Jacksonville shows signs of being for real
PITTSBURGH — The Jacksonville Jaguars spent the first month of the season looking equal parts awesome and awful, taking one step toward respectability immediately followed by a baffling step back.
On the road facing a team expected to play deep into January and perhaps beyond, the Jaguars instead served notice Sunday that their best start in nearly a decade is hardly a fluke.
Turns out, running back Leonard Fournette can fly in more ways than one. And a secondary getting better by the week appears ready to make the Jaguars a legitimate threat in the underwhelming AFC South.
Fournette soared for a 2-yard touchdown and sprinted 90 yards for another, and Jacksonville used pick-sixes on back-toback Pittsburgh drives to stun the Steelers 30-9 on Sunday.
“I think this is a completely different ballclub compared to last year,” said Jaguars safety Tashaun Gipson, who had two of Jacksonville’s five interceptions. “We got guys who will make plays on the football, guys in situations to make plays, and that’s all you can ask for. This year has been fun so far.”
The Jaguars (3-2) have matched their 2016 win total and are above .500 after five games for the first time since 2010, thanks in large part to Fournette’s precocious play.
The rookie finished with a season-high 181 yards, the knockout punch delivered with his dash to the open end of Heinz Field with 1:47 to go, capping Pittsburgh’s worst home loss in head coach Mike Tomlin’s 11 seasons.
Pittsburgh (3-2) again struggled to get big-play production out of an offense that was supposed to be among the league’s best. Ben Roethlisberger completed 33 of 55 for 312 yards with his career-high five interceptions, the most by a Steelers quarterback since Mark Malone threw five against Cleveland in 1987.
“You know it’s one of those things where I’ve been doing this a long time,” Roethlisberger said. “I’ve had bad games before, bad stretches. I’ve had good ones too. You just find a way to move on and play better.”
A week after a sideline outburst generated headlines, Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown caught 10 passes for 157 yards.