Steelers prep for heavy dose of Jags' run game
PITTSBURGH — Technically it went into the scorebook as a 2-yard touchdown run.
The highly GIF-able reality told a more compelling story, one that served as the symbolic launch point for both the Jacksonville Jaguars’ breakout season and the rookie running back at the center of it all.
The Jaguars were driving deep in Pittsburgh territory early in the second quarter at Heinz Field on Oct. 8.
On second down at the Steelers 2, Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles took the snap and stuffed the ball in Leonard Fournette’s gut. Fournette took two steps, then vaulted into the air at the 4.
All 240 pounds of him sailed over the line of scrimmage and landed untouched at least a yard into the end zone.
Just like that, Fournette and the Jaguars arrived, making the Steelers believers in the process.
“Fournette is good,” said Steelers lin e backer Bud Dupree, who then immediately corrected himself. “Fournette is great.”
Yet for all of Fournette’s breathtaking feats — including a 90-yard bolt to the end zone that served as the exclamation point on Jacksonville’s 30-9 victory three months ago — he’s just part of a group that led the NFL in rushing. While Pittsburgh (13-3) will be focusing on Fournette’s No. 27 wherever he goes Sunday when the Steelers host the Jaguars (11-6) in the divisional round of the playoffs, they’re well aware they can’t take the other players in the backfield lightly. Sure, Fournette finished with 1,040 yards rushing and nine touchdowns, and Chris Ivory, T.J. Yeldon, Corey Grant and Bortles combined for 1,205 yards and seven touchdowns. Even fullback Tommy Bohanon found the end zone twice.
“Minimizing their run is more than just focusing on Leonard,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday.
“Obviously, we have to do a good job there, but we have to do a good job for 60 minutes and in all areas. We want to minimize the ways that they run the ball and the ways that they possess the ball and control the game.”
The Jaguars finished with 231 yards rushing in the first meeting, the most allowed by the Steelers this season.
While Fournette’s late burst skewed the numbers a bit, it was a run made possible by the 36 attempts that came before it, as Jacksonville simply wore down Pittsburgh until the Steelers yielded.
More of the same likely arrives this weekend. The Jaguars are hardly apologetic for their approach, one that emphasizes controlling the clock and the tempo.
It’s a formula that helped them reach the playoffs for the first time in a decade and one they used effectively while outlasting Buffalo in the wildcard round last weekend.