Steelers pick Jaguars to pieces
Steelers 27 Jaguars 3 Four interceptions set stage for Pittsburgh to improve to 10-0
JACKSONVILLE, FLA.— Pittsburgh’s latest victory was picture perfect.
The Steelers defence gathered in the end zone after each turnover — four times in all — and posed for the cameras. Some of the celebrations were planned, some candid, most cheesy. All of them well-deserved. Ben Roethlisberger and Co. gladly shared the spotlight during a 27-3 drubbing of skidding Jacksonville on Sunday. After all, it was the defence’s latest and greatest performance of the season.
Terrell Edmunds and Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted two passes each and the Steelers steamrolled the lowly Jaguars (1-9) to get to 10-0 for the first time in franchise history.
“They’re fun to watch,” Roethlisberger said. “They’re turning the ball, getting turnovers for us.”
Rookie quarterback Jake Luton looked lost most of the day against the blitzing Steelers, who allowed 206 yards and finished with just two sacks even though Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt dominated Jacksonville’s
offensive tackles. Luton completed 16 of 37 passes for 151 yards, with four interceptions and a couple more close calls.
“No matter what happens on the last play, you’ve got to play the next one,” Luton said. “Whatever happened last time, you can’t let it affect you. That’s the mindset I try to have. Unfortunately, it kept pouring into another bad play into another bad play and I can’t let that happen. I’ve got to clear it and move it onto the next snap.”
The turning point came late in the second quarter. With Jacksonville trailing 10-3 and driving for a potential tying touchdown, former Jaguars defensive lineman Tyson Alualu tipped Luton’s pass at the line of scrimmage. Fitzpatrick picked it off at the two-yard line and returned it 37 yards.
“The defence is playing big,” Edmunds said. “It’s go so much going for them. We just play for each other.”
Roethlisberger found Diontae Johnson down the left sideline a few plays later. Johnson made a leaping, juggling, contested catch at the one, setting up Benny Snell’s touchdown run.
It was all Steelers the rest of the way.
“We did the job today,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. “We checked the boxes. It wasn’t perfect, but nothing is perfect about us except our record.”
The Steelers started slow, having to settle for field goals (one made, one missed) early and weren’t really sharp in the third quarter. But they were plenty effective to beat Jacksonville, which tied a single-season franchise record with its ninth consecutive loss.
“It was a tough day,” Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said. “We’re all disappointed. This team has done everything it can. I’ve had zero issues … The record’s obviously bad. I get that.”
Owner Shad Khan fired thencoach Gus Bradley following his ninth straight loss in 2016.
This skid included another milestone. The Jaguars fell to 41-100 in Khan’s nine-year tenure. He tied former New Orleans Saints owner John Mecom Jr. as the second fastest to reach 100 losses. Khan hit the dubious mark in 141 games, one more than late Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Hugh Culverhouse.