The Jaguars know they can win in Pittsburgh. But the way the run game struggled Sunday is a reminder they’ll need Blake Bortles to lead them.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars ’ first home playoff game since Jan. 23,2000, wasn’t pretty, but it was a victory, and now the team travels to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers in an AFC divisional-round game.
Reasons to be excited: The Jaguars’ defense has had issues with giving up big plays over the second half of the season, but that wasn’t the case Sunday against the Bills. They gave up only one play longer than 15 yards (a 25-yard run by LeSean McCoy) and held the Bills to 115 yards in the second half. The Bills never got past the Jaguars’ 48-yard line in the second half, and Tyrod Taylor and Nate Peterman each threw an interception.
Reasons to be concerned: The Jaguars’ offense was pretty stagnant in the first half (84 yards) Sunday, and QB Blake Bortles looked awful. He missed on several screen passes, airmailed an easy completion and was low on a crossing pattern. Bortles hadn’t played that badly all season. Even though he rebounded in the second half, it’s clear that the run game is having issues ( Leonard Fournette ran for 57 yards on 21 carries), and he will have to carry more of the offense.
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What’s next: The Jaguars will play Pittsburgh at Heinz Field at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, with a berth in the AFC Championship Game on the line. The Jaguars beat the Steelers 31-29 for their last road playoff victory after the 2007 season. And the Jaguars have won in Heinz Field this season, beating the Steelers 30-9 in October. They intercepted Ben Roethlisberger five times and returned two for touchdowns, and Fournette had his best day as a pro, rushing for 181 yards and a touchdown – a 90-yarder on his 27th carry.
