NFL Jacksonville JaguarsPittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: Predicting the Final Score

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Charles LeClaire-USA Today Sports

Charles LeClaire-USA Today Sports

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off an embarrassing loss to the winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Heinz Field, failing to put away the Buccaneers several times at the end of the game. The collapse ended with the Steelers giving up a game-winning touchdown pass with seven seconds left on the clock.

Now, they will travel to take on a winless Jacksonville Jaguars team. The Steelers have struggled to play a complete game this season with sporadic scoring and spotty defense. They also have struggled against sub-.500 teams over the past two years under coach Mike Tomlin, going just 6-9.

The Jaguars have plenty of struggles of their own and are trying to avoid their third straight 0-5 start. So far this year, Jacksonville has been outscored 152-58, being blown out by the San Diego Chargers, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles. The Jaguars have the worst offense in the NFL, so that’s why they have turned to top pick Blake Bortles.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger says he sees a lot of himself in the Jaguars’ rookie quarterback. Bortles was fairly impressive in his first career start last week, completing 29 of 37 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown. He threw mostly short passes, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him open it up this week against the questionable Steelers’ defense. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau has a knack for pummeling rookie quarterbacks, but this year, Lebeau’s defense looks slow and lost.

When it comes to the running game, the Steelers are head and shoulders above the Jaguars. Le’Veon Bell has emerged as a premiere back this season, racking up 378 yards on the ground through four games with a touchdown. He also has hauled in 19 passes for 192 yards. On the flip side, Toby Gerhart has been a huge disappointment for the Jaguars, carrying 44 times for just 114 yards and 1 TD. He also has a measly 63 yards receiving.

The Jaguars’ defense is an aggressive group and has recorded 12 sacks through four games. This could spell trouble for Roethlisberger and the Steelers’ offensive line, which is still unproven. If the Jags can get pressure on Roethlisberger, it could turn into a long day for the Steelers’ offense. But if the run game gets going and the offensive line protects Big Ben, the Steelers could put up big numbers on Sunday.

The Jaguars have beaten the Steelers 12 of the 22 times the franchises have faced each other. That includes going 7-4 against the Steelers in Jacksonville. The last matchup was in 2011 at Heinz Field, and the Steelers beat the Jaguars 17-13.

Final prediction: I expect a big game from Bell, and once the ground game starts opening up holes, Roethlisberger will pick the Jaguars’ secondary apart. Bortles will show some flashes of greatness for the Jags, but not enough to overcome the Steelers. The Steelers will get the road win 34-17.

 

Nate Vandergrift is a Pirates writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @natevandergrift, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

RELATED LINKS:

Le’Veon Bell X-Factor for Steelers

Bortles and Roethlisberger Comparisons

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