Jaguars 20, Steelers 10: Game Balls
The Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in a fashion many Terrible Towel twirlers would be very familiar with; ugly. Having secured their sixth win of the season, the Jaguars are tied for first place in the AFC with the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs.
From start to finish, the Jaguars struggled to establish the running game against Pittsburgh’s stout defensive front. Despite their inefficiency on the ground, running back Travis Etienne Jr. still managed to extend his touchdown streak to four games midway through the third quarter.
Lined up against standout rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr., Etienne turned a simple go-route into a 56-yard score; the first receiving touchdown of his career and the Jaguars lone touchdown on the day. With three catches for 70 yards, the Clemson product turned in the best receiving output of his professional career.
Not to be outdone, tight end Evan Engram and wideout Calvin Ridley combined for 171 receiving yards while fellow wide receiver Christian Kirk added 46 of his own. Whereas the ground game leaned heavily on Etienne, the group effort through the air kept the Steelers honest in coverage.
Defensively, Jacksonville had yet another dominant performance; the secondary limited the Pittsburgh passing attack to 191 yards and intercepted starting quarterback Kenny Pickett twice. Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun was everywhere, securing his third consecutive game with 10 or more total tackles while safety Andrew Wingard had a career-day relieving the injured Andre Cisco.
As has been the case all season, the special teams unit had another ‘special’ performance. I know, I know, I’ll show myself out… but not before re-emphasizing the importance of reliable play in arguably the game’s most underrated phase.
Logan Cooke is the league’s best punter. 20 of his 32 total punts have been downed within the opponent’s 20-yard line, creating a sizable gap from the crowd in terms of efficiency.
We’ll highlight the Jaguars equally ‘special’ placekicker in just a moment, but for now allow me to again establish that this week’s game ball winners share the honor with the rest of their unit. The Jacksonville Jaguars are playing a brand of complimentary football that few teams are able to replicate, and it has resulted in some of the best early-returns the franchise has ever seen.
Offense: QB Trevor Lawrence
On Sunday, Trevor Lawrence faced a Pittsburgh Steelers defense known throughout the league for their ability to take the ball away. With 15 total turnovers and a league-leading eight forced fumbles, the Steelers appeared poised for another monster performance.
It’s games like these where a quarterback like Lawrence makes all the difference.
Under constant duress Lawrence was calm, collected, and highly efficient; exactly what the Jaguars needed to keep the Steelers’ prolific defense on their heels. His best throw of the day set the tone for the type of performance he was going to have.
With three minutes left in the first quarter, Lawrence and the Jaguars offense found themselves needing four yards on 3rd down. Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin dialed up a nickel blitz and sent Keanu Neal screaming at the former Clemson Tiger.
Standing tall and absorbing the hit, Lawrence found Kirk behind his man for a 29-yard gain and a first down. Just three plays later an Evan Engram fumble would spoil an otherwise promising drive, but in that moment Lawrence showed you everything you wanted to see in your franchise signal-caller.
He finished the day 24 or 32 for 292 passing yards and a score. His 75% completion percentage surely silenced any qualms concerning his second-quarter interception.
Defense: EDGE Josh Allen
Jaguars fans have been clamoring for another star pass-rusher. NFL sack leader and current Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Danielle Hunter is a name that has been linked to Jacksonville for the better part of the month.
Josh Allen heard the rumors, and would like to remind readers that his nine sacks aren’t only the most in a season since his 10.5-sack rookie campaign, but the second-most in the entire NFL.
On Sunday, Allen made relief quarterback Mitchell Trusbisky’s first game-action since Oct. 1 incredibly uninspiring. The former Kentucky Wildcat wrapped up Trubisky twice in the second half, the latter of which put the final nail in the coffin for the Steelers.
He would finish the day with two sacks, five tackles and two tackles for loss.
Allen’s sacks have come in bunches this year, and Sunday was no different. His two-sack effort against Pittsburgh was his third multi-sack performance this season, and the eighth-such game of his career.
Allen is currently on pace for 19 sacks, which would be more than he’s accumulated in the last three seasons combined (16.5). Allen’s incredible play was one of the biggest reasons Trubisky and the Pittsburgh offense never seemed to get on track, and arguably one of the biggest reasons the Jaguars defense leads the league in interceptions.
Special Teams: K Brandon McManus
I highlighted Jaguars kicker Brandon McManus multiple times this season for quietly beating the ‘washed’ allegations. All Sunday did was confirm what many Jaguars fans already knew; he is anything but.
McManus’ play through eight games in the teal and black has been nothing short of spectacular. Not only is the 10-year veteran on pace to make a career-best 36 field goals, but he’s doing so at the most efficient clip of his career.
With 17 field goals in 19 tries and 69 points to his name through eight weeks, McManus is making the Denver Broncos look incredibly foolish.
Against the Steelers McManus continued along his historic pace and drilled all four of his field goal kicks, accounting for 12 of the Jaguars’ 20 points. He also got the chance to show off his range, nailing kicks from 50 and 51 yards out in the first quarter.
McManus is trending towards entering rarified air within the Jaguars organization. The franchise’s single-season record for made field goals is currently held by Josh Lambo, who made 33 in 2019 at an insane 97.1% clip.
McManus may not achieve such loft efficiency metrics, but should he continue at his current pace he would achieve the most prolific season by any placekicker in the franchise’s nearly 30-year history. I won’t make any predictions, but the offseason acquisition of McManus is trending toward being one of the better moves the Jaguars have ever made.
