The Steelers starters dressed and came ready to play in Jacksonville on Friday night. And the offensive starters needed only one series to accomplish their goal for the night. Ben Roethlisberger went 3 for 3 for 60 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown pass to Martavis Bryant and a successful two-point conversion.
Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell both got involved in the offense and by the time the Steelers got the ball back Roethlisberger, Brown, Bell, Pouncey and Miller were all on the sidelines.
The Steelers defensive starters held the Jaguars’ first-team offense to a field goal on their second drive, which featured a strip-sack-fumble by none other than 37-year-old James Harrison. The Jaguars recovered the fumble and eventually Josh Scobee converted a 36-yard field goal.
Jaguars starting quarterback Blake Bortles ended his night going 11-15 for 118 yards and a four-yard touchdown run.
Rookie wide receiver Sammie Coates recovered the game’s only turnover on a Steelers kickoff. Jaguars running back Storm Johnson had the ball stripped by Steelers linebacker Shayon Green midway through the fourth quarter.
Landry Jones finally scored a touchdown in the preseason, his first one in about forty attempts or so (all in the preseason) following the fumble recovery; he drove the offense 17 yards in four plays for a four-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Goodwin in the fourth quarter.
Sammie Coates also made a great sideline catch in the fourth quarter to keep the Steelers’ last offensive drive alive. Jones was sacked on a fourth and ten and the Steelers turn the ball over on downs to allow Jacksonville to kneel it out and secure the 23-21 victory.
Jones ended the night playing the majority of the offensive snaps going 24-46 for 200 yards and one touchdown. He was once again more painful to watch than not.
Garrett Hartley made his Steelers debut in Jacksonville and converted his first field goal attempt on a 48-yarder in the third quarter. He also connected on a 29 yarder in the fourth quarter.
The Steelers leave Jacksonville relatively healthy. Running back Josh Harris left the game with a foot injury but they were better off than the Jaguars, who lost Julius Thomas to a fractured finger in the game.
Each team had some typical preseason sloppiness; with each team combining for 155 penalty yards. The Jaguars were penalized 13 times to the Steelers’ 8.
The Steelers will return to Pittsburgh to host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Aug. 23rd.
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