Steelers seeking splash from short-sighted offense taken at Rooney Sports Complex (Steelers)

Antonio Brown. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS

To some fans, the post-touchdown celebrations the NFL is permitting players to do this season have been over the top.

The Steelers have been a big part of that, working a number of choreographed celebrations into their post-touchdown routine. But while the touchdown celebrations might be over the top for some, the fact the Steelers haven't gotten over the top of many defenses this season cannot be denied.

While the Steelers led the league with nine receptions of 40 or more yards entering Week 10, most of those have been of the catch-and-run variety.

Those count, as well, but the Steelers haven't gotten their downfield passing game going this season. After all, Ben Roethlisberger is just 4 of 25 this season on passes 30 or more yards downfield.

The attempts have been there. But the completions have not.

That's something Mike Tomlin would like to see change in the second half of the season, which begins for the Steelers (6-2) Sunday in Indianapolis (3-6).

"Great teams seem like they have a flair for the dramatic," Tomlin said earlier this week. "They make those plays when given an opportunity. Yes, we’ve made some, and yes, we’re in a good spot. But we want to be in a better spot, and so we want to make more of those."

Connecting on some of those long passing attempts would be a good place to start. And the Colts could provide the perfect opportunity for that to occur.

They rank dead last in the NFL in scoring defense, while only New England has allowed more yardage.

History also could be on the side of the Steelers.

In his past three games against Indianapolis, Roethlisberger has completed 78 of 108 pass attempts, a completion percentage of just over 72 percent. He's turned that into 1,107 yards and 13 touchdowns with no interceptions.

Antonio Brown has been a big part of that, gaining 342 yards with seven touchdowns on 23 catches in those three games.

But so, too, has Martavis Bryant. Though Bryant did not play against the Colts last season, he faced them in both 2014 and 2015. In those two games, Bryant had nine receptions for 197 yards and three touchdowns.

"You can't go on what I did when I was a rookie and in my second year," Bryant told me. "I was out a whole year. In the preseason, I played against these guys. I'm not banking on the past. I'm not taking anybody lightly. I'm going to give them my best on Sunday."

Bryant might not be taking anyone lightly, especially coming off a one-game benching by Tomlin for some ill-advised posts on social media. But getting him re-established as a big-play threat would make the Steelers a dangerous team in the second half.

Bryant still commands safety help over the top from most teams, but he's had just one big catch this season, this 51-yard reception against Minnesota in Week 2:

For the season, Bryant is averaging 13 yards on 18 receptions, well below the 17 yards per catch he had in his first two seasons.

Getting more big plays over the top of the defense would force opponents to keep their safeties farther off the line of scrimmage and give Le'Veon Bell more running room. It also might open things up more for Brown in the passing game.

"Find a way. We've got to get better," said Brown, who leads the league in receptions and receiving yards with 57 for 835, but has scored just three touchdowns. "We need more splash. There's never enough splash. We've got to provide more.

"We know we're on the brink."

Perhaps. But talking about being explosive and doing so are two different things.

The Steelers aren't scoring points in bunches as they did in the past. They're putting up just under 21 points per game this season. But the defense isn't allowing a lot, either.

That changes the philosophy of previous years, when the Steelers knew they had to score as much as possible to protect what was a young and developing defense.

Now, they are more content to hand the ball to Bell 25 or more times and throw it less. Roethlisberger attempted just 49 passes in the team's two games leading up to the bye last weekend.

But both were victories.

It can be an adjustment, especially for a player such as Bryant, who was used to seeing the ball more than he has in recent weeks. He got just five combined targets in wins against Kansas City and Cincinnati, something that might have led to his social media outburst.

He seems to have a better grasp of the situation now, perhaps because of his one-game benching.

"We don't have to," he replied when I asked him about throwing for 300 yards every game. "We have a great running back, great receivers, great tight ends, a great offensive line. Everybody out there can make plays, so we don't have to be based on passing it all over. We've got a great running back who needs the ball, so we give it to him. He's there every week for us."

It's something Brown had to adjust to last season, when the Steelers went to a more run-based offense in the second half of the season.

Brown's numbers tailed off slightly with fewer opportunities in the passing game. But the wins piled up.

"Regardless of (number of) opportunities, we've got to make the big plays," Brown said.

Bryant seems to understand that now, as well.

And though the opportunities for big plays might be fewer and farther between, when they come, they have to be made.

"It's going to happen," Bryant told me. "We're not basing our whole offense off that. When it happens, it happens. The main objective is to win. Whatever chunk plays we have, we'll roll with."

STEELERS HEALTHY

After being limited on Wednesday and Thursday, Mike Mitchell was a full participant in practice for the Steelers on Friday. The safety has been dealing with a sore Achilles' tendon and is expected to play against the Colts.

Linebacker James Harrison, however, did not practice at all this week and will not play.

Every other player on the 53-man roster is available.

For Indianapolis, receiver Kamar Aiken (hamstring) and outside linebacker John Simon (neck) have been declared out.

Receiver T.Y. Hilton, the Colts' top offensive weapon, is questionable with a groin injury suffered in practice on Wednesday. Also questionable is corner Quincy Wilson with a knee injury.

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