Jaguars Offense vs. Steelers Defense
This match-up is going to dictate that the Jaguars run the football. While the Steelers have the highest rated pass defense in the NFL, they have been giving up big chunks of yardage on the ground. I expect the Jaguars to give the ball to Maurice Jones-Drew early and often in an attempt to have long drives that eat up clock and keep Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense on the sideline.
Jaguars rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert has shown steady improvement over his first three starts and he will need to improve again this week in order to be successful against the Steelers. Gabbert and the offensive line catch a break in that the Steelers best pass rusher, James Harrison, will not play on Sunday. Even without Harrison, the Steelers pass rush will try to throw the kitchen sink at the rookie quarterback in an attempt to get him to make mistakes.
If the Jaguars offensive line can keep Gabbert upright and they can limit their mistakes, I think the Jaguars can put some points up on a Steelers defense that has struggled at times this season.
Jaguars Defense vs. Steelers Offense
I never thought I would see the day when the Steelers became a pass happy offense, but it is clear that the strength of the Steelers offense is Ben Roethlisberger.
The biggest question for the Jaguars will be whether or not they can put pressure on Roethlisberger and force him to turn the ball over, which he has been prolific at this year. The porous Steelers offensive line has yielded 15 sacks through only five games and should allow the Jaguars defense to get pressure with just four rushers.
Once again it will be up to the Jaguars defense to keep the team in the game as the offense continues to struggle to score points. If the defense can continue to play at a high level, create turnovers and find a way to stop the Steelers on third down the Jaguars could pull off the upset.
Prediction
While the Steelers are heavy favorites at home this week, the Jaguars have had great success winning in Pittsburgh throughout their history. If the Jaguars have any hopes of turning this season around they need to win this game on the road in a hostile environment. Another close loss could potentially send this team over the edge and put them on their way to a top five draft pick. You may call it wishful thinking, but I have a hunch that the Jaguars pull off one of the biggest upsets of this season in low scoring game.
Jaguars 20 Steelers 17
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Probable score Pittsburgh 30 Jacksonville 3