Jags Coming To Town

[Born2Steel]

Jags are coming in on a 4-game win streak. They’ve scored over 30 the last 2 weeks. But they also give up points. They are currently leading the AFCS. Thing is, I have not seen a single Jags game all season. I know how we have looked to this point. Curious if any of you have seen the Jags play. How do they look? Without tearing us down just because, discuss the matchup if you can.

[Mojouw]

Jags are coming in on a 4-game win streak. They’ve scored over 30 the last 2 weeks. But they also give up points. They are currently leading the AFCS. Thing is, I have not seen a single Jags game all season. I know how we have looked to this point. Curious if any of you have seen the Jags play. How do they look? Without tearing us down just because, discuss the matchup if you can.

I have seen only a very little bit. In that bit they looked fast and smooth on offense. A cohesive unit. On defense, they looked decent in coverage and against the run, but appeared to struggle to generate a pass rush.

If JPJ can limit Ridley (who seems to run hot and cold) and the LBs can keep Etienne from making the back-breaking house call run....then the Steelers have a good chance. If their big play guys use their speed to create scoring chances it is going to be a long afternoon.

I have not been able to see or read anything about their offensive line/protection. Hopefully, Watt and Highsmith can continue to wreak havoc. Honestly, it seems that all Steelers defensive gameplans have to start there. If Watt and Highsmith can make the QB uncomfortable (even with out sacks or hits)...then good things seem to happen from there.

[86WARD]

Jags 38
Steelers 16

[Edman]

Old AFC Central enemy. Jacksonville is just like the Raiders, always giving the Steelers problems, and this time, they're actually a solid team. Will be a tight contest as usual.

[ShadesOfSteel1172]

24-20 and could go either way with that score. Steelers will consistently stay under 30 points cause they only decide to play one half or one quarter of football

Sent from my SM-S911U using Tapatalk

[DuckHodges]

Jagoffs

[cubanstogie]

Steelers 20-16. My main worry is Ettiene getting 125 plus with one long run for TD. I think they pic Trevor and get a couple turnovers.

[Steeler-in-west]

Well it’s going to be at home so I feel good about that. I hope we can control their rushing attack. Austin has his work cut out for him.

And KP picks up where he left off last week - he should. Going to be a tight game.

[Born2Steel]

The Jags are division leader at 5-2 and winners of 4 in a row. Teams on winning streaks tend to stick to what’s working. We have to make that stop working. Etienne is another very tough RB. Another rookie RT but a pretty good OL altogether. And a mobile QB with a very good arm. I think this is another week the defense has to win it more than the offense. Set the offense up with short fields, maybe a defensive score. Plus Boz’s foot. I would love to see our offense find a higher gear. Just don’t see it.

[tube517]

As one analyst said, you can't let the Steelers "hang around"

They seem to lose every statistical category each game and still wind up winning. I can't explain it but that's their identity right now.

IF the score is close within one scoren after 3 quarters then the Steelers have a shot.

This is the start of 3 home games. Getting 2 out of 3 would be nice.

[Mojouw]

As one analyst said, you can't let the Steelers "hang around"

They seem to lose every statistical category each game and still wind up winning. I can't explain it but that's their identity right now.

IF the score is close within one scoren after 3 quarters then the Steelers have a shot.

This is the start of 3 home games. Getting 2 out of 3 would be nice.

Yup! This year's team is a slightly more explosive version of the Duck Hodges-Mason Rudolph team.

On both sides of the ball, they are a bit more reliant on the big play. This defense isn't as total shut-down as that one was. But they force turnovers and punts in big stages of the game. The offense, I have a belief can be better than that squad's.

Regardless, it is the same formula. Force the other team to play at your pace. Keep it a first one to 20 wins kinda game. Hang around and make more gritty plays in "weighty" moments.

And I do NOT want to derail this entire thread...but this is one of the reasons I scratch my head when I hear the "Fire Tomlin" crowd. It is hard for me to see a "bad" or "unprepared" coach when almost every single time his teams (this has been going on for years now) out-perform their opponents when the situation is the most intense. That, to me, is a well-lead and evidence of strong coaching effort. For almost all of Tomlin's tenure, you can see the body language reaction (regardless of score) late in games when the camera cuts to the "tense shots" of each sideline. The Steelers rarely look worried or concerned. Other teams are slumped on the bench or huddled nervously on the sidelines looking like "Here we go again with this crap. How are we about to lose to this team?"

There are a number of things I wish Tomlin did different. And I do not know for sure that those would produce better results. But I wouldn't mind seeing it. I wonder if that is the case for others? Just not a fan of the style? Anyways....back to the Jags.

Etienne and Lawrence are good. That is about all I know for sure...

[El Kabong]

Yup! This year's team is a slightly more explosive version of the Duck Hodges-Mason Rudolph team.

On both sides of the ball, they are a bit more reliant on the big play. This defense isn't as total shut-down as that one was. But they force turnovers and punts in big stages of the game. The offense, I have a belief can be better than that squad's.

Regardless, it is the same formula. Force the other team to play at your pace. Keep it a first one to 20 wins kinda game. Hang around and make more gritty plays in "weighty" moments.

And I do NOT want to derail this entire thread...but this is one of the reasons I scratch my head when I hear the "Fire Tomlin" crowd. It is hard for me to see a "bad" or "unprepared" coach when almost every single time his teams (this has been going on for years now) out-perform their opponents when the situation is the most intense. That, to me, is a well-lead and evidence of strong coaching effort. For almost all of Tomlin's tenure, you can see the body language reaction (regardless of score) late in games when the camera cuts to the "tense shots" of each sideline. The Steelers rarely look worried or concerned. Other teams are slumped on the bench or huddled nervously on the sidelines looking like "Here we go again with this crap. How are we about to lose to this team?"

There are a number of things I wish Tomlin did different. And I do not know for sure that those would produce better results. But I wouldn't mind seeing it. I wonder if that is the case for others? Just not a fan of the style? Anyways....back to the Jags.

Etienne and Lawrence are good. That is about all I know for sure...

Criticisms of Tomlin I've seen are that in 2023 you have to win with offense. He is too conservative on offense. He needs to stop playing attrition football and build an offense to score 30 ppg come out passing and don't stop passing and scoring until the game is over and follow analytics and go for it on 4th downs. It would also help if he'd win a playoff game again sometime.

[pczach]

Criticisms of Tomlin I've seen are that in 2023 you have to win with offense. He is too conservative on offense. He needs to stop playing attrition football and build an offense to score 30 ppg come out passing and don't stop passing and scoring until the game is over and follow analytics and go for it on 4th downs. It would also help if he'd win a playoff game again sometime.

But that's just it. Nobody is demanding they average 30 points per game. Up until this Sunday they have been averaging like 15 points a game. It's nearly impossible to win that way.

Even if this team can find a way to put up 23-25 points per game, they are going to win a lot of games and probably be competitive in every one of them. They need to just possess the ball more and limit the amount of possessions the opposing offense gets every game. That alone would be huge. It would keep the defense more rested and improve the field position by making opponents go the length of the field more often.

[Mojouw]

But that's just it. Nobody is demanding they average 30 points per game. Up until this Sunday they have been averaging like 15 points a game. It's nearly impossible to win that way.

Even if this team can find a way to put up 23-25 points per game, they are going to win a lot of games and probably be competitive in every one of them. They need to just possess the ball more and limit the amount of possessions the opposing offense gets every game. That alone would be huge. It would keep the defense more rested and improve the field position by making opponents go the length of the field more often.

That’s a totally reasonable bar to clear. The offense just needs to get to the point that the Steelers have a margin for error. The NFL is likely the most competitive pro league going. It’s incredibly difficult to win.

The biggest issue with the 2018 to present Steelers is the ridiculous amount of possessions they allow the other side.

Ever notice how like once a game the opponent goes on that long back-breaking TD drive? Well you give ANY NFL team a dozen cracks at it and they’re gonna put a drive together. All these guys are pretty good.

[El Kabong]

But that's just it. Nobody is demanding they average 30 points per game. Up until this Sunday they have been averaging like 15 points a game. It's nearly impossible to win that way.

Even if this team can find a way to put up 23-25 points per game, they are going to win a lot of games and probably be competitive in every one of them. They need to just possess the ball more and limit the amount of possessions the opposing offense gets every game. That alone would be huge. It would keep the defense more rested and improve the field position by making opponents go the length of the field more often.

I see what you're saying, but I have seen posts by guys literally saying the Steelers should be trying to score 30 ppg.

[Rotorhead]

Need to limit Etienne and make them 1D. They really only have one top WR. If we can do that we can take this W. Their def isn’t what it was a couple of years ago, and their pass def is third worst in the league.

Once again we will need a great Def effort unless our offense picks up where it left off.

[steel striker]

The Jags have always been tough for the Steelers to beat and, they have to stop the run to have a chance to win this game. It would be nice if the offense could score a TD on the first drive probably send me into shock if that happened!

[Born2Steel]

The Jags have always been tough for the Steelers to beat and, they have to stop the run to have a chance to win this game. It would be nice if the offense could score a TD on the first drive probably send me into shock if that happened!

And, that opening drive TD be scored by DJ!

[Mojouw]

And, that opening drive TD be scored by DJ!

[Born2Steel]

Is that fainting, waiting, dying, I didn't get it. I'm really not that clever.

[Mojouw]

Is that fainting, waiting, dying, I didn't get it. I'm really not that clever.

It was the first image Google fed my when I searched funny old time fainting or something like that.

If DJ scores a TD on the opening drive, I’m gonna fall off my dang couch.

[ETL]

Jags always give the Steelers trouble. Hopefully Tomlin has figured out what went wrong in the past.

I would put as many in the box and stop Etienne and their TE and let JPJ be one on one with Ridley

[DuckHodges]

Jags always give the Steelers trouble. Hopefully Tomlin has figured out what went wrong in the past.

I would put as many in the box and stop Etienne and their TE and let JPJ be one on one with Ridley

Big Ben always had his worst games vs the Jags. Like those 3-5 INT games

[Mojouw]

Big Ben always had his worst games vs the Jags. Like those 3-5 INT games

What was their safety's name? Mathis? He seemed to always just bait Ben into INTs. I feel like Ben had more INTs to that one guy than any other defender.

[DuckHodges]

What was their safety's name? Mathis? He seemed to always just bait Ben into INTs. I feel like Ben had more INTs to that one guy than any other defender.

Yeah i wouldn't doubt it, he seemed to have Ben's number

[HollywoodSteel]

I don’t understand this “the Jags have our number” thing. What does that mean when you’re talking about a team with none of the same players on it? The uniforms have our number?

It’s different if we’re talking about something like going out west to the Raiders puts us at a disadvantage, but there’s nothing magical about the Jacksonville franchise itself, especially since we play in Pittsburgh. The ghost of Blake Bortles isn’t coming for us.

That said, this Jags team is actually better than many of the past iterations we’ve faced. This one has a legit QB, no disrespect to the aforementioned Bortles.

But I’m feeling optimistic. Home field advantage will mean something in this one. We win it by making a FG and them missing one. Or something like that.

[Edman]

I don’t understand this “the Jags have our number” thing. What does that mean when you’re talking about a team with none of the same players on it? The uniforms have our number?

It’s different if we’re talking about something like going out west to the Raiders puts us at a disadvantage, but there’s nothing magical about the Jacksonville franchise itself, especially since we play in Pittsburgh. The ghost of Blake Bortles isn’t coming for us.

That said, this Jags team is actually better than many of the past iterations we’ve faced. This one has a legit QB, no disrespect to the aforementioned Bortles.

But I’m feeling optimistic. Home field advantage will mean something in this one. We win it by making a FG and them missing one. Or something like that.

The 2017 Steelers were highly flawed and won a lot of close games to inferior teams that season. They were rarely, if ever dominant, and they were arrogant and unfocused. The Defense couldn't tackle or cover, and their secondary was horrid. Anyone would've went into Heinz and handled that team, especially without Shazier.

I think its Steelers fans overcompensating for the arrogance they previously showed Jacksonville in the past and PTSD from the late Ben years. Instead of simply respecting them as an opponent, they now view them as this magical team that the Steelers somehow can't beat. Never mind the fact that the overall series is 14-13 and Pittsburgh has won two straight against them. On the other side, Jacksonville is favored and highly arrogant. They're 5-2 and playing a team that on paper they should be able to handle.

The Jaguars are a legitimate foe, but that's it. This isn't some dynasty.

[86WARD]

I wouldn’t call Lawrence “legit” quite yet. He’s a slightly better version of Kenny Pickett at the moment. If you watched him play this year, he hasn’t been playing great. Maybe my definition of legit is different but Lawrence hasn’t been my version of legit.

[Steeler-in-west]

I wouldn’t call Lawrence “legit” quite yet. He’s a slightly better version of Kenny Pickett at the moment. If you watched him play this year, he hasn’t been playing great. Maybe my definition of legit is different but Lawrence hasn’t been my version of legit.

I’m pretty sure Lawrence’s success is tied to Etienne, stop the run and see if lawrence can beat jp Jr and the rest of the secondary

[86WARD]

Diontae Johnson not practicing due to hamstring?