Jacksonville scored six touchdowns in a 45-42 victory against Pittsburgh in an AFC divisional playoff game Sunday at Heinz Field.
The Latest on the NFL playoffs on divisional weekend (all times EST):
4:26 p.m.
Jacksonville scored six touchdowns and ended Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl dreams with a 45-42 victory in an AFC divisional playoff game Sunday at Heinz Field.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw TD passes to Le’Veon Bell, Martavis Bryant and Antonio Brown, who played for the first time since he suffered a calf injury against New England Dec. 17.
The Jags had four rushing TDs — three by Leonard Fournette and one by T. J. Yeldon — to go along with Blake Bortles’ 14-yard scoring pass to Tommy Bohanon.
Jacksonville’s defense also scored a touchdown, with Yannick Ngakoue sacking Roethlisberger and Josh Lambo picking up the fumble and taking it into the end zone.
Josh Lambo added a late field goal to seal the victory for Jacksonville.
The third-seeded Jaguars (12-6) will face top-seeded New England next week in Foxborough, Massachusetts, after jumping on Pittsburgh early, then holding on late. Jacksonville raced to a 21-point lead, fended off a Steelers rally and responded every time Pittsburgh (13-4) challenged.
4:10 p.m.
The Steelers aren’t going down easily.
Le’Veon Bell took Ben Roethlisberger’s lateral and ran 8 yards for a TD as Pittsburgh cut Jacksonville’s lead to 42-35 with 2:18 left.
Big Ben scrambled from the pocket and ran for 1 yard before swinging the ball to Bell, who beat one Jaguars defender for the game’s 11th TD.
Pittsburgh then tried an onside kick that was recovered by the Jaguars.
— Tom Withers reporting from Pittsburgh.
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3:55 p.m.
The Jaguars answered back.
Blake Bortles threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to fullback Tommy Bohanon with 4:19 left to give Jacksonville a 42-28 lead over the Steelers.
After Pittsburgh closed within seven for the second time in the half, Bortles drove the Jags 75 yards for the crucial score. Bohanon got behind Pittsburgh’s linebackers and Bortles completed the scoring toss with ease.
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3:45 p.m.
Here come the Steelers again.
Antonio Brown caught a 43-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 9:05 left to bring Pittsburgh within 35-28 of Jacksonville.
It was Brown’s second TD and it revived the Steelers, who fell behind by 14 moments earlier.
The Steelers have come back after trailing 21-0 and 28-7.
— Tom Withers reporting from Pittsburgh.
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3:40 p.m.
The Jaguars are 10 minutes away from a spot in the AFC championship game.
Leonard Fournette’s 3-yard touchdown run with 10:34 remaining gave Jacksonville a 35-21 lead over the Steelers.
After Jacksonville’s defense stopped Pittsburgh on fourth down, Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles completed a 45-yard pass to Keelan Cole to set up Fournette’s third TD. The rookie running back was sidelined for part of the first half with an ankle injury.
Jacksonville was trying to hang on after seeing a 28-7 lead trimmed to seven.
— Tom Withers reporting from Pittsburgh.
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3:20 p.m.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are trying to hold on against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The upstart Jaguars hold a 28-21 lead going into the fourth quarter at chilly Heinz Field. Jacksonville led by 21 points in the second quarter after a 48-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Telvin Smith but Pittsburgh has responded behind quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger has thrown for 258 yards and three scores through three quarters. Pittsburgh running back Le’Veon Bell has 116 yards and a score for the Steelers.
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3 p.m.
Ben Roethlisberger is heating up and the Pittsburgh Steelers are back in it against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Roethlisberger hit a diving Le’Veon Bell for a 19-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter to pull the Steelers within 28-21 of the Jaguars in their divisional round showdown.
The touchdown was Roethlisberger’s third of the game. He’s also thrown an interception that led to a Jacksonville score and had a fumble returned for a touchdown.
The Steelers trailed by 21 points late in the first half. The biggest playoff comeback in franchise history came 15 years ago when they rallied from 17 down to beat Cleveland in the wild-card round.
Jacksonville running back Leonard Fournette returned in the second half after leaving in the second quarter with an ankle injury.
— Will Graves reporting from Pittsburgh
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2:35 p.m.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are 30 minutes from a trip to New England for the AFC championship game.
Leonard Fournette ran for a pair of touchdowns and the upstart Jaguars have a 28-14 lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers at halftime of their divisional round showdown before leaving with an ankle injury.
T. J. Yeldon also has a touchdown run for the Jaguars and linebacker Telvin Smith scooped up Ben Roethlisberger’s fumble and returned it for a score.
Roethlisberger has touchdown passes to Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant but has also committed two turnovers.
The Jaguars are looking for their third trip to the AFC title game in franchise history.
— Will Graves reporting from Pittsburgh.
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2:15 p.m.
Jacksonville running back Leonard Fournette has gone to the locker room with an ankle injury.
Fournette appeared to tweak his ankle on a spin move after catching a 10-yard pass from Blake Bortles in the second quarter. Fournette, who earlier scored on a 1-yard dive, was checked on the sideline before he limped to the locker room for treatment and evaluation.
The Jaguars said Fournette’s return is questionable.
Jacksonville led 21-7 when Fournette got hurt.
— Tom Withers reporting from Pittsburgh.
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2 p.m.
The Steelers are down on the scoreboard and a starting right tackle.
Marcus Gilbert is being evaluated for a concussion after he was injured when Pittsburgh was stuffed on a fourth down running play late in the first quarter by Jacksonville’s swarming defense. Gilbert walked to the sideline without assistance, but the team said his return is questionable.
He was replaced on Pittsburgh’s next possession by Chris Hubbard.
The Jaguars took a 21-0 lead early in the second quarter on T. J. Yeldon’s 4-yard run.
Also, Steelers linebacker Vince Williams is being evaluated for a concussion.
— Tom Withers reporting from Pittsburgh.
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2 p.m.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are taking it to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jacksonville running back T. J. Yeldon bulled in from 4 yards to give the Jaguars a stunning 21-0 lead over Pittsburgh early in the second quarter. The Jaguars stuffed Pittsburgh on fourth-and-inches at the Jacksonville 21 then rolled 79 yards behind rookie running back Leonard Fournette.
Fournette already has 80 yards rushing against Pittsburgh.
The Steelers have never come back from a 21-point deficit to win in the playoffs. Their biggest comeback came from down 17 against Cleveland in the 2002 wild-card round.
