Steelers focused on Jacksonville, not Bell
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Similar to the girl you 无毛视频渓ike like无毛视频� in high school, the Le无毛视频橵eon Bell story is 无毛视频�
无毛视频淥ver over,无毛视频� said Steelers guard David DeCastro with a gleam in his eye.
Not that he was happy Bell has quit on the Steelers无毛视频� season. DeCastro just didn无毛视频檛 want to answer the question anymore.
无毛视频淲e can just move on, keep giving James (Conner) some more yards, and keep winning some games,无毛视频� DeCastro said. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 been a fun roll. The season goes by a lot faster when you无毛视频檙e winning games.无毛视频�
As opposed to answering questions about who无毛视频檚 not in the locker room.
In fact, all evidence of Bell was plundered from of his old locker by former teammates. The name plate was taken down at lunch. The shoes, shirts, sweats, hats were gobbled up after practice.
Did the players, who无毛视频檝e sweated to get to 6-2-1 without their two-time team MVP, want to talk about it?
无毛视频淣ot going to happen,无毛视频� said Maurkice Pouncey.
无毛视频淣o, sir,无毛视频� said Alejandro Villanueva.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 not here, he无毛视频檚 not going to be here, so we don无毛视频檛 talk about it,无毛视频� said Ben Roethlisberger. 无毛视频淚 texted him (Tuesday) before the deadline saying I hope he无毛视频檚 going to show up, and if he decided not to then I wish him the best. He was a great teammate here, a great football player. To each his own on what they want to walk away from.无毛视频�
Did Bell text him back?
无毛视频淣ope,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said.
Roethlisberger then transitioned easily to this week无毛视频檚 game, and there was no doubt it无毛视频檚 foremost on his mind.
无毛视频淭he number one focus is Jacksonville,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said. 无毛视频淭hey are a great defense. This is probably going to be the biggest test and challenge for us as an offense. It无毛视频檚 a big one.无毛视频�
The concern is a real one, even though the Steelers are riding a five-game winning streak and the Jaguars are skidding with a five-game losing streak. The Jaguars, of course, beat the Steelers twice at Heinz Field last season, the second one an elimination game.
In the 30-9 regular-season loss, Roethlisberger threw a career-high five interceptions and the run defense was gashed for 231 yards on the ground.
It left Roethlisberger questioning himself after the game and left the run defense jumpy for the return match in the playoffs. That无毛视频檚 when Jaguars QB Blake Bortles used the echoes of that regular-season game to throw effectively off play-action in a 45-42 upset win in the playoffs.
无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 exactly what happened,无毛视频� said cornerback Mike Hilton. 无毛视频淚n that first game, they were just 无毛视频榬un the ball, run the ball, run the ball.无毛视频� They had success doing it. That was the formula we expected going into that playoff game, and Bortles exploded. We无毛视频檝e got to be prepared. We无毛视频檝e got to slow down their running game.无毛视频�
Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette, who rushed for 290 yards and five touchdowns in the two games last season, is back in the lineup after missing four games with a hamstring injury. He returned last week and rushed for 53 yards, had 56 yards receiving, and scored two touchdowns in a loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
The problem for the 3-6 Jaguars is an offensive line that无毛视频檚 without the three starters on the left side who bullied the Steelers last season. Left tackle Cam Robinson went on IR in the second week; left guard Patrick Omameh left in free agency (but re-signed with the Jaguars this week); and center Brandon Linder was recently put on IR.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檝e still got to get after them,无毛视频� said Cameron Heyward. 无毛视频淚njuries are part of the game. We无毛视频檝e had our share throughout the year, and our O-line in past years. You can say what you say about their offensive line, and say they have injuries, but if we don无毛视频檛 take advantage of that it really doesn无毛视频檛 matter.无毛视频�
The Steelers were a beat up along the defensive line last year as well. Stephon Tuitt was playing with a badly damaged right arm and Javon Hargrave was on and off the injury list the week of the game and played sparingly. He was spelled by L.T. Walton, who无毛视频檚 more of a 5-tech than a nose tackle.
无毛视频淚 was banged up pretty bad,无毛视频� said Hargrave, who wouldn无毛视频檛 elaborate, only to say, 无毛视频淚 was bad. I can say that. I had a little situation going on at the time. But that was last year. I feel good this year. Ready to get it going.无毛视频�
The defensive line has played much better this season. A run defense that allowed 5.1 yards per carry in the final six games last season is allowing 4.1 yards per carry through nine games this season.
Of course, the Steelers also expect improvement from Roethlisberger, who, in the first six quarters against Jacksonville last season threw six interceptions, turned the ball over for three touchdowns, and compiled a passer rating of 56.4 as the Jaguars outscored the Steelers, 58-23.
Roethlisberger and the Steelers rallied with 28 points in the second half of the playoff loss.
无毛视频淔rom front to back they are really good, they are really fast,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said. 无毛视频淎 lot of teams say it starts up front with their pass rush, and this group has an unbelievable pass rush with their front four. Their linebackers are some of the fastest you will ever play against, and their secondary is as good of a secondary as you are going to play. So, really there is really nowhere to start and finish with this group. Like I said, this will definitely be the biggest challenge for us.无毛视频�
Will the Steelers have more respect for the Jaguars this time?
无毛视频淲ell, there was respect the last time we played them, there无毛视频檚 no doubt,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said. 无毛视频淎t least from me. We heard a lot going into it from other players and whatnot, but for me, I respect the heck out of that whole group.无毛视频�
Those players 无毛视频� Bell and Mike Mitchell, players who disrespected the Jaguars before the game 无毛视频� are gone.
One last chance for Roethlisberger to address those guys? He declined.
无毛视频淭he good thing,无毛视频� Roethlisberger said, 无毛视频渋s we don无毛视频檛 have to talk about it anymore.无毛视频�
The same might be said of Jacksonville after Sunday无毛视频檚 game.
NOTES: The NFL moved the Dec. 2 Steelers home game against the Los Angeles Chargers to 8:20 p.m. 无毛视频� Roethlisberger (coach无毛视频檚 decision), Tuitt (elbow) and RT Marcus Gilbert (knee) missed Wednesday无毛视频檚 practice. Conner participated fully and ran through his protocol test afterward. He expects to be cleared to play the rest of the week.