3 Offensive Keys For the Jaguars Vs. Undefeated and Stacked Steelers' Defense

The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8) have the second toughest schedule remaining in the NFL and the toughest draw of the weekend in the undefeated Pittsburg Steelers (9-0). What has made the Steelers unstoppable this season is a dominant brand of complimentary football. A loaded wide receiver corps stretches the field while a loaded defense shortens the other side.

“They’re not undefeated just because of their defense, they’re playing with great team effort. They’re physical, they can run, they pursue the football, but most of all they’re really sound in what they do,” explains Jaguars Offensive Coordinator Jay Gruden.

“They’re sound, they’re tough, they’re strong, and they run the ball.”

Head Coach Doug Marrone knows that regardless of any other factors, the task against the Steelers will always and forever be one of the hardest in the game.

"What’s always amazing to me about Pittsburgh, and it’s showing up again now, is just defensively. You talk about an organization that defensively they’ve been good. It seems like every time we’ve gone up there and we’ve played against them it’s a pain in the butt, and I’m not talking about from here, I’m talking about anywhere I’ve ever been. They just do such a good job."

So how do you combat the sixth best statistical defense in the league with a roster of household names? The Jaguars will try with these three offensive keys.

Control the Tempo

Game planning for the Steelers defense is a bit of pick your poison. Do you run against what Jaguars Head Coach Doug Marrone calls the best front they’ll have played this year? Or do you test a secondary that has 45 pass break-ups and 11 interceptions this season? For comparison on the latter stat, the Jaguars have 35 PBU and seven picks.

The best plan, as Marrone sees it, is to control the tempo. Ironically, the Jaguars offensive plays and time of possession line up near perfectly with what the Steelers defense has allowed this year, and vice versa. Jacksonville has run an average of 63.1 plays per game. The Steelers defense has been on the field for an average of 62.7 plays per game.

Jacksonville’s offense has averaged 28:15 in time of possession, just three seconds shy of the 28:18 the Pitt defense has been playing through nine games.

If the Steelers are holding opponents to an average of 17.1 points per game in those situations, then it doesn’t bode well for Jacksonville who will simply be another notch in the built the Steelers are wrapping around the NFL.

“If you get yourself into a game where you get behind, then they’re going to eat you up,” admits Marrone.

“You talk about guys that can rush the passer at both inside and outside, guys that have been hitting quarterbacks, sacking quarterbacks, doing all that stuff and it can get ugly fast. You have to find a way to be able to control the tempo of the game offensively where you’re picking up first downs, you’re keeping this manageable, you’re keeping things where it’s 50/50 run or pass what you’re going to do because there’s no doubt, and it’s been shown for these past nine games that they’ve played, that when teams do get behind, it’s a big advantage for them. They have guys that can disrupt the passer, they have guys that can cover and it’s just difficult.”

Don’t Focus On One Guy

TJ Watt is second in the league with nine sacks this season…but he has two other teammates (Bud Dupree and Stephon Tuitt) in the top 12 in the entire NFL as well. It’s why there’s little surprise that conversation about any one guy immediately evolves into commentary on another.

Just ask Jags quarterback Jake Luton.

“[Watt’s] a great player. He’s a physical player, he’s fast, he has great moves. That shows up on tape every week, but you can’t get too caught up and focus on where one guy is. Especially a team like this, they’re good across the board.”

Or Gruden.

“They protect the edges very well at those outside linebackers. Their inside linebackers can run. Their inside defensive linemen are big and strong. [Steelers DT Cameron] Heyward’s one of the best in business at his position. Safety, Minkah [Fitzpatrick]’s doing a heck of a job of just being a ball hawk and obviously their corners are holding up very well. So really not a lot of weaknesses there.”

So if there are no weaknesses, how do you exploit…anything?

Frankly, you don’t. When the Jags can’t focus on one player in particular as an area to avoid or an area to attack, they must just focus instead on themselves and chip away based on their own strengths, not the Steelers (lack of) weaknesses.

“I think when you play teams like this that are playing extremely well and have excellent talent you can get yourself out of whack quick and you just have to kind of stick with the plan and be able to execute,” explains Marrone.

Adds Luton, “I think you have to stick to your game. You can’t get too caught up in trying to get the ball out too quick or forcing things or pressing yourself. I think you have to stick to the game plan. We’re going to go through it this week and prepare really well and coaches will put a good game plan together and we’re going to try to stick to it. Sacks happen, tackles happen, all those things happen. That’s football and it’s all about playing the next play and sticking to our game plan.”

For the Jaguars, that has meant getting the cogs moving behind rookie running back James Robinson’s 76.56 yards per game and then heading to the sidelines where DJ Chark is averaging 13.3 yards per reception and Keelan Cole is picking up 12.6 yards per catch.

It will also mean protecting Jake Luton. The Jaguars have given up a sixth worst 28 sacks this season. The Steelers, of course, are leading the NFL with 36 sacks. Then again, though the Steelers are three games away from tying the NFL record for most games with a sack, the Jaguars remain the team to have kept the record from extending into the postseason, now allowing a single sack in the 2017 season AFC divisional playoff match.

Raise…Everything

To beat the best, you have to be the best, at least for three hours on Sunday. That’s what Gruden is asking for from his offense, knowing they not only have to defeat the defense trying to stop them, but also out duel future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

That starts at the quarterback position. Rookie Jake Luton will be making only his third start, the toughest yet, and the first two weren’t walks in the park. He’s been averaging 157.67 passing yards per game and has three touchdowns through his first two starts.

“We’re going to have to step up. We have to raise our game to a level that we haven’t seen yet, so I think the opportunity’s there for us when we’re playing an elite team like Pittsburgh,” says Gruden.

“[Jake] started off his career already against Houston, a rivalry of this franchise, and he had to go up to Green Bay and face Aaron Rodgers in horrible, windy conditions for a quarterback. Now we just have to face the [9-0] Steelers, so it’ll be a great challenge for him, but I know he’s going to be ready to go. I think it’s very important for our entire offense to understand this challenge and really raise their game up, hopefully to a level we haven’t seen yet.”

Adds receiver Keelan Cole, “we obviously know they’re coming to work, so I have to come ready for my 9-0 mentality I guess I should say, tuned in mentality.”