Pittsburgh Steelers 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 16
1. In what was arguably Steelers quarterback Ben Roehtlisberger's grittiest game of the season, Roethlisberger proved why he is one of the league's top quarterbacks by leading a furious second-half comeback. Roethlisberger found the going tough early in the game, as the offense totaled just 66 yards in the first half. Roethlisberger, who threw for just 53 yards at the half, exploded with 261 yards and two touchdowns in the second half as the Steelers battled back from a 16-0 deficit. The Steelers signal-caller also shook off three interceptions and two sacks on the game, before coming alive when it mattered the most. His first touchdown came on a 78-yard strike to Antonio Brown, the second on an 11-yard pass to tight end Vance McDonald, and Roethlisberger's sealed the game with a 1-yard touchdown run with three seconds left on the clock.
The Steelers extended their winning streak to six games and improved to 7-2-1 on the season.
2. While Roethlisberger more than deserves the spotlight for his performance, the Steelers defense get their share of center stage for what they did in the fourth quarter. The Jaguars had their way for almost three quarters, pounding away with a punishing ground game to the tune of 179 yards and a touchdown on 43 attempts on the game. Sunday marked the first time since Week 2 that the Steelershad allowed an opponent to rush for 100 yards in a game.
But like their quarterback, the Steelers defense rose to the occasion, forcing four consecutive three-and-outs in final period, none more critical than the Jaguars' possession with 2:28 remaining in the game. In a classic tale of two halves, the Steelers clamped down hard in the second half. The Jaguarstotaled 169 yards in the first two quarters, but managed just 74 yards in the second half.
3. For three quarters, the Jaguars showed why they were a consensus preseason favorite to return to the postseason after advancing to the AFC Conference Championship last year. The Jaguars are a difficult team when the running game is firing on all cylinders and the defense is playing a complete game. Jacksonville certainly got the former category rolling, and the defense, led by cornerback Jalen Ramsey's two interceptions, held the Steelers in check.
But when needed with the game on the line, both areas failed. The Jaguars couldn't convert a first down in the fourth quarter, managing just 7 yards rushing, and the defense also couldn't stop big plays in the second half. Quarterback Blake Bortles deserves some of the blame, of course, as he failed to generate any sort of offense in the final period and was sacked three times.
The Jaguars have now lost six consecutive games and are 3-7 on the season after starting the season 2-0.
-- Herbie Teope