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This could be another ground game for the Pittsburgh Steelers

By Noah Strackbein

BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 01: Running back Le'Veon Bell #26 of the Pittsburgh Steelers carries the ball against defensive back Marlon Humphrey #29 and linebacker Tyus Bowser #54 of the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on October 1, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - OCTOBER 01: Running back Le'Veon Bell #26 of the Pittsburgh Steelers carries the ball against defensive back Marlon Humphrey #29 and linebacker Tyus Bowser #54 of the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on October 1, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
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The Pittsburgh Steelers would love to see the production they did in Week 4 from Le’Veon Bell each week, and they may have to against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5.

The Jaguars have been a very under-the-radar team on defense this season. Without drawing much attention to themselves, Jacksonville has produced the top pass defense in the NFL through four weeks.

Only allowing 147 yards per game to opposing quarterbacks, the Jags have combined a young group of secondary players into one of the stiffest defensive backfields in the league. Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye have combined for a passing rating of 29.3 on the season. With three interceptions and 11 pass deflections between the two, it’s been nearly impossible to find an open target when these corners are covering wideouts.

On top of their secondary, their pass rush is second-to-none. With 18 sacks on the season, led by Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue and Donte Fowler combining for 12.5 of them, this front seven has been a quarterback’s worst nightmare.

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The Steelers pass offense has been hit or miss. While Ben Roethlisberger and the wide receiving core did handle most of the offense through three games, there was clearly room for improvement. With less deep balls, some frustration with accuracy and the feeling that this team isn’t in sync yet, throwing the ball has barely kept this team afloat during the first quarter of the season.

Le’Veon Bell has been less than impressive this season, except for his Week 4 breakout in Baltimore. 35 rushes for 144 yards and two scores is great, but no Steelers fan or player wants to see their franchise running back touch the ball 35 times a game consistently, especially in Week 5.

With the way the Jaguars’ defense is playing, though, it may be the only way to win.

Slow and steady does create less turnovers and keeps the Steelers defense rested. As one of the best AFC defenses in the league, they could certainly handle their own, but keeping them on the sidelines as much as possible never hurts for any team. So, as long as Bell can stay productive and somewhere around four yards per carry, the Steelers should control through the entire game.

Having to win through the air could work, and Ben has proven countless times that he can torch any secondary thrown at him. But if Pittsburgh wants to be safe, they’ll head into this one with a gameplan to stuff it down Jacksonville’s throats on the ground.

Somehow, Le’Veon Bell has gone from nothing to the backbone of this offense. Maybe he isn’t completely back to normal yet, but right now, he’s close enough. As Pittsburgh continues to play tough pass defenses and try to figure out their air game, Bell is the go-to for the Steelers.

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Jacksonville may not be a Super Bowl contender, but they certainly have the defense of one, which means it’s back to the ground game if Pittsburgh wants to pull off the win.

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