PLAYER NOTES
–RB James Conner, who has been in concussion protocol since taking a hit to the head against Carolina last Thursday, went through a full practice Wednesday and said afterward that he felt like he was “back to normal.”
–T Marcus Gilbert, who missed the past three games with a knee injury, did not practice Wednesday.
–DE Stephon Tuitt, who suffered an elbow injury against Carolina, did not practice Wednesday.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: RB Jaylen Samuels hasn’t had many touches this season, but he could be an important player for the Steelers by season’s end. Samuels, a rookie out of North Carolina State, has recorded all 13 of his touches this season in the past three games as he appears to have bypassed Stevan Ridley for the backup job behind James Conner. Samuels has 10 rushes for 26 yards and three receptions for 22 yards and a touchdown, which came late in the 52-21 pasting of the Panthers. With Le’Veon Bell failing to report by the NFL’s deadline for franchise-tagged players and thus not eligible to play this season, Samuels could have a much bigger role if Conner suffers an injury over the final seven games.
GAME PLAN: The Steelers lost to the Jaguars twice last season, and on both occasions the Jaguars controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The Jaguars gained 231 yards on the ground while holding the Steelers to 70 in their regular-season victory at Heinz Field. In the playoff game, also at Heinz Field, the Jaguars rushed for 164 to 83 for the Steelers. The Steelers turned the ball over seven times in those two games to just one for the Jaguars. Ball security and wining the line of scrimmage will be the keys to the game Sunday in Jacksonville. The Steelers have been running the ball really well as of late. The Steelers are built around their passing game, but when they do rush they are successful. James Conner is averaging 4.7 yards per carry and has rushed for 100 yards or more in four of the past five games. He averaged 5.0 yards per rush against Carolina and gained 65 yards before he suffered a concussion in the second half. The Steelers need Conner and the offensive line to continue their recent surge against a Jacksonville defense that is allowing 118 yards per game.
In addition to stopping Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette, who went over 100 yards in both games against the Steelers last season, the Steelers defense must do a better job of keeping Blake Bortles in the pocket. Bortles hurt the Steelers with runs in both games last season, especially the regular-season game at Heinz Field. The Steelers have been better at containing running quarterbacks this season – they’re coming off a shutdown performance against Cam Newton – but they’ll be tested again by Bortles, who has 369 yards rushing and averages 6.4 yards per attempt. If the Steelers can contain Bortles and keep him in the pocket, they’ll have a much better chance of winning. Bortles is among the least accurate quarterbacks in the NFL, with a 61.3 percent completion percentage.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Steelers DE Cameron Heyward vs. Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette. Heyward is the leader of the Steelers defense and a key to stopping the run. Fournette gashed the Steelers for 290 yards and five touchdowns in two games against the Steelers last season. The Steelers are fourth in the NFL in run defense, but they’ll have to prove it to the Jaguars, who know pounding the run was a big part of their success against the Steelers last season.
–Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger vs. Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey. Roethlisberger had a tough time against Ramsey and the Jaguars secondary last season, throwing six interceptions in two games, including five in a 21-point loss during the regular season. Ramsey had one of those interceptions and caused another one with his tight coverage. Roethlisberger has been much better taking care of the ball this season. He has thrown seven interceptions but just one over the past four games. Ramsey, meanwhile, has just one interception on the season. Roethlisberger can’t be careless with the ball this time around.
