Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: What Experts Say About the Jaguars

Heading into Week 5, the Jacksonville Jaguars (0-4) are hoping to notch their first win against the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) at home at EverBank Field.

The Jaguars have had a brutal start to the season and currently rank at the bottom of the league in both offense and defense. 

While there is some buzz around the team with the insertion of Blake Bortles into the starting lineup, the Jaguars have yet to prove they can be competitive with their opponents. The Jaguars have been blown out in each of their four games, and are showing no signs of improvement from their four-win 2013 season.

That being said, this is the NFL. Any given Sunday, a team can surprise and pull off an upset. Let’s take a look at what the experts think about the Jaguars' chances this weekend.

Elliot Harrison, NFL.com

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Elliot Harrison is a media analyst for NFL.com and does their weekly “game picks.” Harrison predicts a close loss for the Jaguars to the tune of 26-23.

Harrison had this to say about the Jaguars:

"

Did you know that Jacksonville is tied for second in the NFL with 12 sacks? The last time the Jags finished in the top two in sacks was 1999, when they were winning playoff games by the score of 62-7. Don’t expect huge numbers for Pittsburgh’s running game – Chargers back Donald Brown was stuffed against Jacksonville last week – but 25 carries certainly makes sense.

"

I agree with Harrison that Jacksonville has an improved pass rush this season, but I don’t know if they’ll able to keep it close against the Steelers. The Jaguars are allowing 130.5 rushing yards per game; the Steelers should be able to exploit that.

Michael DiRocco, ESPN

Michael Perez/Associated Press

Michael DiRocco of ESPN exclusively covers the Jaguars. In his article “The Film Don’t Lie,” DiRocco examines the Jaguars shoddy secondary"

"

The Jaguars are limited by the lack of talented depth on the roster. But the bottom line is this: They have to do their job and be disciplined. If they are responsible for a certain player coverage area, that’s where they should be. It sounds simple, but it has been an issue all season in the secondary.

"

DiRocco points out that the Jaguars have given up a league-leading 25 passing plays of 20 or more yards. Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, who is fourth in the league with 427 receiving yards, will pose a significant threat to the Jaguars.

If the secondary can’t do it’s job, there’s no way the Jaguars will win.

Mike Florio, NBC Sports

Gregory Bull/Associated Press

Mike Florio is an NFL analyst for NBC sports' Pro Football Talk and compiles a weekly preview of the week’s NFL games.

Florio's thiking aligns with what most people's about this matchup, as he predicts the Jaguars will lose 24-10.

An interesting note that Florio points out in his post is that the Jaguars actually lead the Steelers head-to-head all-time, 11-10. That being said, Florio does finish off his preview saying that if the Steelers can’t finish off the Jaguars, it’ll be time for Steelers fans to pack it up.

Pete Prisco and Pat Kirwan, CBS Sports

Gregory Bull/Associated Press

Pete Prisco and Pat Kirwan are NFL analysts for CBS Sports. In their weekly NFL preview, they analyzed the Jaguars and had a few snarky things to say.

Pete Prisco started by saying, “Antonio Brown, Ben Roethlisberger and a bad Jacksonville secondary...you know what that adds up to, Pat? A lot of big plays.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Kirwan added, “Jacksonville is a mess, we all know that.”

Prisco and Kirwan concluded that while they’re excited about the future of Jacksonville with Blake Bortles, they don’t see a scenario where the Jaguars come out of Week 5 with a win.

I don’t disagree with either of the analysts here. While this is a tough season for the Jaguars, Bortles is showing they’re in good hands moving forward.

John Oehser, Jaguars.com

Gregory Bull/Associated Press

John Oehser is the senior writer for Jaguars.com and examined the team as they head into their Week 5 matchup.

Oehser notes that the energy of the team is changing, and that they’re recognizing the urgency of their situation:

"

Whereas last week there was excitement and giddiness in anticipation of rookie quarterback Blake Bortles making his first start, that energy has been replaced by urgency and concern over a defense that continues to struggle.

"

The Jaguars are allowing more points than any other team in the league. They have been unable to stop opponents and are winless because of it.

At this point, the players and coaches should feel some urgency, if things don’t turn around soon, this team will watch another season slip away.

*All stats courtesy of NFL.com.