Getting Jacked to go to Jacksonville

Pittsburgh travels to Jacksonville for key AFC clash

Another week, another prime time battle. You must be doing something right if you play on 2 Sunday night games and a Monday night game within 4 weeks. Yes the Steelers have earned the respect of the NFL world and it's viewers. They are always in the discussion when you are picking the top teams of the AFC.

However for the good or for the bad with such success and notoriety comes greater expectation. Although I have always believed if you are a legitimate Super Bowl contendor than you have higher expectations of yourself than any outside influence can thrust upon you.

That being said here the Steelers are at Game 5 with the expected 3 wins and 1 loss I assumed from the day the schedule came out. This week Pittsburgh travels to Jacksonville. A team that left a bad taste in our mouth last January 5, 2008 by knocking Pittsburgh out of the playoffs with a 31 to 29 win over the Steelers.

Ironically the leading rusher for Pittsburgh that fateful day was Najeh Davenport. So it is kind of symmetrical that after the loss of Rashard Mendenhall and the injuries to Willie Parker and Carey Davis that Najeh got the phone call to rejoin the team after they gave him the pink slip in pre-season. In a related topic ESPN was reporting that running back Gary Russell was going to be promoted from the practice squad and board the mother ship to Jacksonville.

So what can we expect this week from the Pittsburgh vs Jacksonville match up? Well for one most of us are asking the same basic question an ESPN reporter posed in a recent article about the Steelers. How much more of a beating can they take physically?

For a team that traditionally dishes out more than it takes, the last couple games have not exactly gone that direction. And the Jaguars already have a history of hard nosed football and gladly except the Mano a Mano challenge of Pittsburgh whenever the two face each other.

When Pittsburgh has the ball I assume that they will not bail out on their philosophy to run the ball. Even without there numbers 1 through 3 running back options I still think they will try and establish the Pittsburgh way. Of course even if Jerome Bettis or Franco Harris reappeared it would be difficult to run on the Jaguars. They like Baltimore have a philosophy of their own. Stop the rushing game of their opponent. Regardless the Steelers have to demonstrate they are not intimidated and they must keep Jacksonville honest.

I do see Offensive Coordinator, Bruce Arians calling some screens to Mewelde Moore out of the backfield. I also am waiting to see Heath Miller get more action then he has. I'd like to see Tight End Matt Spaeth get a little love from Ben Roethlisberger also. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/teams/photo?photoId=2049990&team=pit.

Frankly I haven't been a fan of Bruce Arians play calling since he has been the offensive coordinator. Maybe they will let Ben call some of his own plays like he did last week in the second half against Baltimore.

I also hope that the offensive line and Ben have gotten there signals straight as too how to pick up the blitzing packages that have become too successful against them. It appears to me over recent weeks, that it isn't a question of talent as much as it has become horrible positioning. There are too many times you have 2 down lineman blocking one defender while another comes clean from the ends for example. And adding to the misery is as I have complained about in recent articles, Ben needs to step up his check-down ability. He needs to know if a linebacker or corner is coming from "over there" there is now an open space "over there." He should also know exactly who that leaves open for a hot read. The onus should also come crashing down on the receiving corps. Somebody has to know how to adjust there route and recognize a blitz or when their QB is in trouble.

Anyhow back to my preview. I like how Santonio Holmes has become the perfect #2 to compliment the aging but still productive Hines Ward. Hopefully Nate Washington will grow into a strong #3. Only time will tell if Limas Sweed and/or Dallas Baker will amount to anything. I have been on record as stating I thought Sweed was a great draft pick.

So putting the last couple paragraphs together and mixing it with the fact that Jacksonville has more of a stop the run, stay at home defense, I expect the Steelers to have some success in the air. I see Ben throwing for 250 or more yards against them. He threw for 337 yards in the Steelers playoff loss.

When the Jaguars have the ball I suspect that they will try and consume as much clock as they can and make the most of the limited opportunities they will have in the red zone. Good thing for Pittsburgh is that the Jaguars have only gotten 50 points out of their 14 Red Zone possessions thus far in 2008.

Add the fact that the Steelers have established themselves again as an elite defense and that should give the Jaguars plenty of obstacles to overcome if they plan on scoring against the Pittsburgh defense. That also presumes that Pittsburgh will get after Garrard and stop the Jaguars rushing attack. There are plenty of reasons that you should presume that. James Harrison's 5.5 sacks mixed with Lamarr Woodley's 3.5 sacks lead a potent quarterback assault weapon. Thus far the Steelers have only allowed an average of 74 yards of rushing per game against them. All told the Steelers have held their opponents to 14.5 points per game and 236.3 yards of total offense thus far. They remain the #2 defense in the entire NFL.

Naturally all of this sounds like I am predicting a win. And as much as my heart yearns for a 4 and 1 start and a big win to go into the bye week, I have a gut feeling telling me this is a bad spot for the Men of Steel.

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While it is clearly within Pittsburgh's reach to overcome the recent personnel setbacks and offensive struggles, I think being on the road is going to be the deciding factor in the outcome of this game. You may now begin to curse me under your breath. Oh heck scream nasty things about me as loud as you can.

Be prepared however to see Jacksonville beat Pittsburgh 16-12. (Oh my lord I think I want to throw things at myself for speaking such blasphemy.)

Let me say though I would love to eat some crow come Monday morning. In fact the Steelers are always a Jeff Reed field goal from victory. And the defense has been known to throw in a touchdown of their own now and again. So I hope I am so wrong about this game because I really want to see the Steelers head into the break 4 wins and 1 loss.

By Andy Natalie
ProFootball-fans.com Pittsburgh Steelers Correspondent