INDIANAPOLIS -- The Colts took the field down two points in a shootout with less than six minutes remaining, needing someone to make a play. And that's when they went to a player who was waiting all day to have that chance.

Michael Pittman Jr. broke open on a slant against man coverage, corralled a ball from Gardner Minshew, slipped through one tackle, bounced off another and ran the final 60 yards to the end zone before turning around inside the 5 to flash a peace sign as he trotted in for the go-ahead score, drawing a flag.

The Colts' normally go-to receiver scored a 75-yard touchdown that felt worth a 15-yard penalty on the extra point.

The two fingers he threw up were a show of the patience it took to get there. And one play didn't push the frustration away when the Browns still came back to win 39-38 on Kareem Hunt's 1-yard plunge in the final minute to drop the Colts to 3-4.

"They just didn't target me today, for whatever reason. Maybe I'm not a big part of the offense," Pittman said to IndyStar.

"When I do get the ball, I feel like I always do something with it. Just know that I'm viable to break off a big one in any situation vs. any team. I'm just trying to show the coaches that I'm out there, too."

Pittman had been a big part of the offense before Sunday. His 42 receptions were tied for seventh in the NFL entering the week, and his 60 targets were 19 more than any other Colts player.

But Sunday, the Colts were looking to course-correct from the previous week's loss to the Jaguars, when Minshew attempted 55 passes and turned the ball over four times. They wanted to lean on a fresh Jonathan Taylor as well as Zack Moss and even Minshew in the run game in order to slow down the pass rush of Myles Garrett and Za'Darius Smith. They called up 40 runs versus just 23 passes.

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Of those 23 passes, six went to Josh Downs, who turned in his best game yet with 125 yards and a score. Pittman saw the second-most targets at five, tied for his fewest in any game this season. He didn't see a target until the 4:27 mark of the second quarter, when he turned an 8-yard catch into a first down on 3rd-and-7.

That was his only catch of the day outside of the 75-yard touchdown, bringing his final line to two catches for 83 yards.

"It was frustrating. I was frustrated," Pittman said. "I was just trying to keep my composure to myself and not try to project that onto anybody else."

Pittman has let that frustration show in games before, notably last season during a loss to the Commanders, when he blamed himself for a late drop due to a lack of focus. But in this one, he felt dialed in as the game went back and forth in a shootout few were expecting between the Colts and a Browns defense that had allowed the fewest yards through five games of any NFL team in 50 years.

The Browns run more man coverage than any team in the league and did again Sunday. They kept Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward glued to the left side of the formation, allowing the Colts to draw up any matchup they wanted between their receivers and what the Browns had to offer.

That's where Pittman, who is playing out a contract year, believes he could have gotten more involved. It goes to how he's wired, as a former five-star college recruit and Biletnikoff Award finalist who is leading the Colts in receiving yards in his third straight season and shares the name of an 11-year NFL running back.

Ever since he piled up 16 catches for 356 yards in a three-touchdown loss in a playoff game in high school, Pittman has spent the moments after losses zeroed in on the plays he didn't make. He's one of the most self-critical players, but he also wants those around him to put that weight on his shoulders when they need a play.

The biggest fan the Colts have of that passion might be general manager Chris Ballard.

"I love Pitt. That freaking dude loves to compete," Ballard said during training camp. "... I don’t mind guys that are emotional and care because they want to win and guys that want the ball. That stuff doesn’t bother me. I would rather have a guy like Pitt who wants it and wants to win and does all the little things competitively right instead of a guy that just accepts what his role is."

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On Sunday, Pittman channeled that energy into one ferocious run on his second catch, breaking two tackles to run 60 yards for a go-ahead score.

"Out of my left pass, I just saw light," Pittman said of the play. "I saw bodies and then I saw light right there. I just kept running for it, was able to keep my balance and was able to break off a nice one."

To his teammates, it was the peak of the 6-4, 223-pound receiver they've grown to know.

"Pitt just ran right through him," receiver Alec Pierce said. "I think he tried to lay a big hit. You've got to know you've got to wrap Pitt up. He's like a running back. He's not just going down off of shoulders. He's a hell of a player, and I love watching him make plays like that."

Pittman loves making plays like that. He wants to make more of them, and not just in the final moments of games.

Contact Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts: Michael Pittman Jr. wants bigger role after crushing loss