NFL Game of the Week: Jaguars vs. Steelers

The red-hot Jacksonville Jaguars head into Pittsburgh this Sunday as 2.5-point favorites as they’ll take on the Steelers.

Both teams come into this matchup with some impressive early season success as the Jaguars have a 5-2 record and the Steelers are 4-2 themselves.

Along with their impressive records, both teams are coming in on winning streaks with the Jaguars winning their last four games and the Steelers winning their last two.

Yet, the tales of these winning streaks and records are nearly the same for the two teams.

Many people, including Steelers fans, are wondering just how this team has found a way to get four wins.

On Monday, Pat McAfee said on his show, "The Pittsburgh Steelers have been out-gained by 660 yards this season, they're 4-2. They're the Iowa Hawkeyes of the NFL."

And during the game on Sunday vs the Rams, Fox put a graphic on the screen that said the Steelers haven’t had a game with over 400 total yards of offense in 53 straight games. Yet they find a way to keep winning games.

It is largely because of Defensive Player of the Year candidate TJ Watt who had a momentum-changing interception to start the second half of the game vs the Rams this past Sunday.

The Steelers offense finally started to click in the second half and both running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren scored their first touchdowns of the season.

Scoring touchdowns is nothing new for the Jacksonville Jaguars and their offense on the other hand.

The Jaguars are coming off a Thursday Night win over the New Orleans Saints with a score of 31-24.

The Jags came out hot and built up a 24-9 lead in the first half that they would give up later in the game and eventually needed a game-winning drive from Trevor Lawrence that was capped off with a 44-yard touchdown pass to Christian Kirk with three minutes left to play.

Star running back Travis Etienne Jr. stayed hot with two rushing touchdowns making it seven total on the young season along with over 500 yards of rushing so far.

Now looking at the Sunday matchup since Mike Tomlin took over for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007 he is 15-10 as a home underdog which is the best percentage in that time frame.

Another trend that leans towards the Steelers in this game is that Pittsburgh has won their last six games in which they are an underdog of two-plus points.

I believe a major key to this game will be if the Jacksonville Jaguars turn the ball over.

If they are able to hold onto the ball it will be very hard for this below-average Steelers offense to sustain long drive after long drive and put points on the board.

But if the Steelers are able to keep it close heading into the fourth quarter and can cause a turnover they will have a chance.

Rob Cardini is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email rvc5706@psu.edu