Mike Tomlin Says Steelers, Jaguars Have 'Evolved' Since Regular Season Game

The Jacksonville Jaguars turned heads in Week 5 with a 30-9 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin believes both sides are different heading into Sunday's postseason clash. 

"We've evolved since then," he said Tuesday, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. "They have evolved a lot since then. (Revisiting that game) is a good physical reference in terms of the matchups. You get to see Calais Campbell versus our people, for example. I think that is the value in it, but ... I am sure that they are as different as we are since the last time we've seen them."

Tomlin mentioned Campbell, who anchored Jacksonville's pass rush that finished with 55 sacks this season, but it was the secondary that gave Pittsburgh the most issues. The Jaguars intercepted Ben Roethlisberger five times, two of which they returned for touchdowns to set the tone in the blowout.

"The people that play on the back end deliver the splash as exemplified by the interception numbers," Tomlin said of a secondary that finished first in the league in passing yards allowed this season. "The people up front deliver the goods as exemplified by their sack numbers. They create a lot of turnovers."

One of those physical matchups that stands out features Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown going against second-year cornerback Jalen Ramsey. It is one area in which Jacksonville will hope it has evolved considering Brown tallied 10 catches for 157 yards in the regular-season matchup.

However, the Jaguars can counter with a strong rushing attack, which is exactly what they did when Leonard Fournette finished with 181 yards and two scores on 28 carries in the Week 5 game.

The Steelers are loaded with offensive weapons in Brown, Le'Veon Bell, Martavis Bryant, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Roethlisberger, but the Jaguars have the formula to slow them down once again on Sunday. If the visitors establish the run and an early lead while keeping Pittsburgh's offense on the sidelines, they will force the Steelers into throwing situations and unleash a formidable secondary.

Pittsburgh will need to have evolved since Week 5 to overcome that hypothetical.