Tag: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Steelers WR George Pickens’ immaturity costs Pittsburgh once again

Mike Tomlin needs to have a stern talking to George Pickens (who should probably learn from Chase Claypool’s past).

Mike Tomlin needs to have a stern talk to his young wide receiver, George Pickens. His immaturity costs the Pittsburgh Steelers for a second straight week — this time with significantly more significant consequences.

Although the NFL has loved fining the Steelers for dumb stuff this season, it’s not something he’ll be fined for. Like Chase Claypool’s celebrating a first down as the clock ran down, Pickens celebrated a then-ruled catch. What he should’ve done was hurry up to the line so the Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t have time to challenge.

Instead, with more time to get the call from upstairs to throw the challenge flag, the play was reviewed and ruled a no-catch, forcing Pittsburgh to punt. With the ball back, Jacksonville took no time to get downfield, no thanks to a huge catch and score by running back Travis Etienne.

Pickens quickly made up for it on the following drive with an explosive 22-yard touchdown from Steelers great Mitch Trubisky.

But it was all for naught, as Pittsburgh loses its first of three consecutive home games by a score of 20-10 and falls to 4-3.

In Pittsburgh’s Week 7 win over the Rams, a Pickens taunting penalty negated an 18-yard gain by Diontae Johnson. It cost not only the team but also himself when he was levied a $8,528 fine on Saturday.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

 

Steelers vs. Jaguars: Pittsburgh’s final injury report ahead of Week 8

3 Steelers CBs, including Joey Porter Jr., are questionable vs. Jags.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ final injury report for their Week 8 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars includes 10 players. The game status for three cornerbacks, Joey Porter Jr. (calf), Levi Wallace (foot) and James Pierre (ankle) is questionable.

Here’s the full rundown, according to Steelers.com.

Steelers vs. Jaguars: 4 new names, including Joey Porter Jr., pop up on Week 8 injury report

Here we go again.

Four new players, including Joey Porter Jr. (calf) and Diontae Johnson (hamstring) were listed on Thursday’s injury report for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It’s unclear whether Johnson’s injury is a re-aggravation of what sidelined him for four games. Porter told Steelers media he’s playing Sunday, so that’s a relief.

Here’s the full rundown, courtesy of Steelers.com.

Josh Allen knee injury not believed to be severe, ligaments weren’t damaged

Early Monday morning, Ian Rapoport reported that the injury is believed not to be a severe one based on his initial tests.

The Jacksonville Jaguars endured a lot of injuries during their Week 11 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the most significant was the knee injury defensive end Josh Allen suffered. After he was helped off the field by trainers and unable to put weight on it, many were concerned about the severity, however, according to several reports, it appears he dodged a bullet.

Early Monday morning, Ian Rapoport reported that the injury is believed not to be a severe one based on his initial tests. Later in the day, Doug Marrone added to that by saying Allen could miss time although the injury didn’t involve ligament damage.

This is certainly good news for Allen and the team, though it looks like there is a chance he could end the season on injured reserve. With the Jags knocking on the door of being eliminated from playoff contention, Allen’s impact was unlikely to make a big enough difference to change the outcome of the season anyway.

Allen hasn’t had the season he was quite hoping for with just 13 total tackles and 2.3 sacks on the season. However, the same could be said for the rest of the defensive line who haven’t helped all that much aside from Doug Costin and DaVon Hamilton, who are starting to find their way.

With Allen’s situation unfolding, it looks as though the Cleveland Browns’ chances to put the Jags at double-digit losses are pretty high. Add in the rest of the injuries the Jags endured Sunday, and their chances for a win look even slimmer for Week 12.

Jaguars injury news: DE Josh Allen doubtful to return vs. Steelers with knee injury

Aside from their opening drive, not a lot has gone well for the Jacksonville Jaguars as they are currently playing the Pittsburgh Steelers. With just a quarter left to be played, they’ve found themselves down 17-3 with injuries piling up. INJURY …

Aside from their opening drive, not a lot has gone well for the Jacksonville Jaguars as they are currently playing the Pittsburgh Steelers. With just a quarter left to be played, they’ve found themselves down 17-3 with injuries piling up.

The most recent injury to occur was on defense as defensive end Josh Allen exited the game with a knee injury. He was down on the ground for a while and the trainers came to look at him, which led to him eventually being helped off the field. He wasn’t able to put a lot of weight on the knee and was ruled doubtful to return to the game late in the third quarter.

After a phenomenal rookie season in 2019, Allen hadn’t been having the season he was hoping for in 2020, coming into Week 11 with 13 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Still, he’s definitely the best pass-rusher when there is help from the interior and his loss would be a huge blow as the Jags are already ranked No. 30 in terms of overall defense.

We’ll have more on Allen’s situation when it becomes available.

Jaguars vs. Steelers: 3 keys to a Jacksonville victory

The Steelers are sporadic against the run, which is why James Robinson may give the Jags their best chance for a win.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be the latest team to try and end the Pittsburgh Steelers’ undefeated dreams this afternoon when the two teams face off at TIAA Bank Field. The fortunes of these two franchises could hardly be further apart in 2020 as both are on opposite ends of the NFL in terms success.

The Jaguars come into this one hoping to avoid their ninth-straight defeat (and owner Shad Khan’s 100th loss in less than a decade) whilst the Steelers are looking to make it a perfect 10-from-10 to start the season.

Despite the optics, things aren’t quite as desperate as they seem for Jacksonville. In the last two matchups, they’ve lost by six points or less and were in both games well into the fourth quarter. That includes a nail-biting loss to the 7-2 Green Bay Packers last weekend.

Victory isn’t out of the question today as the Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback carousel nearly bested Pittsburgh last week, so rookie Jake Luton should be going into this game confident that a win is not off the table. Of course, luck will have to be on the Jaguars side, but here are three keys to a possible Jaguars upset:

James Robinson is really good, folks

Not only is James Robinson a sensational talent, the Steelers’ pass-rush is better. The best thing the Jaguars can do is give the ball to Robinson and watch him work. The fewer dropbacks for Luton the better.

Most would anticipate that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is going to set his team up to make the rookie quarterback have to beat him, but if the Jaguars’ offensive line can successfully pave lanes, Jacksonville’s chances are better. If they do their part, Robinson is going to be the one to benefit from it as the Jags are without Chris Thompson and Laviska Shenault Jr. this week.

While that’s a lot of pressure, it seems like this young man has the nerves for it. That’s just another reason to put the game in his hands and see if he can recreate the success fans witness greats like Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew have against Pittsburgh.

Stop the explosive plays on defense

As previously mentioned, the Jags’ last two losses were by six points or less, but a key to those losses are the fact that they’ve given up a touchdown of 70-yards or more in both individual games. Things have improved defensively coming out of the bye week, but Todd Wash simply must find a way to limit the explosive plays from Pittsburgh’s offense.

This was always going to be a difficult task as the Steelers’ offense boasts human highlight reels Chase Claypool and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Simply put, both are more than capable of taking the tops off opposing defenses, or turning catches upfield and making blockbuster plays.

Things are going to be that much harder this week as the Jaguars will go into this game without their two best defensive backs. Rookie C.J. Henderson has been placed on injured reserve with a groin problem, whilst surprise-star Sidney Jones IV was ruled inactive for the game. Not having both certainly spells trouble for the Jags’ passing defense, which was already the league’s third-worst group.

Win the turnover battle

Only two times this season have the Jaguars won the turnover battle in 2020. The first game in which they did it was Week 1 against the Colts in their only win and the second instance was last week against the Packers. That, of course, was the key to the Jags being in the game late against Aaron Rodgers and company.

Turnovers are always a crucial part of any football game, but rarely do a team’s turnovers share such a direct resemblance to their record. Jacksonville has lost every game this season in which they’ve turned the ball over in 2020. So given Pittsburgh’s talent on both sides of the ball, the Jaguars simply cannot afford to cough up possession.

On the other side of the ball, Wash will have his hands full. He’ll be looking to become the first defensive coordinator in three weeks to get the Steelers’ offense to commit a turnover. If he can achieve the feat, it could help tremendously if the game is a close one.

3 bold predictions for Steelers vs. Jags

The Jags might not win Week 11’s game against the Steelers, but their offense I made to have success against Pittsburgh with James Robinson.

With them being established in 1995, the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8) don’t have the history that other NFL teams do, but one team they’ve had some classic moments with are the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-0). As a result, they’ve established one of the league’s most underrated rivalries and will get to add the next chapter Sunday.

To the surprise of many, the Jags actually own this rivalry record-wise by a slim 14-12 margin, but the Steelers’ chances of closing that Sunday are high. At the same time, the Jags are one of the more dangerous one-win teams fans will find, and for that reason, the Steelers are on upset alert.

While we don’t believe an upset will be the result of Week 11’s game, it certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibilities. Regardless of the outcome though, here are a few bold predictions we could see unfolding in the Jags’ favor Sunday afternoon:

James Robinson snags a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown

Jaguars running backs have had their share of success against the Steelers, whether it was Fred Taylor in his youth or Maurice Jones-Drew who hurt them both on the ground and on special teams. Unfortunately, neither will suit up against the Steelers Sunday but a young ascending star named James Robinson will.

The undrafted rookie will come into the game leading all rookies in terms of scrimmage yards with 917, which is also good for the fourth-highest total in the NFL. That means he needs 83 yards to hit 1,000, which would make him the fifth undrafted rookie to do so in the common draft era. Although he may not have a 100-yard day rushing, chances are he will be able to hit the 83-yard mark when looking at his total scrimmage yard. In fact, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him get 100 total scrimmage yards, but with that, I think he helps fellow rookie Jake Luton by contributing a rushing touchdown and receiving one.

D.J. Chark explodes on the Steelers for 150 yards or more

While Luton is going up against a Steelers defense that ranks No. 6 overall and tenth against the pass, a solid day going deep to D.J. Chark shouldn’t be ruled out for the rookie. The main reasons for that is because we’ve seen the two connect deep early in Luton’s tenure and the Steelers have allowed two pass-catchers to register over 150 receiving yards on them this season. Those players are A.J. Brown of the Tennessee Titans and Travis Fulgham of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Chark is just as talented as both of those players with a Pro Football Focus grade of 74.0 and he’ll be up against two perimeter corners in Joe Hayden and Steven Nelson who have grades of 62.5 and 69.7, respectfully. That said, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him snag a few deep receptions as it may be Luton’s short-range accuracy that is the issue.

The Jags’ linebacking corps garners two turnovers

When it comes to garnering turnovers, the Jags linebacking corps may be the key. We’ve witnessed Myles Jack pick off Ben Roethlisberger in the past and the young linebacker is now a much better player. He’ll enter the game with the third-highest PFF grade at his position (85.7) and is playing at an All-Pro level this season. That’s partly due to having a coverage grade of 76.8, which could mean he’ll snag one against Roethlisberger, who has garnered a lot of wins in Jacksonville but has also thrown his share of picks against the Jags.

Another player whois quite familiar with Roethlisberger is MIKE linebacker Joe Schobert, who spent four seasons in the AFC North. In fact, just last year Schobert had a two-interception game against the Steelers, though it came while Mason Rudolph was the quarterback. Still, with him understanding Roethlisberger’s tendencies, don’t be shocked if he can snag a pick or force a fumble against a team he’s registered six starts against.

Will the Steelers-Jaguars Week 11 game be on TV in your area?

The Jags and Steelers game will be widely televised on the east coast this Sunday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will get a crack at the league’s lone undefeated team in the Pittsburgh Steelers, who will travel to North Florida this Sunday. While both are no longer in the same division, the meeting will mark a rivalry game that has a bit of interesting history behind it.

The Jags will come into this game with the second-worst record in football (1-8), but despite that many Pittsburgh Steelers fans are on high alert. That anxiety is certainly justified when considering the Jags lead the all-time series by a narrow 14-12 margin. Additionally, the last two games between both teams were decided by margins of four (2018) and three (2017 playoffs).

This will be another 1:00 pm EST kickoff for the Jags. Per 506 Sports, those who live in the blue shaded areas will be able to see the game.

Calling the game this week will be Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and Charles Davis (color commentator) for Sunday’s game at TIAA Bank Field.

While Steelers fans may come into this one a bit nervous, the Jags will have an uphill battle on their hands. They will come into the game without several key players, including quarterback Gardner Minshew II. That will put sixth-round rookie Jake Luton in a situation where he will be up against the No. 6 ranked defense in just his third start.

The Jags also could be without starting cornerback Sidney Jones IV (Achilles), who was ruled questionable on the final injury report. If he can’t go, that would put the Jags in a situation where both of their top-2 corners would be out as C.J. Henderson was placed on injured reserve this week.

Week 11 final injury report: Jags rule 2 out vs. Steelers, 3 others ruled questionable

The Jags might be without their starting cornerbacks with C.J. Henderson on IR and Sidney Jones IV being ruled questionable.

Initially, it looked as though the Jacksonville Jaguars would be in good shape health-wise for their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers but there are now some concerns as five players surfaced on their final injury report. Specifically, there were three players ruled questionable and two ruled OUT.

The players who were ruled out were quarterback Gardner Minshew (thumb), cornerback Sidney Jones (Achilles), and receiver Collin Johnson (hamstring). However, of the three, Minshew isn’t expected to play though he was limited this week and was expected to begin throwing against air again, according to coach Doug Marrone. As a result, rookie quarterback Jake Luton resumed practice as the starter.

As for Jones and Johnson, they both surfaced on the injury report on Wednesday and were limited from then to Thursday. Of the two, the absence of Jones may be the toughest to deal with because the Jags would be without their two starting corners on the perimeter after C.J. Henderson went on injured reserve this week. That said, if Jones can’t go, Tre Herndon and rookie Chris Claybrooks would likely start while D.J. Hayden will be activated from injured reserve (which is expected) to play nickelback.

As seen above, Laviska Shenault Jr. (hamstring) was ruled out for his second consecutive week and tight end James O’Shaughnessy (knee) won’t play either. This comes after neither player participated in practice Wednesday and Thursday. However, based on the news Ian Rapoport provided earlier in the month, Shenault should be back shortly as he received a positive evaluation in a recent MRI.

Listen: Jags Wire joins 93.7 FM The Fan to talk Steelers vs. Jags

Jags Wire’s James Johnson and Mike Koll of 93.7 FM The Fan previewed the state of the Jags as they get ready for the Steelers Week 11.

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers may be on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to winning, but history says their matchup Week 11 could be a close one. In fact, their last two meetings have been decided by no more than four points.

To discuss the Jags’ outlook heading into Sunday, we joined 93.7 FM The Fan’s “Early Morning Show” to talk about a variety of key topics. Those topics included some concerns Pittsburgh should have when looking at the Jags, the emergence of James Robinson, some key Jags players on defense, plus more.

To hear it all, simply click on he link below.