unlike many others in the veteran’s long career.

“It was different,” Flacco said in the postgame interview room. “It definitely took a little bit of time for me to kind of just settle down. And it’s kind of like I kept telling myself, ‘Just do the simple things.’ And it’s definitely a different experience when you come in like that.”

Flacco went 4-1 in five starts last year in place of injured quarterback Deshaun Watson with the Cleveland Browns, helping the team earn a wild-card playoff berth and being named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

But he’s rarely come off the bench during his professional career.

Only four of Flacco’s 189 career appearances have come as an in-game substitute – once a year since 2020 with the exception of last season.

“I’ve played a lot of games, and you definitely start to appreciate the guy that’s backing you up because it’s not easy,” Flacco said. “I mean, you’re over there the whole entire game just wondering what’s going to happen the next play.”

Indianapolis is hopeful Flacco’s services won’t be necessary again this week on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but they’ll be keeping an eye on Richardson’s progress throughout the week.

Flacco was signed for just these circumstances – short-term stints in place of the starter during which the veteran can keep the offense running.

He delivered as advertised against the Steelers, and he’ll continue to be ready for whatever role the Colts ask of him.

“You’re just – like I said – just kind of going through the emotional roller coaster of being on the sideline and watching every play,” Flacco said. “But that – I don’t think it matters who’s (the starting) quarterback. That’s kind of what you’re – in my experience as a quarterback, a backup quarterback, you’re always kind of trying to stay ready and stay calm at the same time.”

KICKING WOES

Matt Gay pushed his 54-yard field goal attempt to the left just before halftime against Pittsburgh, continuing the kicker’s early season struggles.

Gay missed the season opener after undergoing hernia surgery and was limited during the practice week in Week 3 while fighting through a groin injury.

He said Monday he’s fully healthy now but just needs to be more consistent with his mechanics.

Gay is 3-for-5 on field goal attempts this season, but he’s 0-for-2 on attempts beyond 50 yards after going just 8-for-13 from that distance in 2023.

“I think the theme there is just not trusting my line,” he said. “I have a game plan. I make all my kicks in warmups, and then you get there and I think you’ve got to trust your target line, and you’ve just got to bang it to the spot instead of trying to play – it’s the whole aim small, miss small type thing.

“Pick your target, commit to it and go for it. It doesn’t seem to be an issue on some of the shorter ones. I have full confidence that I’m going to get it right. We’ve got to get out there. I’ve got to make those kicks.”

PROVING IT

Nick Cross spent the entire offseason and all of training camp locked in a competition to join Julian Blackmon as a starting safety.

He won the battle over Rodney Thomas II, Trevor Denbow and Ronnie Harrison Jr. and has earned the trust of teammates and coaches with his early season play.

Entering Monday’s games, the 23-year-old led the NFL with 47 tackles and is becoming a force in the box.

“I mean, I feel like the more you do something, the more comfortable you get, the more your ability shows and you’re able to go out there – less thinking, more just being able to go out there and do it,” Cross said. “At the end of the day, I have a great skillset, great ability. At the end of the day, like I said, reps bring comfortability, and comfortability brings confidence. At the end of the day, that’s what has been going on so far.”