Monday, October 17, 2011
Associated Press
Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Steelers spent 30 minutes Sunday reminding the seemingly overmatched Jacksonville Jaguars why they’re the defending AFC champions.
Then they spent 30 minutes reminding the rest of the NFL why they’re so vulnerable.
Pittsburgh narrowly avoided a stunning collapse in a 17-13 victory, a second straight win that hardly felt like one.
“We didn’t play the style of football that we like to play in the second half,” coach Mike Tomlin said.
The Steelers (4-2) managed just 70 yards in the second half and let the youthful Jaguars (1-5) hang around until the final play.
Not exactly the confidence builder Pittsburgh was looking for heading into the meat of its schedule following a four-game tour through the AFC South.
Making matters worse, the team removed All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu from the game in the fourth quarter after experiencing what Tomlin called “concussion-like symptoms.”
Another mixed bag from the Steelers, who struggled to put consecutive solid performances together.
“We just have to be consistent,” wide receiver Hines Ward said. “We are not doing it on a consistent level yet. But we’re getting there.”
So perhaps is Jacksonville, even if the team’s five-game losing streak matches the franchise’s longest in a decade.
Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 96 yards and a day after celebrating his 22nd birthday, rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert shook off five sacks to complete 12 of 26 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. He put the Jaguars in a position to win it with a last-second heave that sailed harmlessly to the back of the end zone.
“We had chances to score,” Gabbert said. “We’ve got to come out with more energy in the first half and play the game, start off the game, like we did in the second half, having that sense of urgency.”
Instead it was the Steelers who had the urgency early, racing to a 17-0 lead behind running back Rashard Mendenhall, who sat out last week’s 38-17 romp over Tennessee with a balky hamstring.
Reserves Jonathan Dwyer and Issac Redman played so well in Mendenhall’s absence, Tomlin said he’d likely split carries this week. Mendenhall, however, reminded Tomlin why he’s topped 1,000 yards each of the last two seasons, rolling up 146 yards and a touchdown while running with a purpose.
Criticized for dancing too much at times, Mendenhall ripped off a career-best 68-yard run in the second quarter, part of an dominant half in which Pittsburgh outgained the Jaguars 315-68.
“We felt like we could have had a very explosive, productive day offensively, running and throwing the ball,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. “It’s frustrating it didn’t finish up that way.”
Roethlisberger threw for 200 yards and a touchdown, but completed just one pass in the second half while getting sacked three times.
“[We] just played sloppy at first and then we made up our minds, settled down and stopped them,” Jacksonville defensive end Jeremy Mincey said.