Pittsburgh Steelers: 3 unsung heroes in comeback win over the Jaguars

Ben Roethlisberger took home the game ball, but the Pittsburgh Steelers had plenty of names that didn’t see the recognition they deserved.

Not everyone on the Steelers roster caught a touchdown pass or found the endzone with three seconds on the clock. Not all 53 men got to the quarterback or forced a turnover. But more than the select few recognized made an impact in Pittsburgh’s sixth-straight win.

Daniel McCullers/Javon Hargrave

The Steelers’ defense kept a team unworthy of winning in a game for three quarters. Behind all their success was a strong pass rush, led by nose tackle Javon Hargrave. But it wasn’t Hargrave’s press up the middle that made him so impactful.

Four tackles and two sacks, two huge sacks, made Hargrave a hero in the Steelers’ 20-16 comeback win over the Jaguars. His presence was felt more than almost any others, as he compiled one of his best performances of the season.

But Hargrave’s success didn’t come from his normal position. Daniel McCullers took over at nose tackle in the second half as Hargrave moved to left end, a position usually maintained by Stephon Tuitt.

Tuitt’s absence left a gapping hole on the defense, but when McCullers took over in the middle, allowing Hargrave to move over, things changed quickly.

These two changed the whole course of game, as Jacksonville wasn’t able to run nearly as effectively after the switch. If Tuitt needs more time off in the future, Pittsburgh would be crazy not to use their two big boys to clog up the inside of the field.