Steelers need to keep Jaguars away from Big Ben
Associated Press
Ben Roethlisberger rolls out as a Jacksonville defensive end pressures him during a game in 2014.
Jaguars Jets Football
New York Jets quarterback Josh McCown (15) eludes Jacksonville Jaguars defender Malik Jackson during the first half Sunday's game in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
MEMORABLE SERIES MOMENT
Jaguars 23, Steelers 17 OT
Oct. 16, 2005, at Heinz Field
The Steelers won the last three October games against the Jaguars since losing this one in overtime with Tommy Maddox at quarterback. Ben Roethlisberger hyperextended his knee the previous Monday night in a thrilling win at San Diego, and Maddox got the call against the underdog Jaguars, who were led by second-year quarterback Byron Leftwich. The Steelers tied the game early in the fourth quarter on a short Jeff Reed field goal, and then blew a chance to win the game after reaching the Jacksonville 25, from where Maddox was sacked and Jeff Reed missed a 46-yard field goal. The Steelers opened overtime at the Jacksonville 26 courtesy of Quincy Morgan鈥檚 kick return, but once again, instead of Jerome Bettis, Bill Cowher used Willie Parker, who lost three, gained two and watched Maddox fumble the ball away. The Steelers did manage to get the ball back, but Maddox turned it over for a fourth time, this one to Steelers killer Rashean Mathis, who returned an interception 41 yards for the win. The Jaguars went on to a 12-4 finish, while the Steelers of course went on to win their fifth Lombardi Trophy.
TALE OF THE TAPE
鈥淛acksonville is very simple. Probably half of their rushing attack is simply 14 and 15 straight. That鈥檚 simply people coming off cheek-to-cheek and double-teaming and double-chin-strapping their way and trying to blow you up. That鈥檚 all it is. It鈥檚 very simple. They鈥檙e going to run a 4 and 5 trap, but they are really going to spend a great deal of time running it straight with Leonard Fournette. It could be a battle of the fullbacks. They鈥檒l come out with two tight ends and a fullback and try to hammer away. It鈥檒l be interesting to see if the Steelers come out with Rosie Nix and their tight ends and run the ball similarly.鈥� 鈥� Steelers Radio analyst Craig Wolfley.
TOP QUESTION
Can the Steelers keep the Jaguars鈥� pass-rushers away from Roethlisberger?
The NFL鈥檚 leading pass-rushers, the Jaguars will line up against the Steelers without their best tackle, Marcus Gilbert. The Jaguars have recorded 15 of their 18 sacks in games at Houston and New York (Jets). The Steelers have allowed an average of 1.25 sacks of Roethlisberger in home games the last two seasons.
THREE QUESTIONS:
With DL TYSON ALUALU
Q: Jacksonville surprised everyone by making you the No. 10 pick of the 2010 draft. Were you surprised?
TA: 鈥淔or sure. I didn鈥檛 even know Jacksonville had interest in me. I probably met with them at the Combine, but I was told by a lot of teams they were going to draft me late in the first. So to get that call, to be called, at No. 10, yeah, I can鈥檛 lie. I was definitely surprised.鈥�
Q: How would you sum up your seven years there?
TA: 鈥淚鈥檓 thankful. I鈥檝e grown a lot just as a person from that experience. It was just unfortunate how things played out. There was excitement year after year and things just never turned around. So frustration definitely came from not having winning seasons, not winning a lot of games. When you compete, you want to reap those benefits, and for it to not turn out that way, it鈥檚 tough. I always wanted to be part of the turnaround.鈥�
Q: And now you鈥檙e trying to prevent that turnaround. Ironic, isn鈥檛 it?
TA: 鈥淩ight. They have a good thing going on, especially on the defensive side. They have a lot of great playmakers and everybody鈥檚 playing pretty well from the guys up front to the guys on the back end. This is going to come down to who鈥檚 going to play better defense. I know they鈥檝e given up some rushing yards but I know they are coming in thinking they鈥檙e going to face a good O-line and good running game, so this will be the game that they鈥檙e trying to prove they can stop the run.鈥�
GAME BREAKDOWN
What to look for from the Steelers at 1 p.m. today at Heinz Field:
ON OFFENSE:
The Jaguars possess the NFL鈥檚 No. 1 pass rush and No. 1 pass defense, but run up against a Steelers offense that loves playing at home in October. In the last seven October home games over the last three years, the Steelers averaged 31 points per game.
ON DEFENSE:
The Jaguars have scored on every opening drive this season with an average drive of 12 plays for 55 yards. Their plan is to get a lead and let their pass rush go to work. Without injured wide receiver Allen Robinson (tore ACL in opener), the Jaguars aren鈥檛 a come-from-behind team. QB Blake Bortles has struggled with a passer rating of 81.7 and he鈥檒l be going up against a Steelers defense that鈥檚 completely healthy for the first time this season.
PREDICTION
Roethlisberger has a passer rating of 121.1 in his last six home games, and Matavis Bryant, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Le鈥橵eon Bell have been nurtured to the point where they鈥檙e poised to help Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and the Steelers in a big way. And I believe the young and healthy defense is on the cusp of becoming a dominant unit. It just might all come together today. 鈥� Steelers, 37-10.
BY THE NUMBERS
3: Sacks allowed by the Jaguars, fewest in the NFL.
5.7: Yards per carry allowed by Jaguars, dead last in the NFL.
10: Sacks in opener by Jaguars, the only team with more (18) this season than the Steelers (15).
38: Honorary number at Ole Miss once worn by Chucky Mullins that was bestowed upon Mike Hilton his senior year. 鈥淎nybody wearing 38 for Ole Miss is going to get your attention. That鈥檚 the first way he got our attention,鈥� said Mike Tomlin.
51: Touchdown passes from Roethlisberger to Brown, team record by two over Terry Bradshaw and Lynn Swann.
112: Touchdown passes from Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison, the NFL QB-WR duo record.
DOWNLOADS
n The Jaguars must be a dull topic for local media obsessed this week with the 鈥渄istraction鈥� of Brown upending a Gatorade bucket on the sideline in Baltimore. 鈥淵ou just try to understand that guys are passionate and want to contribute and want to make plays and there鈥檚 going to be some emotion out there,鈥� said coordinator Todd Haley. 鈥淚鈥檝e been one of the emotional ones at different times, so I鈥檓 understanding of it.鈥�
n Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell is co-leader in the AFC with 5陆 sacks, followed by second-year end Yannick Ngakoue with four. 鈥淚 was with Calais when we drafted him in Arizona,鈥� Haley said of the 6-8, 300-pound 鈥渆lephant end.鈥� As for Ngakoue, 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to pronounce 91鈥檚 name and disrespect him, but he鈥檚 a great up-and-coming guy.鈥� Steelers safety Sean Davis played with Ngakoue at Maryland. 鈥淵on-ick N-gok-way,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淧eople are starting to see what he鈥檚 doing now and I鈥檓 happy because that鈥檚 my brother. But we鈥檝e got to shut him down this week. He can be my brother next week.鈥�
n Joe Haden had back-to-back interceptions during Wednesday鈥檚 practice and could be on the verge of breaking his 10-game streak without an interception. He鈥檚 had 19 in his 6录 seasons. 鈥淭he thing I鈥檝e learned over the years is I can鈥檛 chase them,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to start coming, and when they start coming they come in bunches.鈥�
n New Steelers tight end Vance McDonald impressed with his blocking skills while on the move Sunday in Baltimore. He said he mastered the skill during his first two years in San Francisco. 鈥淏ruce Miller got hurt and I played fullback pretty much the whole season under Greg Roman,鈥� McDonald said. 鈥淚n his offense that鈥檚 all we did was run gap schemes for Frank Gore. So we went into the Ravens game with a game plan to pound the ball and be physical up front and we ran a lot of big-people packages. That鈥檚 how we attacked them.鈥�
n Fournette rushed for 100 yards in the opener, his NFL debut, and has gained 285 yards at 3陆 per carrry so far. He was the fourth pick of the last draft after compiling 3,830 rushing yards (6.2 avg.) in three seasons at LSU. Steelers reserve tackle Jerald Hawkins was on the LSU line for two of those seasons. 鈥淗e鈥檚 elusive, he鈥檚 fast, he鈥檚 big. He鈥檚 one of those complete backs, especially for his size,鈥� Hawkins said of the 6-0, 240-pound Fournette. 鈥淲e were playing Auburn in one of his first years and he threw a guy over his head. He was running, stopped and launched him.鈥�
PARTING SHOT
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 characterize their play as up and down. They鈥檝e been consistently tough. Some of the games have been blown open because turnovers tend to do that to football games. As I watch them, I see a group that鈥檚 tough on defense. I see a group that runs the ball.鈥� 鈥� Mike Tomlin.