Steelers looking to stop run, get revenge against Jaguars
MEMORABLE SERIES MOMENT
Jaguars 34, Steelers 24
Nov. 19, 2000 at Three Rivers Stadium
We鈥檙e one day shy of the 18th anniversary of Fred Taylor鈥檚 rushing record against the Steelers. It鈥檚 just a reminder that the Steelers must stop Leonard Fournette today. Last year he gained 290 yards and scored five touchdowns on 53 carries in two Jaguars鈥� wins over the Steelers. Taylor nearly matched that in this game at Three Rivers Stadium. He carried 30 times for 234 yards and scored four touchdowns during the days when these teams played in the same division. The defending AFC finalists then, as now, Jacksonville went on to a 7-9 finish in 2000 while showing the Steelers what to address in their next draft. The Steelers in 2001 passed on QB Drew Brees for NT Casey Hampton before choosing ILB Kendrell Bell in the second round.
TALE OF THE TAPE
鈥淭heir pass rush was interesting to me. You watch how they move these guys around, unlike last year when they were more settled into a specific type of pass rush.鈥�
They were rushing with one side trying to overwhelm one side, almost funneling the quarterback toward Calais Campbell. He set a team record with 14.5 sacks last year, but it鈥檚 not happening this year. Dante Fowler is gone and they keep moving the pieces around like they鈥檙e not sure what to do. They know they have Calais. He has five sacks in his 11th season. He鈥檚 still rushing well, but he lumbers more than he did last year, which you would expect from someone who鈥檚 6-8, 300 pounds at this point in his career. Yannick Ngakoue is the scary guy. He just really motors. But this year their rush is more of a mush rush. Everybody鈥檚 bull-rushing out of a lot of one-on-ones. Last year there was more twisting and herding the quarterback to Campbell, who was bull-rushing.鈥� 鈥� Steelers Radio analyst Craig Wolfley.
TOP QUESTION
Can the Steelers stop the run?
The problem the Steelers had stopping Fournette last season bled into the play-action passing and running skills of Jaguars QB Blake Bortles, who in the playoff game compiled a passer rating of 94.1, well up from his career average of 81.3. In watching film of this year鈥檚 team, Tunch Ilkin noticed Bortles not carrying out his play fakes with as much confidence as last season. Ilkin assumes that Bortles doesn鈥檛 trust the rebuilt offensive line, and that will become more difficult with new left tackle and New York Giants castoff Ereck Flowers currently holding the spot.
THREE QUESTIONS:
With CB MIKE HILTON
Q: What can you say about getting cut by Jacksonville a few years back? Did they give you a chance?
MH: 鈥淵eah, they gave me a chance. I can鈥檛 really be upset about it because I know it鈥檚 part of the business. Was it frustrating? Absolutely, but I don鈥檛 hold a grudge. Maybe if they never would鈥檝e cut me things wouldn鈥檛 have worked out like they have now. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise.
Q: You came here and showed you could play right away. Was it all about size?
MH: 鈥淧ersonally, I think so. That was the year they drafted (Jalen) Ramsey and spent a lot of money on their defense. Maybe they were just focused on the guys they were bringing in and trying to find the guy who fit their system.鈥�
Q: They are the No. 1 pass defense, so obviously they have a lot of talent at your position. Numbers are a good excuse. But then you went to New England and supposedly had the smartest coach in the world. Why didn鈥檛 Bill Belichick see your ability?
MH: 鈥淭hat one I feel a little differently than the Jacksonville situation. I was only there for a week, so I feel like they didn鈥檛 have much time to really get a good look at how I move and how I play. That one I definitely understood.鈥�
GAME BREAKDOWN
What to look for from the Steelers this afternoon at TIAA Bank Field:
ON OFFENSE
Here鈥檚 the full text of what Ramsey, the Jaguars鈥� star cornerback, had to say about Roethlisberger in the August edition of GQ the Magazine: 鈥淏ig Ben, I think he鈥檚 decent at best. 鈥� It鈥檚 not Big Ben, it鈥檚 A.B. Big Ben slings the ball a lot of the time. He just slings it and receivers go get it. He has a strong arm, but he ain鈥檛 all that. I played him twice last year and he really disappointed me.鈥� So, Roethlisberger will utilize his three-beast-and-a-superstar attack on a Jaguars team that鈥檚 ranked No. 1 against the pass, but doesn鈥檛 have DE Fowler, slot CB Aaron Colvin and possibly stud DT Marcell Dareus, who鈥檚 questionable with triceps and back injuries. It鈥檚 a tough, but not-as-tough-as-last-year defense against the focused and red-hot Roethlisberger.
ON DEFENSE
The Steelers will be without DT Stephon Tuitt (elbow), but the Jaguars鈥� offensive line is in tatters. Backup-turned-left tackle Josh Walker is injured and gives way to Flowers for his first Jaguars start. The former first-round pick of the New York Giants was cut last week and signed by the Jaguars. Center Brandon Linder went on IR this week and will be replaced by Tyler Shatley, who鈥檚 started eight games in five years. Right guard A.J. Cann will be a game-time decision after a late-week hamstring injury. The Steelers will start former Jaguars DT Tyson Alualu for Tuitt, but the rest of the unit is healthy, not to mention hungry to make amends for last year.
PREDICTION
Be warned: I went into this week鈥檚 handicapping research looking for statistics to confirm a bias that the Steelers will be the more emotional team because of elimination revenge on its home field. But, I was surprised at what I found. In next-season rematches among a non-division team that eliminated you at home off a bye in the playoffs, the team that won the previous year also won the rematch 12 of 18 times (since the playoff format was changed in 1990). But one of those six revenge-seeking teams was Pittsburgh, which bounced back from home playoff elimination to the Buffalo Bills in 1992 to beat Jim Kelly鈥檚 team in 1993, 23-0. It was the Steelers鈥� only appearance in such a situation, so there鈥檚 my confirmation bias 鈥� Steelers, 26-13.
BY THE NUMBERS
4: Passes defensed by Ramsey in last year鈥檚 regular-season game, in addition to his interception.
7: Consecutive games in which Antonio Brown has caught a touchdown pass.
8: Interceptions by Jaguars OLB Telvin Smith since he entered the league in 2014, tied for second among linebackers during that time. He scored two touchdowns against the Steelers last season.
14.8: Yards per kickoff return allowed by the Jaguars, best in the NFL. The Jaguars are second in punt coverage at 3.6 yards per return.
31: Sacks by the Steelers, putting them in a five-way tie for first in the NFL. They鈥檙e third on the other side of the ball, having allowed only 12 sacks.
DOWNLOADS
n Fournette had 109 scrimmage yards (56 rushing, 53 receiving) in his return last week from a hamstring injury. That鈥檚 a good sign for the Jaguars, who鈥檝e had their star runner active in only three games (2-1). He鈥檚 obviously the target of coordinator Keith Butler鈥檚 run defense, which hasn鈥檛 allowed a 100-yard rusher this season. 鈥淭hey ran the ball on us when they had to,鈥� Butler said of last season. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 say that we won鈥檛 miss Stephon, but it won鈥檛 matter. Nobody is going to say 鈥楬ey, let鈥檚 wait a second. We鈥檙e going to wait for Stephon to get healed before we play you guys.鈥� It doesn鈥檛 happen like that. I wish it was but it doesn鈥檛, so we鈥檝e got to go out there and play.鈥�
n Through nine games, the Steelers have given up only four plays of 40 yards or longer, and none in their last four games. They gave up three such plays to the Jaguars in their two games last season. One of the differences this season is the way Sean Davis is playing free safety. 鈥淗onestly, it鈥檚 just SD putting his face on these running backs,鈥� said Joe Haden. 鈥淪D these past three games 鈥� I鈥檓 calling it face time. He鈥檚 putting his face on these running backs. Catching them in the hole, catching them when they break through the hole. So I think his tackling has been top notch. It鈥檚 basically what we鈥檝e been looking for and he鈥檚 been doing a great job the last couple games.鈥�
n The Jaguars (3-6) were second in the league in forcing turnovers last season, and forced seven (with three returned for TDs) in two games against the Steelers. This year, they鈥檝e forced only eight turnovers, three fewer than the Steelers (6-2-1).
n Mike Tomlin was asked three weeks back whether he expected Conner鈥檚 showing this season. 鈥淵es,鈥� Tomlin said. 鈥淚鈥檝e had a front-row seat for his college exploits.鈥� Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner was asked about any 鈥渆ureka moments鈥� about Conner, and Fichtner said, 鈥淭here wasn鈥檛 a day (in the offseason) I didn鈥檛 see him in here. When everyone was gone and we were hanging out and kind of putzing around the office working, he was downstairs rehabbing. So maybe that was the first sign.鈥� Conner鈥檚 third in the NFL with 771 rushing yards (4.7 ypc.)
n One matchup that should concern the Steelers is replacement right tackle Matt Feiler against Jaguars DE Campbell. But the Steelers are 4-0 with Feiler in for Marcus Gilbert, including the last three game. 鈥淚t really hasn鈥檛 been a concern,鈥� Fichtner said. 鈥淗e got his first start at tackle down in Tampa and played exceptionally well then, and he just keeps doing that. I think that鈥檚 just another credit to that room, and that goes back to (OL Coach Mike) Munch(ak) and (assistant OL) Coach (Shaun) Sarrett. That鈥檚 what they do. They keep developing and keep working with the guys.鈥�
PARTING SHOT
鈥淣ope. I don鈥檛 need to.鈥� 鈥� Roethlisberger on whether he put Ramsey鈥檚 comments on a bulletin board.