Dissecting Most Crucial Matchups in Steelers' Week 5 Contest with Jaguars

The Pittsburgh Steelers once again hit the road after a disappointing last-second loss in Week 4. As they learned last week, every team in the NFL presents a tough matchup, but taking on the winless Jacksonville Jaguars could be enough to get them back on track.

Behind Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, the Steelers offense gets to face one of the worst defensive units in the entire league. Jacksonville has allowed 38 points per game, which could mean a breakout day for Todd Haley’s offense.

Meanwhile, the defense could use a morale boost after allowing Mike Glennon to drive down the field in the final minute of play last week. Not only does it get to face an offense that averages just 14.5 points per game, but it also gets a rookie quarterback under center.

On paper, the Steelers match up well against the Jaguars, but the game isn’t played on paper; it is played on the field. Jacksonville has several talented players on its roster that will provide some matchup issues for Pittsburgh.

As the Steelers’ Week 5 contest against the Jaguars approaches, here is a preview of the most crucial matchups.

Dick LeBeau vs. Blake Bortles

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Jaguars’ rookie quarterback Blake Bortles has only played in two games, but he is already showing everyone why Jacksonville made him the sixth overall selection in the draft.

Through two games, Bortles has thrown for 447 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions. In the first start of his career, Bortles was impressive as he completed 78.4 percent of his passes for 254 yards in a blowout loss to the San Diego Chargers.

In previous years, that performance would mean nothing, as defenses led by Dick LeBeau were dominant against rookie quarterbacks. According to Neal Coolong of Behind the Steel Curtain, the Steelers are 18-2 against rookie quarterbacks since 2004.

The Steelers’ ability to sack the quarterback was one reason why they have historically been successful against rookies. However, they struggle in this area with only seven sacks this year. They have also allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 62.2 percent of their passes for an average of 255 yards per game.

Name	Completions	Attempts	Percentage	Yards	Touchdowns	Interceptions	Sacks
Brian Hoyer	18	30	60	222	1	0	3
Joe Flacco	21	29	72.4	166	2	0	0
Cam Newton/Derek Anderson	29	41	70.7	307	2	0	3
Mike Glennon	21	42	50	302	2	1	1

LeBeau does not have the same types of playmakers he used to have, and without talented pass-rushers putting pressure on the quarterback, they will continue to struggle.

As a big-bodied quarterback who has the ability to make plays with his legs, Bortles will be very difficult to defend. His size and style of play make him very comparable to Roethlisberger, so at the very least the defense should know how to defend this type of quarterback.

But knowing how to defend him and actually defending him are two different things. Even early in his career, Roethlisberger likes what he sees from Jacksonville’s rookie, per Scott Brown of ESPN.com:

"He can extend plays, he can throw the ball on the run, he is an impressive young player," Roethlisberger said. "I liked him coming out [of UCF]. I thought he was the most [NFL]-ready and the guy that I thought could be the best."

Bortles still has a lot to prove, but he has already shown that he has what it takes to compete in the NFL. Remember, the Steelers have already allowed Brian Hoyer and Mike Glennon to move the ball through the air with—at times—relative ease. There is little reason to believe that as long as he has time to throw, he will have little issue getting rid of the ball and having success against LeBeau’s defense.

Le’Veon Bell vs. Paul Posluszny

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The Steelers should have little trouble moving the ball against the Jaguars defense on Sunday. Jacksonville’s run defense ranks 25th in the league and dead last against the pass. Expect Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown to have big days, but Le’Veon Bell will set it all up.

Bell has 91 touches for 570 yards and one touchdown. The bulk of his yardage has come on the ground, as he has 378 rushing yards. In Pittsburgh’s two wins this year, Bell has been a workhorse with 42 carries for 256 yards and a score.

Against the San Diego Chargers, Jacksonville’s defense stepped up and limited them to just 42 yards on 20 carries. That will not deter the Steelers, as they will continue to find ways to get the ball into Bell’s hands. He has averaged nearly 23 touches per game and should once again approach—if not surpass—that total this week.

Paul Posluszny will be the key to defending against Bell. Five of his 11 tackles came against the run in which the Chargers only gained a total of six yards. He has been a tackling machine so far this year with 41 tackles on the year.

As Jacksonville’s most productive linebacker, Posluszny will have plenty of opportunities to stop Bell in the middle of the field. The Steelers may try to force Posluszny into cover, thus opening up additional space for Bell once the ball is in his hands.

Cortez Allen and William Gay vs. Allen Hurns

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In what was an outstanding draft for wide receivers, Allen Hurns was not a name that stood out from the crowd. But after the first quarter of the season, the undrafted free agent has already made a significant impact for the Jaguars.

At over 6’0,” Hurns will present matchup issues with Pittsburgh’s shorter cornerbacks—particularly William Gay—and may spend most of his day matched up against the taller, more athletic Cortez Allen. The Steelers will need that speed to defend against the big play.

Hurns is the leading receiver on the Jaguars in terms of yardage, with 254 yards on 12 receptions and three touchdowns. However, he only has 12 receptions on 24 targets, which provides some hope for Pittsburgh’s defensive backs, who don’t play the ball particularly well.

Name	Receptions	Yards	Average	Touchdowns
Andrew Hawkins	8	87	10.9	0
Steve Smith	6	71	11.8	0
Kelvin Benjamin	8	115	14.4	1
Louis Murphy	6	99	16.5	0

The major issue for Gay and Allen will be the threat of a deep ball. Hurns averages 21.2 yards per reception and has a reception of 40 yards or more in three of the four games this year. His five receptions of 20 yards or more leads the team.

Pittsburgh’s defense struggled last week against big plays in the passing game as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers connected on passes of 41, 40 and 31 yards. Splash plays enable an opponent to stay in a game that should otherwise be well in hand.

Allen and Gay need to perform well against Hurns to prevent Bortles from connecting on a big play. As long as they can keep the play in front of them, they should be able to contain Hurns and Jacksonville’s passing attack.

Note: Unless otherwise noted all stats are courtesy of ESPN.com, and all roster information is courtesy of Steelers.com.  

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