Big Questions Ahead of Steelers vs Jaguars

Who are the Jacksonville Jaguars worried about? Do the Pittsburgh Steelers have the offense to win?

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8 in what could turn out to be a pivotal matchup in AFC playoff seeding. 

As the Steelers look to reclaim the AFC North, they'll need to continue winning. Meanwhile, Jacksonville looks sharp and has some impressive wins under their belt already this season. 

Before kickoff, let's dive inside the Jaguars locker room to find out more about Pittsburgh's Week 8 opponent. 

All Steelers Jacksonville insight, courtesy of Jaguars Report Publisher John Shipley: 

Q: How healthy is Trevor Lawrence? And how have you seen him develop with Calvin Ridley in the offense? 

A: He isn't 100%, but I would guess he isn't far off from it. There really wasn't a drop off in his play or play-style on Thursday NightFootball, though the Jaguars did deploy a quick passing attack to negate the chances of a defender hitting him. It was the rare NFL game where a defense didn't even register a quarterback hit. Lawrence still scrambled at career-high and, for the most part, seems like himself. I expect the Jaguars to still protect him some, however.

As for Ridley, it's been a mixed bag at times. He's had two 100-yard games in Week 1 and Week 5 and looked like a legitimate alpha receiver in both contests. In the other five games, he's either struggled with drops or simply hasn't been targeted. A big function of that is the fact that the Jaguars like to focus on spreading the ball around and dictating matchups. They aren't going to give him 10 targets a game just for the heck of it. Lawrence and Ridley seem to be on the same page chemistry-wise, but it's anyone's guess what weeks he'll be involved.

Q: Where are the holes in Jacksonville's defense?

A: The pass-rush. Josh Allen has been one of the best pass-rushers in football this season, but he had largely done it on his own. Last week against the Saints, Allen dominated Andrus Peat on his way to 11 pressures, but the Jaguars still didn't have a good sack day because none of their other pass-rushers took advantage. Travon Walker is more of a disruptor than he is a pure pass-rusher, Dawuane Smoot is still fresh off an Achilles injury, and K'Lavon Chaisson is a certified bust. Then when you look inside, they only have one defensive tackle in Roy Robertson-Harris who is really capable of causing some havoc in the passing game.

Q: Who's the play the Jaguars are focusing on to shut down on either side of the ball?

A: T.J. Watt on defense. The Jaguars lost to the Chiefs in Week 2 in large part because rookie right tackle Anton Harrison couldn't hang with All-Pro defensive lineman Chris Jones. The Jaguars left him on an island for most of the game and have since expressed regret for doing so. How they play Watt and how much they help Harrison will dictate their success on offense.

On offense, it's George Pickens. The Jaguars' defense has been stellar at forcing teams to abandon their running games early in the contest, leading to quarterbacks attempting 40 or more passes against them in each of the last 3 games. If they do the same to Pittsburgh, they know they can't let Pickens generate big plays at a high volume.

Q: What's the vibe when it comes to Pittsburgh's offense? Does it feel like Jacksonville believes they're a real threat or still a work in progress?

A: I think the Jaguars certainly respect the Steelers offense, especially Pickens, Diontae Johnson, and Najee Harris. With that said, it is a confident defensive unit and I would presume that they believe the Steelers aren't the same level as two other offenses they have found success against this year in the Chiefs and Bills. The Jaguars overlooked the Houston Texans' offense in Week 3 and paid for it, so I am not sure how prone they are to making the same mistake twice.

Q: Score prediction?

A: Jaguars 20, Steelers 16. I like how both defenses match up with the opposing offense, but I think Trevor Lawrence gives them the edge over a Kenny Pickett-led offense.

Don't worry; I picked the Steelers in my report for him. You can check that out here. 

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