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无毛视频檚 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
无毛视频淛acksonville is very simple. Probably half of their rushing attack is simply 14 and 15 straight. That无毛视频檚 simply people coming off cheek-to-cheek and double-teaming and double-chin-strapping their way and trying to blow you up. That无毛视频檚 all it is. It无毛视频檚 very simple. They无毛视频檙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无毛视频檒l come out with two tight ends and a fullback and try to hammer away. It无毛视频檒l be interesting to see if the Steelers come out with Rosie Nix and their tight ends and run the ball similarly.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Steelers Radio analyst Craig Wolfley.
TOP QUESTION
Can the Steelers keep the Jaguars无毛视频� pass-rushers away from Roethlisberger?
The NFL无毛视频檚 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: 无毛视频淔or sure. I didn无毛视频檛 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无毛视频檛 lie. I was definitely surprised.无毛视频�
Q: How would you sum up your seven years there?
TA: 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 thankful. I无毛视频檝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无毛视频檚 tough. I always wanted to be part of the turnaround.无毛视频�
Q: And now you无毛视频檙e trying to prevent that turnaround. Ironic, isn无毛视频檛 it?
TA: 无毛视频淩ight. They have a good thing going on, especially on the defensive side. They have a lot of great playmakers and everybody无毛视频檚 playing pretty well from the guys up front to the guys on the back end. This is going to come down to who无毛视频檚 going to play better defense. I know they无毛视频檝e given up some rushing yards but I know they are coming in thinking they无毛视频檙e going to face a good O-line and good running game, so this will be the game that they无毛视频檙e trying to prove they can stop the run.无毛视频�
GAME BREAKDOWN
What to look for from the Steelers at 1 p.m. today at Heinz Field:
ON OFFENSE:
The Jaguars possess the NFL无毛视频檚 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无毛视频檛 a come-from-behind team. QB Blake Bortles has struggled with a passer rating of 81.7 and he无毛视频檒l be going up against a Steelers defense that无毛视频檚 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无毛视频橵eon Bell have been nurtured to the point where they无毛视频檙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. 无毛视频� 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. 无毛视频淎nybody wearing 38 for Ole Miss is going to get your attention. That无毛视频檚 the first way he got our attention,无毛视频� 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 无毛视频渄istraction无毛视频� of Brown upending a Gatorade bucket on the sideline in Baltimore. 无毛视频淵ou just try to understand that guys are passionate and want to contribute and want to make plays and there无毛视频檚 going to be some emotion out there,无毛视频� said coordinator Todd Haley. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e been one of the emotional ones at different times, so I无毛视频檓 understanding of it.无毛视频�
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. 无毛视频淚 was with Calais when we drafted him in Arizona,无毛视频� Haley said of the 6-8, 300-pound 无毛视频渆lephant end.无毛视频� As for Ngakoue, 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 not going to pronounce 91无毛视频檚 name and disrespect him, but he无毛视频檚 a great up-and-coming guy.无毛视频� Steelers safety Sean Davis played with Ngakoue at Maryland. 无毛视频淵on-ick N-gok-way,无毛视频� Davis said. 无毛视频淧eople are starting to see what he无毛视频檚 doing now and I无毛视频檓 happy because that无毛视频檚 my brother. But we无毛视频檝e got to shut him down this week. He can be my brother next week.无毛视频�
n Joe Haden had back-to-back interceptions during Wednesday无毛视频檚 practice and could be on the verge of breaking his 10-game streak without an interception. He无毛视频檚 had 19 in his 6录 seasons. 无毛视频淭he thing I无毛视频檝e learned over the years is I can无毛视频檛 chase them,无毛视频� he said. 无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e going to start coming, and when they start coming they come in bunches.无毛视频�
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. 无毛视频淏ruce Miller got hurt and I played fullback pretty much the whole season under Greg Roman,无毛视频� McDonald said. 无毛视频淚n his offense that无毛视频檚 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无毛视频檚 how we attacked them.无毛视频�
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. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 elusive, he无毛视频檚 fast, he无毛视频檚 big. He无毛视频檚 one of those complete backs, especially for his size,无毛视频� Hawkins said of the 6-0, 240-pound Fournette. 无毛视频淲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.无毛视频�
PARTING SHOT
无毛视频淚 wouldn无毛视频檛 characterize their play as up and down. They无毛视频檝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无毛视频檚 tough on defense. I see a group that runs the ball.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Mike Tomlin.