Playoffs DIV Round vs JAGS 2.0

[ATL96Steeler]

The table was set yesterday afternoon about 4p. I watched a good portion of the JAX WC game vs BUF...for a while it didn't seem like either team wanted to score a TD.

BUF is a flawed OFC and calling a spade a spade, Taylor just doesn't make enough plays. To his credit, he made enought to win this game but his WRs and that includes TEs and RBs...they let their QB down with too many drops...TDs dropped, key 1st downs dropped, key 1st downs, the TE can't run his pattern in bounds, just amazingly inept play by his weapons.

Keeping in that spade is a spade mode...the JAX OFC looked like shit too.

In the end the athleticism of the JAX DEF made some plays and the Jags move on to the DIV round.

As the #3 seed, they will face our Steelers at Heinz Field Sunday...again. We all remember the beatdown performance, easily the low point of the season at the hands of these same Jags in week 5...embarrassed...30-9 at home.

Some things were said by the young upstart Jags that I'm sure has become bulletin board material for the Steelers this week.

A quick tale of the tape.

PIT...OFC 8th ranked, DEF, 7th ranked...both are good indicators of how the team is playing I think.

JAX...OFC 5th ranked, DEF 2nd ranked. The DEF has been good all season, but the OFC is not playing like a top 5 unit right now.

Health...lets start with the main man, Antonio Brown...via social media, he's put it out there that he's fine and will be ready for the game. There were some other guys that are nursing health issue...Pouncey (hernia) I haven't heard any update here, but I don't see Finney on the list so that's good.

Outlook...The Jags obviously have a very good DEF that gave the Steelers OL and OFC a lot of problems in that week 5 game. I'm pretty sure Ben will play better than his 5 pick performance. Looking the way both teams are playing right now. PIT OFC vs JAX...I'm expecting a much better showing on the ground and more players involved in the game plan.

PIT D vs JAX...keep Forunette in check this time, force Bortles to beat them. I expect Davis in the box all game and he better bring his big boy pads but I'm expecting this group to rally to the ball in good fashion and make whatever yds Fournette gets well earned this time. I expect them to be a little more aggressive early maybe to get Bortles some confidence, but I'm not seeing more than 17 against the Steelers this week.

I like PIT 24-13

What say you?

 

[Ojb81]

If the Steelers show up motivated and not waiting on the opponent to make a move:
Steelers 29
Jags 17

If the Steelers come out lackadaisical and without a sense of purpose or coherent game plan:
Jags 27
Steelers 13

 

[ATL96Steeler]

If the Steelers show up motivated and not waiting on the opponent to make a move:
Steelers 29
Jags 17

If the Steelers come out lackadaisical and without a sense of purpose or coherent game plan:
Jags 27
Steelers 13

Those Steelers have some pride...hearing stuff like "this was too easy". I'm pretty confident the players will be ready to go.

The Steeler OFC needs to bring their A game for sure, but I don't see any possibility of that OFC we saw yesterday scoring 27 pts.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Man there's a lot I want to say from all the thoughts I've been having over the last day or so... Hopefully I can regurgitate it all without getting winded, or forget anything lol.

Offense... All eyes are going to be on Ben this week, for good reason. Aside from the flukey week 5 performance, he already gave the media his wish last week and now he has to live up to that. This season Pittsburgh has loved to throw the ball at home. They drop back to pass over 40 times a game at home. No other team does that. Couple that with a red hot QB that was the best QB in the league during the 2nd half of the season, not to mention has a huge chip on his shoulder after the week 5 debacle... We could be in for one helluva show. Ben has been playing stellar football lately and I don't have any doubts about that against JAX. Weather is going to play a factor and I hope the Steelers use that to their advantage. Jags are used to playing in sunny Florida and now have to travel north to play in 20deg forecasted weather with a chance for snow. Its easy to think the Steelers are going to lean heavily on Bell, but something tells me they won't be shy about passing. Steelers are more equipped to play in this weather than the Jags will be. That is a something many people seem to forget about playoff football at Heinz field. Everyone is talking about how well the Jags pass D stacks up against the Steelers but I'm not worried. AB is playing coy about his availability, but he's going to play. Reporters are already making headlines about how good he looked in practice today. The only question will be about how rusty he could be. But fear not, the silver lining to AB's injury in week 15 was it forced Ben to develop more trust in his offense. He has now established a good trust with Juju, and arguably Marty B & McDonald. Juju will be the x-factor when the Jags sell out to stop AB & Bell. The O-line also wants to prove themselves so I don't think there is any lacking motivational factors for this unit at all. If the Jags D holds true to its #2 ranking, then this game could boil down to T.O.P.

Defense... The recipe is obvious. Bortles is garbage and they lean heavily on Fournette. Steelers need to sell out essentially to stop the run and force Bortles to throw. That will likely mean putting Haden & Burns on an island more frequently but those boys are up to the task. Davis is going to be a busy man at the LOS. Not overly enthused when thinking about Mitchell being the centerfielder again, but Bortles doesn't scare me enough to worry about it. Even if Bortles comes out gouging the secondary I would expect Butler to make the necessary adjustments. Butler has made it very well known that he intends to focus on stopping the run. I'm expecting the front 7 to show up big.

Point blank there are a lot of pro's going in the Steelers' favor for this game. But it will all boil down to how clean they can play. It's a shot at redemption and chance to prove to the world how good this team is when its healthy. Its very rare, or at least it feels that way, that the Steelers have something to prove in a playoff game. IMO the Jags are about to walk into a perfect storm. I'm not expecting fireworks out the gate, but sooner or later the levee is gonna break.

But still gotta mind that juju...

Jaguars 17 - Steelers 13



edit: ....so much for not getting winded

 

[Bridgeburner]

With how hot Ben is (and as Face pointed out) how much they like to throw at home... I want to say stick with what has had the offense running and keep doing that. But I can't shake the feeling that the offense needs to rely on Bell this week, against this defense. Get him going, feed him A LOT, and let Ben pound the nail in the coffin with some big plays.

I'm worried about facing the Jags running game without Shazier. If they sell out to stop the run (which they have to do) and it doesn't work... ugh. Could be a long game.

Steelers 24
Jaguars 16

 

[Bridgeburner]

But let me tell you gentleman... I am SO PUMPED for this post season it's unreal.

I see a Steeler sticker or commercial and I pee a little. I don't even care who knows.

I may have even peed a little typing this.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

But let me tell you gentleman... I am SO PUMPED for this post season it's unreal.

I see a Steeler sticker or commercial and I pee a little. I don't even care who knows.

I may have even peed a little typing this.

Same here. For me the feeling really set in when I saw videos surface of AB running again. Instantly my mind went, "this team may finally be 100% in the postseason"

And not only that...

"Ben is playing arguably the best football of his career"

"Bell just won AFC offensive player of the month"

"Juju is becoming unstoppable, and adds a huge element to ST"

"The starting O-line only gave up 5-6 sacks in the month of December"

"Bryant & McDonald are contributing"



.....This offense is primed for a big run. Sky's the limit.

*hairs standing up on my neck*

 

[NorthCoastSteelersFan]

Jagoffs won't beat us twice in our house.

30-14 Steelers.


And let's hope that the Titans pull an upset on the Traitriots.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I'm pretty enthused about this game too.

The Steelers are playing their best football on both sides of the ball right now imo. Even w/o Shazier the DEF has playmakers. Yes, I'm concerned about the big pass play...JAX has to try 2 or 3 deep shots at least. And with Fournette being the #1 weapon...I think Hargrave should get a healthy number of snaps in base if game one is any indication...interesting to see how many snaps Hilton gets...don't want to take him off the field.

OFC... I think Haley will dial up a pretty aggressive game plan via the air...but if they get a 2 possession lead in the 2nd half I think they will pound Bell more. The OL is the key, they got their butts kicked in week 5, so I expect they want to redeem themselves as well.

My general thought...if JAX tries to establish Fournette early the Steelers will be ready for it, and they will probably make it a tough day for Bortles all day. PIT will probably control it and win comfortably. I think JAX has to have Bortles be more aggressive early to force Butler into a change.

 

[SJ20]

I have a lot to say on this so here goes: The Steelers have to be one of the better disrespected teams of all time. I mean, they just don't seem to get enough love in the national media. Oh well. I do hope the weather gets cold for Sunday as they say will happen. However, the Jaguars have not only won here before in the playoffs (07) but in that season became the FIRST team to ever beat the Steelers TWICE at home in the same season. And that was Tomlin's first season in Pittsburgh.

Next, this whole thing with people saying Ben should be careful for wanting to play the Jaguars. Umm, hello, he's not saying that because he thinks they're going to be easy to beat. He just wants another crack at them after that fluke of a performance he had against them in week 5.

This reminds me of last year with Miami except for the first game being in Miami last year. Remember Ajayi ran for about 200 yards then Miami came here in January and he had maybe 10 yards? They have to contain Fournette and they will be right where they want to be.

Nobody mentioned this yet, but Bortles concerns me in one major area, his RUNNING ability. The guy is sneaky fast. We have to keep him from extending drives with his feet and get our D off the field.


The Steelers O should be able to score. Yes, they have a soild D. But we have maybe the best WR, and RB in the game and a HOF QB. I want to see Haley open it up a bit. Stop with the conservative offense. We need touchdowns on every opportunity.


Steelers 20
Jaguars 12

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

The Steelers shouldn't fear any matchup in the playoffs this year. Respect your opponent, yes... But fear them, no. I agree with Ben and Co openly wanting to face Jacksonville for redemption’s sake. Competition in the postseason is supposed to be a challenge. If this team has evolved like we think they have, they'll rise to it.

I'm all in on "The Revenge Tour".

But I'd still be all in regardless lol

 

[Mike A. S.]

Jagoffs won't beat us twice in our house.

30-14 Steelers.


And let's hope that the Titans pull an upset on the Traitriots.

Jaguars get second chance to win twice in Pittsburgh

 

[Bridgeburner]

Same here. For me the feeling really set in when I saw videos surface of AB running again. Instantly my mind went, "this team may finally be 100% in the postseason"

And not only that...

"Ben is playing arguably the best football of his career"

"Bell just won AFC offensive player of the month"

"Juju is becoming unstoppable, and adds a huge element to ST"

"The starting O-line only gave up 5-6 sacks in the month of December"

"Bryant & McDonald are contributing"



.....This offense is primed for a big run. Sky's the limit.

*hairs standing up on my neck*

HELL YEAH!

WHOOOHOOO!!!!

HERE WE GO STEELERS HERE WE GO!

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Jaguars get second chance to win twice in Pittsburgh

 

[Superbelt]

Of any team in the playoffs, the Jags are built to beat the Steelers best. Little to no passing game to speak of, but a good running game, and a QB who can burn chunks of yards with his feet too.
And that defense is one that can win a Championship.

That said, The Steelers are a better and more balanced team. So send those fuckers back to their northern Florida meth dens.

 

[Yo Tee]

Not gonna lie, I'm worried about this game. Ben can't be playing the way he did previously. I know playoff atmosphere in Heinz is much different than October football in Heinz but it's still worrying they were able to shut down Bell and Ben. The only thing that gives me hope for this game is the emergence of JuJu. I feel now we have 3 easy targets that the Jags defense needs to watch out for. I hope AB is really 100% for this game because if he's not, it's just another Super Bowl missed by injury. I dont think the Jags are gonna just lay down in this game. It's gonna be close but I feel like the Steelers have the edge here. Probably a close game, I'm thinking 6-10 point game all game long. We need to get out to a good start also. Punch them right in the mouth in the first drive. Let them know that this isn't the Steelers team they faces in October.

Steelers 27
Jaguars 23

 

[Mike A. S.]

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I have a lot to say on this so here goes: The Steelers have to be one of the better disrespected teams of all time. I mean, they just don't seem to get enough love in the national media. Oh well. I do hope the weather gets cold for Sunday as they say will happen. However, the Jaguars have not only won here before in the playoffs (07) but in that season became the FIRST team to ever beat the Steelers TWICE at home in the same season. And that was Tomlin's first season in Pittsburgh.

Next, this whole thing with people saying Ben should be careful for wanting to play the Jaguars. Umm, hello, he's not saying that because he thinks they're going to be easy to beat. He just wants another crack at them after that fluke of a performance he had against them in week 5.

This reminds me of last year with Miami except for the first game being in Miami last year. Remember Ajayi ran for about 200 yards then Miami came here in January and he had maybe 10 yards? They have to contain Fournette and they will be right where they want to be.

Nobody mentioned this yet, but Bortles concerns me in one major area, his RUNNING ability. The guy is sneaky fast. We have to keep him from extending drives with his feet and get our D off the field.


The Steelers O should be able to score. Yes, they have a soild D. But we have maybe the best WR, and RB in the game and a HOF QB. I want to see Haley open it up a bit. Stop with the conservative offense. We need touchdowns on every opportunity.


Steelers 20
Jaguars 12

Good post.

National...until they get over the hurdle that is NE, they probably won't get that love and that's fine. Win #7 and that will help.

Ben, agreed. Redemption.

Bortles...I agree. That's where his comfort level is...running. Would be nice to get a good lick or two on him...legal.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Not gonna lie, I'm worried about this game. Ben can't be playing the way he did previously. I know playoff atmosphere in Heinz is much different than October football in Heinz but it's still worrying they were able to shut down Bell and Ben. The only thing that gives me hope for this game is the emergence of JuJu. I feel now we have 3 easy targets that the Jags defense needs to watch out for. I hope AB is really 100% for this game because if he's not, it's just another Super Bowl missed by injury. I dont think the Jags are gonna just lay down in this game. It's gonna be close but I feel like the Steelers have the edge here. Probably a close game, I'm thinking 6-10 point game all game long. We need to get out to a good start also. Punch them right in the mouth in the first drive. Let them know that this isn't the Steelers team they faces in October.

Steelers 27
Jaguars 23

Interesting take, but one I can understand.

JAX has to regain their OFC prowess pretty quickly and I don't think it's going to happen in this game.

 

[Yo Tee]

Interesting take, but one I can understand.

JAX has to regain their OFC prowess pretty quickly and I don't think it's going to happen in this game.

I think it's safe to say that Blake Bortles will not win this game for Jacksonville. It's gonna be on the defense and the running game. We need to stop Fournette and we need Haley to call a superb offensive game because that defense is no joke and we've seen that first hand.