The 9 most disappointing moments of the Steelers 45-42 loss to the Jaguars
A loss, any loss stings.
The Steelers loss on Sunday to the Jacksonville Jaguars is beyond shocking for a number of reasons. As armchair quarterbacks, there were a variety of places we can point fingers and place blame. 42 points of offense weren’t enough to win, but there were a number of disappointing moments in defeat.
10:44 1st Quarter – Jaguars ball – 4th and 1 PIT 1
The very first chink in the Steelers armor occurred when the Jaguars aggressively went for it on 4th down on the game’s opening drive. Being down 7-0 at home right out of the gate, in a game where one team was seeking to avenge an early loss, obviously deflated everyone’s hopes.
Had the Steelers made a stand, things may have been different. Instead, the momentum was with the visiting team and the Jaguars would be ahead the entire game.
5:38 1st Quarter – Steelers ball – 3rd and 11 PIT 10
Nightmares of Ben Roethlisberger‘s five-interception game against the Jaguars were re-lived when a ball was tipped, and picked, by Jacksonville linebacker Myles Jack.
Gifted with great field position, the aggressive Jaguars would score on the very next play.
1:12 1st Quarter – Steelers ball – 4th and 1 JAX 21
Already down 14-0, the Steelers attempt to match the Jaguars momentum was stalled with a poor play call which saw Le’Veon Bell take a pitch and lose four yards.
12:48 2nd Quarter – Jaguars ball – 3rd and 2 PIT 9
Following the botched fourth-down conversion attempt, the Jaguars marched down the field. With third down looming, if the Steelers could get a stop, they could hold the Jaguars to only three points, and thus stop the bleeding.
Instead, the team gives up four yards to Leonard Fournette and the Jaguars get first and goal. They would go up 21-0 two plays later, further opening the wounds when Vince Williams was injured on the play. (He would later return.)
2:33 2nd Quarter – Steelers ball – 2nd and 10 JAX 47
The Steelers offense finally responded following a 3:11 touchdown drive. The defense also responded, forcing a Jacksonville punt and giving the team hope.
Pittsburgh would drive to the Jaguars 47, before stalling. Roethlisberger would be strip-sacked, with the ball bouncing directly to Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith, who promptly picked it up and ran 50 yards for a TD, lifting the opponent to a 28-7 advantage.
2:28 3rd Quarter – Steelers ball – 3rd and 9 JAX 39
The Steelers offense closed the gap to 28-21 following a score at the end of the 2nd quarter and another on their first drive to start the second half.
A tie game within reach following a Jacksonville punt, the Steelers offense failed to keep the momentum going on a series of plays near the Jaguars 40-yard line. Bell ran for one yard, then caught a pass for no gain, before Roethlisberger failed to connect with TE Vance McDonald for a first down.
Instead of turning the table in their favor, the Steelers would punt the ball back to the Jags.
12:50 4th Quarter – Steelers ball – 4th and 1 JAX 39
Still down 7 and needing only inches to gain a first down, the Steelers run a pass play.
JuJu Smith-Schuster is unable to haul in the deep pass and the Steelers turn the ball over on downs, giving the Jaguars excellent field position near midfield.
They would drive 61 yards in a little over two minutes to go up 35-21.
4:24 4th Quarter – Jaguars ball – 2nd and 8 PIT 14
This drive was a complete punch to the gut. The Steelers had two opportunities to get the Jaguars off of the field on third down. On a 3rd-and-5 they allowed a dump off pass to T.J. Yeldon for 40 yards, then gave up another short pass for 8 yards when the Jaguars only needed 4 on another 3rd down chance.
Then the final nail in the coffin: a 14-yard pass from Blake Bortles to FB Tommy Bohanon.
Yes, a fullback. A fullback who went completely uncovered to put the Jaguars up 42-28.
2:27 4th Quarter – Onside kick
Incredibly, the game still wasn’t out of reach for the Steelers. Following a wild two minute drive that ended with Big Ben lateraling to Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh only trailed by seven with a little over two minutes left in the game and two timeouts remaining.
Logic would dictate you attempt to stop the Jaguars from getting a first down and use your timeouts to conserve the clock for a potential game-tying or game-winning drive. It would be up to the defense to get the ball back for a Big Ben miracle, one which we’ve seen many times not only in the 2017 season but throughout his career.
Instead, the Steelers attempt an onside kick. Not even a surprise onside kick, as it was obvious as to what they were doing. They botch the attempt and give Jacksonville great field position.
The defense would hold, but the Jaguars only needed a handful of yards to put their kicker in position to add to the score, which they would do, going up 45-35.
Even more baffling is why the coaching staff didn’t call a timeout following Jacksonville’s first play, which would’ve stopped the clock once before the two-minute warning. Rather than conserve clock, Mike Tomlin and company let a total of 18 seconds run off between plays.
Still, you have to think the Steelers had a better chance of allowing Blake Bortles to beat them than take their chances with a bouncing ball. Also consider that Pittsburgh got a stop after the onside: their field position would’ve been terrible, and they would’ve had no timeouts left to work with.
At the very least, if the defense gets a stop down the field, there’s more room for the offense to work with and presumably with only a seven-point deficit. Instead, the coaching staff allowed it to become a two-score game.
This decision, after all which happened, ultimately lost the game.
