Here are the Steelers primary causes for concerns this week against the Jaguars
Week 10 proved to be much more of a blowout than many expected. The Bengals came in as underdogs against the Steelers but considering the bad performance the team had against the Cowboys, it wasn’t impossible that they blew that game. Instead, the defense came out stout and shut the Bengals down. The offense was a little slow at first, but they also turned it on s the game progressed.
This week, the Steelers are acing arguably their worst team of the year. The Jaguars opened the season with a fire sale of players and opted to beef up the defense and ignore the quarterback position. Gardner Minshew is injured and may be done for the season as the Jaguars attempt to secure a top pick for his replacement. This team is pretty barren in terms of talent, and most expect another blowout.
That said, the Steelers proved that no game is a certainty in the NFL when they nearly lost to the Cowboys a few weeks ago. This game is eerily similar, and with a daunting Ravens game right around the corner, the Steelers could be caught looking ahead and come out sluggish against the Jaguars. Even then, there are a few weapons that this Jaguars team has that could produce. With all of this considered, here are four causes for concern with the Steelers’ week 11 matchup against the Jaguars.
The Jaguars WRs
If you look purely at the stats, this Jaguars passing game has struggled. Individually with their players though, this team has a pretty good roster of receivers that can hurt you in a wide variety of ways. The primary threat here is D.J. Chark, as he is that prototypical height-weight-speed receiver on the outside. Across from him is Chris Conley, a similar build and speedy receiver. Inside there is Keelan Cole, who is having the best year of his career since going undrafted.
This doesn’t even mention rookie Laviska Shenault Jr., the do it all receiver that can be a threat on the ground as well. Now, if the Steelers can play their physical style of man coverage, they should be able to stop this group (especially considering Jake Luton will be throwing the ball). When the Steelers played the Cowboys, the team employed more zone defense which allowed them to be picked apart. If the team employs a similar strategy, it could be bad.
Chark especially has the top end athleticism to burn you in zone coverage. He can get over the top and win deep easily in zone coverage. They can’t solely focus on him either, as the other options each excel at something in the offense. The Steelers should utilize a defense similar to last week with a lot of man defense. As well, getting to Luton early and often will shake the rookie. They come out complacent like week nine though, as this receiving group can make you pay.
Steelers lack of a running game
Looking at the Steelers’ offense, the passing game has been the heart and soul of this undefeated season. While the deep ball is still mostly missing, the short and intermediate has been on point and critical in the team moving the ball. The problem has been the rushing offense, as the recent weeks have not been kind to the unit. After starting the season on a hot streak, James Conner has cooled off and is now almost a non-factor on this offense.
Conner has registered just 105 yards rushing over the past three weeks despite playing defense like the Cowboys and Bengals that have been mediocre against the run. Part of this has been the play calling, as outside runs are being called instead of more traditional downhill runs as well as the offensive line failing to get much of a push up front. Conner isn’t innocent either, as he has looked slow especially when trying to turn the corner.
Considering the Jaguars have struggled to stop the run, this could be a good week for Conner to bounce back. That has been said the past two weeks as well though, and there is no guarantee the team as a whole works on improving this unit. Perhaps using the backups could aid the ailing unit? Regardless, this unit is the clear weak point on offense and needs a jumpstart this week.
James Robinson
On the flip side of things, the Jaguars appear to have found themselves a running back in James Robinson. The undrafted rookie has been putting on a clinic this year, as he has put up nearly 1000 total yards and is averaging a healthy 4.4 yards per carry. He has been putting up these stats despite playing on an offense that more often than not is playing from behind, which makes his early success all the more impressive.
Had this been pre-Ravens’ game, I would write off Robinson as a non-factor due to how dominant this defense had been against the run. Since that week, this defense has looked surprisingly soft against the run though, and Robinson could have another good week against the Steelers. Part of this was due to the loss of Devin Bush and Tyson Alualu, but even with Alualu back last week, there were still a lot of holes to run through on this defense.
If the Jaguars can get Robinson going early in the game and even take an early lead, this defense may crack. The last thing this Jaguars team can afford to do is be down in points, as that will put all the pressure on Luton against this fierce pass rush. Expect to see a heavy dose of Robinson on the ground, and in the short passing game as he can serve as an outlet receiver if need be. If the Steelers lose this week, more than likely Robinson took over on the ground.
A week nine repeat
This game seems eerily similar to the Cowboys game a few weeks ago. The Steelers are on the road against a struggling team after beating an AFC North rival. As well, with a tough Thanksgiving game right around the corner, the team may have their focus on the Ravens before they are through this week. If that’s the case, the results could be disastrous for this team.
This wouldn’t be the first time the Steelers looked past the Jaguars as an opponent. In 2017, the last time the Steelers made it to the playoffs, they famously looked past the Jaguars in favor of the Patriots. That game resulted in a loss and a humbling moment for the franchise. The Steelers can’t underestimate the Jaguars again, as they could fall into the same trap that they did in 2017.
If the Steelers are caught looking ahead and repeat the performance they had against the Cowboys, it could result in the first loss of the season. There is no reason the team should lose this game, yet there are plenty of concerning factors that point to otherwise. The team needs to come out sharp and focuses to get the win before thinking about the Ravens next week.
While the Steelers should dominate this game on paper, don’t be surprised if it is more of a slugfest than anticipated. The Steelers have looked past the Jaguars before, and it ended up biting them in the playoffs. The team needs to stick to the script from last week, as if they get lax as they did against the Cowboys, the Steelers could be looking at their first loss of the season.