The Jaguars are relentless in their pursuit of victory while the Steelers lose quarterback Kenny Pickett to injury.
Pickett exited with what seemed to be a rib injury in the first half.
With a touchdown, an interception, and 292 yards of passing from Trevor Lawrence, the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 20–10 on Sunday to win their fifth straight game.
With a defence that contained Pittsburgh’s unpredictable offence and enough offence to offset a string of errors that allowed the Steelers (4-3) to stay in the game far into the second half, the Jaguars (6-2) tightened their grip on the AFC South.
With 5:14 remaining in the third quarter, Lawrence ripped it up with a 56-yard pass to a streaking Travis Etienne, helping Jacksonville establish a 14-point lead and winning at Acrisure Stadium for the sixth time in their previous seven outings.
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In addition to scoring the touchdown on a play in which he darted past rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and into the end zone, Etienne ran for 79 yards and caught three passes for 70 yards. With 10 receptions for 88 yards from Evan Engram, Jacksonville enters its bye week looking every bit the AFC South favourite that was predicted.
After being hit hard by defensive end Adam Gotsis late in the first half, quarterback Kenny Pickett left the game with a rib injury and did not participate in the second half for Pittsburgh. Following his replacement, Mitch Trubisky completed 139 yards of passing, with a 22-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens late in the third quarter bringing the Steelers to within 17-10.
But Trubisky also had two interceptions, one of which came early in the fourth quarter when he forced a pass into triple coverage, which was intercepted by Jacksonville’s Andrew Wingard, giving the Jaguars the momentum again.
Playing with a brace on his left knee, Lawrence led the Jaguars on a clock-slowing drive that resulted in a fourth field goal from Brandon McManus to put the game out of reach and win the Jaguars’ sixth straight road game during the regular season.
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Thanks to Lawrence and a defence that looks better every week, the Jaguars have overcome a 1-2 start. Pickens caused a stir last week when he claimed that Jacksonville plays a “hope” defence that mostly depends on the pass rush to shield the secondary, but on a day when it outgained Pittsburgh 377-261, Jacksonville essentially held the Steelers in check for extended periods of time.
The Steelers, who rank at the bottom of the league in every major statistical category but victories, managed to stay afloat in the fiercely competitive AFC North.
In the gloom of late October, it was more of the same. While Jacksonville moved the ball with remarkable ease and only had to settle for three McManus field goals and two more drives ending in turnovers deep in Pittsburgh territory, Pittsburgh needed four possessions before gaining a single first down.
As usual, the Steelers began to build momentum in the latter minutes of the second quarter after Gotsis drilled Pickett in the closing seconds of the first half. On his approach to the locker room, Pickett gripped his ribs. He appeared briefly on the sideline and attempted to warm up as halftime was coming to a finish, but Trubisky was eventually selected over him.
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PERSONAL HARM
Steelers: In the first quarter, All-Pro free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick went down with a hamstring injury.
Next up
Jaguars: Have the following week off before hosting San Francisco at TIAA Bank Field on November 12.
Steelers: This Thursday night, they host Tennessee.
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