The Steelers headed into today’s game looking like they were all set to dominate an overmatched opponent and continue their march toward a bye week in the AFC playoffs. The Jaguars headed into today’s game looking like they were all set to slouch into last place.
Sometimes looks can be deceiving: The Jaguars put up a very good effort against the Steelers, jumping out to a 16-0 third quarter lead, intercepting Ben Roethlisberger three times, and looking like they were poised to pull off an upset.
But in the end, the Steelers did what they had to do: Roethlisberger threw two touchdown passes and ran for a touchdown with five seconds left in the fourth quarter to give the Steelers a 20-16 win.
It wasn’t easy. Roethlisberger looked rough for much of the game, and James Conner was held in check all day (and dropped what appeared to be a game-winning touchdown pass in the final minute). But the Steelers did what they had to do to pull off a win.
That win improves the Steelers’ record to 7-2-1 and keeps them in close competition with the Patriots for the No. 2 seed in the AFC. For the Jaguars, the loss drops them to 3-7 and ends any talk that they might have had a chance at returning to the playoffs. They played well today, but all they can do is play spoiler the rest of the way.
