Steelers looking to stop run, get revenge against Jaguars
MEMORABLE SERIES MOMENT
Jaguars 34, Steelers 24
Nov. 19, 2000 at Three Rivers Stadium
We无毛视频檙e one day shy of the 18th anniversary of Fred Taylor无毛视频檚 rushing record against the Steelers. It无毛视频檚 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无毛视频� 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
无毛视频淭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.无毛视频�
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无毛视频檚 not happening this year. Dante Fowler is gone and they keep moving the pieces around like they无毛视频檙e not sure what to do. They know they have Calais. He has five sacks in his 11th season. He无毛视频檚 still rushing well, but he lumbers more than he did last year, which you would expect from someone who无毛视频檚 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无毛视频檚 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.无毛视频� 无毛视频� 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无毛视频檚 team, Tunch Ilkin noticed Bortles not carrying out his play fakes with as much confidence as last season. Ilkin assumes that Bortles doesn无毛视频檛 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: 无毛视频淵eah, they gave me a chance. I can无毛视频檛 really be upset about it because I know it无毛视频檚 part of the business. Was it frustrating? Absolutely, but I don无毛视频檛 hold a grudge. Maybe if they never would无毛视频檝e cut me things wouldn无毛视频檛 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: 无毛视频淧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.无毛视频�
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无毛视频檛 Bill Belichick see your ability?
MH: 无毛视频淭hat one I feel a little differently than the Jacksonville situation. I was only there for a week, so I feel like they didn无毛视频檛 have much time to really get a good look at how I move and how I play. That one I definitely understood.无毛视频�
GAME BREAKDOWN
What to look for from the Steelers this afternoon at TIAA Bank Field:
ON OFFENSE
Here无毛视频檚 the full text of what Ramsey, the Jaguars无毛视频� star cornerback, had to say about Roethlisberger in the August edition of GQ the Magazine: 无毛视频淏ig Ben, I think he无毛视频檚 decent at best. 无毛视频� It无毛视频檚 not Big Ben, it无毛视频檚 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无毛视频檛 all that. I played him twice last year and he really disappointed me.无毛视频� So, Roethlisberger will utilize his three-beast-and-a-superstar attack on a Jaguars team that无毛视频檚 ranked No. 1 against the pass, but doesn无毛视频檛 have DE Fowler, slot CB Aaron Colvin and possibly stud DT Marcell Dareus, who无毛视频檚 questionable with triceps and back injuries. It无毛视频檚 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无毛视频� 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无毛视频檚 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无毛视频檚 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无毛视频檚 team in 1993, 23-0. It was the Steelers无毛视频� only appearance in such a situation, so there无毛视频檚 my confirmation bias 无毛视频� Steelers, 26-13.
BY THE NUMBERS
4: Passes defensed by Ramsey in last year无毛视频檚 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无毛视频檙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无毛视频檚 a good sign for the Jaguars, who无毛视频檝e had their star runner active in only three games (2-1). He无毛视频檚 obviously the target of coordinator Keith Butler无毛视频檚 run defense, which hasn无毛视频檛 allowed a 100-yard rusher this season. 无毛视频淭hey ran the ball on us when they had to,无毛视频� Butler said of last season. 无毛视频淚 can无毛视频檛 say that we won无毛视频檛 miss Stephon, but it won无毛视频檛 matter. Nobody is going to say 无毛视频楬ey, let无毛视频檚 wait a second. We无毛视频檙e going to wait for Stephon to get healed before we play you guys.无毛视频� It doesn无毛视频檛 happen like that. I wish it was but it doesn无毛视频檛, so we无毛视频檝e got to go out there and play.无毛视频�
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. 无毛视频淗onestly, it无毛视频檚 just SD putting his face on these running backs,无毛视频� said Joe Haden. 无毛视频淪D these past three games 无毛视频� I无毛视频檓 calling it face time. He无毛视频檚 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无毛视频檚 basically what we无毛视频檝e been looking for and he无毛视频檚 been doing a great job the last couple games.无毛视频�
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无毛视频檝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无毛视频檚 showing this season. 无毛视频淵es,无毛视频� Tomlin said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檝e had a front-row seat for his college exploits.无毛视频� Offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner was asked about any 无毛视频渆ureka moments无毛视频� about Conner, and Fichtner said, 无毛视频淭here wasn无毛视频檛 a day (in the offseason) I didn无毛视频檛 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.无毛视频� Conner无毛视频檚 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. 无毛视频淚t really hasn无毛视频檛 been a concern,无毛视频� Fichtner said. 无毛视频淗e got his first start at tackle down in Tampa and played exceptionally well then, and he just keeps doing that. I think that无毛视频檚 just another credit to that room, and that goes back to (OL Coach Mike) Munch(ak) and (assistant OL) Coach (Shaun) Sarrett. That无毛视频檚 what they do. They keep developing and keep working with the guys.无毛视频�
PARTING SHOT
无毛视频淣ope. I don无毛视频檛 need to.无毛视频� 无毛视频� Roethlisberger on whether he put Ramsey无毛视频檚 comments on a bulletin board.