Damn Jag-u-ARGHs!

Well, if I said I felt confident about Sunday's game against Jagoffville, I'd be lying to you. We're down to Mewelde Moore, Najeh Davenport, and Gary Russell in the backfield, Big Ben is more banged up than Tara Reid, and we have no solid indication that our Offensive game plan will be any good against the tough Jags Defense. At least the Defense is playing well though, albeit without 2/3 of our starting lineman. So we've got that going for us...which is nice.

But really it doesn't matter what kind of shape we're in. This is basically a division game. It may not count towards the division standings, but Jag-u-are-ville has always been a challenge for us. In fact, we haven't won one out of the last four meetings, including last year's heart wrenching playoff loss.

Nevertheless, this is our time to avenge. Let's just hope this time around, we don't get gypped by a bullshit holding no call.

So here are three things I'll be watching for on Sunday night...

#1 - The "Offensive" "Game Plan"
Notice the intentional quotes around both Offensive and Game Plan. This is clearly by design. Will we have a game plan? Will it be any good? Will we go no huddle at all? Will we throw to Heath Miller? Will we be able to get the ball to Santonio without it being picked off? I just don't know. We shall see. I'd like to think that with all the grumblings about the Offense's lack of production the past couple of weeks, Arians and Tomlin will sort it out for this one. But I can't say with any degree of certainty that that will be the case.

#2 - The Defensive Line
Our specialty is stopping the run and obliterating the opposing passer. Yet, Jacksonville has consistently gouged us for a disgusting amount of yards on the ground. Even David Garrard got into the mix last time. We can NOT let this happen again. I know MJD is like a little bowling ball. He's hard to see. He's hard to tackle. He cuts like a ginsu knife. But we have to shut him, Fred Taylor - and anyone else who decides to get into the mix - down. That Offensive Line is looking real vulnerable. Capitalize on that. Make David Garrard beat you. Bottom line.

#3 - "Special" Teams
First, the Jags O-line may be a bit of a mess, but MJD is still back there returning kicks. He's burned us before, he can do it again. A "Special" Teams gaffe would be possibly the most costly mistake, should it occur. Let's hope our dudes stay solid. Second, Mitch Berger has to do better. Last week, his punting average was dog shit. This is another battle of field position. We just have to get a good performance out of Berger. I don't know how else to say it. I hope you eat your Wheaties on Sunday, Mitch.

And that's it. I could go on, but alas, I continue to have real work to do (even on a Friday). So I'm interested - what do you guys think about this game? Winnable?

I'll tell you what Steely McGnome thinks...well, actually Doug will, but yeah - 24-21, Steelers. Write that down.

A View To A Kill...

"I don't see Fred Taylor doing that to our defense twice."
- Hines Ward

It's finally here. Gameday, Steeler fans.

No doubt many of you are probably already well on your way to "preparing" for tonight's Wild Card battle with the "AFC Darkhorse" Jacksonville Jagoffs Jaguars.

I personally am extremely pumped and ready to watch Silverback, Big Snack, Troy and friends take down Fred Taylor and the Jaguars Offense, while Big Ben Godsend, San Antonio, Hines and Deuce Davenport are shredding the Jaguars Defense. Gotta love playoff time. Let's go get ourselves a ticket to Foxborough, I want the Pats for a 2nd time. This post season's theme is REVENGE and RESTORATION of PRIDE.

Leave all your gameday encouragement and team spirit here. IE - comment and tell us all why/how you think the Steelers will stick it to Jagoffville Jacksonville.

Here we go Steelers!!!!!!!

PS - Big Snack from Pierogi's N'At has assured me that the hit on Fred Taylor is out...it's only a matter of time. Silverback Attack!

Hines Ward Recommends You Drink Heavily...

"If we're not shutting running teams down, we're going to be watching in the playoffs."
- Brett Keisel

First off, before I get into anything today, let me say this - I've sensed over the last week or so that many people are, shall we say, less than optimistic about the Steelers playoff chances (not here at OFTOT of course). Some more than others (PS-click link and watch video for context of post title). I can understand why one might feel that way given the current state of Steeler affairs. But for Christ's sake, what is this, New York Jets country? Steelers fans selling their playoff tickets? No pep rally (coincidentally after KDKA's piece there will be one)? If you can't be a fan when the team is in the playoffs, good chance or not, do us all a favor and become a Patriot douchebag supporter. Because I for one don't want you giving Steeler Nation a bad name.

Still, if we don't win this game, 10 bucks says Domski will trade his Big Ben jersey for a Tom Brady jersey...[see below]...I am kidding of course.


Anyways, yesterday I highlighted the Jaguar playoff hype, and in doing so called out some of the stats that the media are shoving down our throats in order to make the point that Jacksonville is a good football team (like we didn't already know that). First, I mentioned that the Jaguars have won six of their final eight games. Then, I mentioned that over those same eight games, they averaged 32 points.

However, what I did not mention was that those six wins came against the - Titans, Chargers, Bills, Panthers, Steelers and Raiders. If you look at their games against the Bills, Panthers and Raiders (all sub .500 franchises), they scored an average of 40 points. However, if you look at their games against the Titans, Chargers and Steelers (all playoff franchises), they only scored an average of 27 points. While 27 points is not shabby by any means, it's still worth noting.

But being that it is Friday, I'm really here to talk about what the Steelers SHOULD do in order to halt these Jagoffs Jaguars in their tracks. I know I've already mentioned a couple of things this week, and I tend to be long winded. So today I'll try and keep it simple. Check it:

OFFENSE

• Don't Hurt Yourself ~ No I don't mean like injure yourself. I mean don't turn the ball over. As we all well know, turnovers generally equal losses. We just can't expect to win if we don't play disciplined. That's 1...are you timing me?


• Surprise Us ~ Believe it or not, I don't mean come out and sling the ball like we did in the '05 playoffs. I mean basically Najeh - get us some yards on the ground. I absolutely believe the Steelers can be effective throwing the ball, but when we are able to run the ball effectively, we can use play action effectively. And to me, that is huge. Life is all about balance, grasshoppers. That's 2...this is record time.


• Understand Your Sitch ~ We're down to the #3 Left Tackle, Sean Mahan is basically a large pile of dogshit, and Willie anal cavity Colon ain't exactly a pro bowler. So it is likely that Ben will have less time than normal. Plus, as discussed, Najeh may/may not be giving him much help. Hence, this may mean having some gadget plays ready. Or at least something in your back pocket to implement if needed. Prepare for everything, hope for the best. Offensive "keys"...SECURED.

DEFENSE

• As If I Have To Even Say It ~ The Jaguars have two running backs. Both are good. They ran for 224 yards last time we met...in the snow. Please someone, stop these guys. One down, two to go.


• Pressure EVERYONE ~ It's unlikely that field general David Garrard is going to take many shots down the field. Knowing that, press the Jax receivers. No 10 yard cushion. They might be bigger than you Deshea, but you can hold your own. McFadden will help. That said, if/when Garrard does try to play Brett Favre, Safeties - ye shall helpeth. Also, Silverback - David Garrard is your hot boxed lunch. Eat him alive. Two down, one more to go, are we having fun yet?


• Get Me That Ball ~ We can certainly let history repeat itself in one respect - the last time we saw the Jags, The Prophet nabbed an interception and ran it back 50 yards. We probably won't get too many balls capable of being intercepted, but when we do, it would certainly be nice to see. 11 on the year? Come on guys, you can do better. Playoffs are a great time to start. For the record, I will also graciously accept a Silverback forced fumble. Defensive "keys"...SECURED.

Overall, just play with some balls, some guts, some conviction. Show us you want to win. Show us what we've been missing the past few weeks. No one is going to cry if it looks like you tried as hard as possible and came up short.

Whatever you do, don't lose this game in your head before you even take the field. Tomlin has made damn sure you remember December 16, just as we fans do. Now if that don't sting and make you wanna right that wrong, I don't know what does.

No opponent has ever come to Heinz Field and beat the Steelers twice in one season. Do NOT let the Jacksonville Jaguars become the 1st. Protect this house.

WHO RIDE???

PS - in case you didn't click the link at the beginning, the post title is in reference to a Hines Ward, KDKA interview where he instructed us Steeler fans to come down and drink as many beverages as we can, be as loud as we can, and help them out. Unfortch, I'm separated from the Burgh as usual, but all yinz gahn dahntahn better drink plenty of Ahrns...if not for Hines, for me.

REFERENCE MATERIAL:
With Steelers on Playoff Run - Fans Silent [KDKA]
Steelers of the South Try to Win Up North [Associated Press] - This one is for Notgomu
Tomlin Ecstatic [SteelCityInsider]
5 Keys for a Steelers Win Saturday [Doubt About It]
Opponent Spotlight: Fred Taylor [Die Hard Steel]
Oh Defense, Where Art Thou? [Behind The Steel Curtain]
Steelers Polamalu to Really Test Knee Today [Tribune-Review]
Steelers Have Advantage with Playoff Expertise [Tribune-Review]
Steelers Fill Gaps in Run Defense [Tribune-Review]
Taylor Has Steelers on the Run [Post-Gazette]
Something to Believe In [One For The Other Thumb]

The Jaguars Are Like, So Hot Right Now...

"It reminds me of a couple of years ago with Indianapolis. I hope it turns out that way. It's good to play a home game. That's big in the playoffs."
- Ben Roethlisberger

Hey, have you guys heard how good the Jacksonville Jaguars are? Do you know that they have won six of their last eight games? And over those eight games they have scored an average of 32 points per game? Or that David Garrard threw only three interceptions in 325 pass attempts this season? How about that Fred Taylor has averaged 120 yards per game over his last five games and is headed to his 1st pro bowl? I hear he even fathered Jamie Lynn Spears' lovechild...[see below]


Yeah, I think we've heard all this and more since the Jaguars secured a playoff spot a couple weeks back. They say that no one wants to play Jacksonville right now. Jacksonville is the AFC's equivalent of Britney Spears circa 1999, you know, because she was hot then (ironically, so were the Jags). I'll be honest, it's understandable why so many people would feel this way. No matter what I might say here this week, by no means should my thoughts be construed as a lack of respect for the Jagoffs. I understand how good of a team they can be and have been. After all, December 16 was not even three weeks ago.

But getting back to the point, the truth is - I'm not actually all that angry about the fact that no one seems to be giving the Steelers a chance, outside of us devoted Steeler fans. Frankly, I think it might be better that way. Like we discussed yesterday, the Steelers need to light a collective fire under their ass. They need to get hold of something that can motivate them. Well how about this - Not only did the Jaguars recently come into your house and knock you around for 60 minutes, but now they're getting more attention from the media than Jessica Simpson at a Dallas Cowboys game. I seem to remember a similar buzz after the Steelers beat the Bengals (which was a surprise to many) back in 2005 and were set to face the "unbeatable" Indianapolis Colts. We all know how that turned out.

Any way you slice it, this will be a tough game, yes. The Jags sure do seem to be in a better position than the Steelers. But winning streak or not, scoring machine or not, neither Jack Del Rio (as a head coach), nor David Garrard, nor Maurice Jones-Drew have ever seen the post season before. Indeed, Jacksonville has not even seen the post season yet this century. Consider that Big Ben is 5-1 as a starting QB in the post season. Add to that the fact that while few 1st year head coaches make it to the playoffs, those who do have been known to win, and things might skew a little differently.

So while it would be nice to be on a hot streak right now - we're not, and they are. Nonetheless, the more people talk about how hard it will be for the Steelers, the more motivated I think they can be. And the more motivated they are, the hungrier they are. The hungrier they are, the more lethal they are. You can do the math from there...

Now, be honest - Am I just spouting nonsense? Is any of this worth your time? Anything else you might like to discuss? I'm all ears. Oh, and Photoshop ideas are always accepted.

PS - Maybe the Mountaineers can come show the Steelers how to run the football...how many rushing yards was that last night? Something like 350? Damn.

REFERENCE MATERIAL:
Jacksonville Heads to Playoffs Everyone's Darkhorse [USA Today]
Wobbly Steelers Trying to Regroup for Jags [ESPN]
Tomlin Throws Steelers For Video Loop [Tribune-Review]
Garrard Shrugs Off Playoff Hype [FloridaToday]
Broken Hand Sidelines Jags LB Peterson [Associated Press]
Big Ben's Throwing May Be Steelers Only Chance [Associated Press]
1st Year Coaches Often Win Playoff Openers [Tribune-Review]
Steelers Limp Into Playoffs with #4 Seed [Behind The Steel Curtain]
Exhaustive Jags Replay a Thorn In Steelers Side [Post-Gazette]
Jaguars a Thorn in Steelers Side [Post-Gazette]

Commence Field Conditions Gameday Discussion...

Let's do this.

The Doctor Will See You Now...

A bit of a rip off that all I'm giving you on Saturday is an injury update. But hey, if you guys knew what kind of crap I was up against this weekend, you'd understand. Trust me...

Anywho - the injury update is actually rather significant on both sides for tomorrow.

As we all know, Ben returned to practice yesterday after missing both Wednesday and Thursday with a sore shoulder. He is listed as Questionable for Sunday, and while I mentioned yesterday that Ben is a fierce competitor and we should expect him to start, now I'm not so sure. If you watch KDKA's video of his throws in practice yesterday, he certainly doesn't look comfortable. Of course this may just have been because he was taking it easy. But he didn't have that rainbow throwing motion that you would expect. Plus, I hear Batch took a lot of the snaps again. So as of now, the jury's out. Or as Big Ben puts it - we'll have to "Ask Coach on that one."

For the Jagoffs Jaguars, it looks like in addition to Marcus Stroud, who was placed on IR earlier this week, they will be without DE Reggie Hayward (as previously reported) and LB Mike Peterson. Also encouraging, but always running the risk of being a cock tease are the Questionables for this week, which include - CB Rashean Mathis, S Reggie Nelson and DE Paul Spicer. If for some reason these three did not suit up on Sunday, that would make 5 less of their normal 11 starters we'd have to worry about, including 3/4 of the Defensive line and 1/2 the secondary. Of course, it's more than likely that they'll all play. But a man can hope. PS - no injuries for the Jaguars Offense...

Just a reminder - tomorrow I plan on posting an open Gameday thread so we can all bullshit with each other during the game...share in the ups...share in the downs...share our feelings on the current state of foreign affairs, wherever the conversation leads us. 'Til then, have a great weekend Steeler brethren!

Exit Sandman, Enter Prophet...

"The Jaguars and Steelers have been mirror images of each other for years, since Jacksonville entered the NFL in 1995 with the idea of building a team in the image of the Steelers."
- Ed Bouchette

"Good teams put it in the end zone."
-TJ DoucheHoushmanzadeh

First things first -- Anthony Smith is no longer The Sandman on One For The Other Thumb. He is now The Prophet. I had dubbed him "The Sandman" after the 1st Cincinnati game, when he deserved it. But after last week's shenanigans - Prophet. So for as long as we last this season, on Friday each week you'll see The Prophet preface my traditional Friday Morning Half Assed Analysis. Starting today.

Post begins...now.

The overall theme this week is reaffirmation. Reaffirmation of the Steelers ability to stop an Offense from marching down the field. Reaffirmation of their ability to be physical. And hopefully reaffirmation of their ability to score TOUCHDOWNS.

Regarding the latter, responsibility will largely be placed on the shoulders of Big Ben godsend. Although he sat out practice for the 2nd straight day yesterday, the team maintains that his shoulder is just sore and that it should not effect whether or not he plays on Sunday. And knowing Ben, I think we can all say we believe he wants to take the field and be the one to reaffirm our belief in said ability to score.

Before I get into the obligatory Friday "Llaves a Victoria" (Keys to Victory), there's a few milestones you should all be aware of that are in reach this weekend. So keep your collective eyes peeled for the following individual accomplishments:

1. Hines Ward needs 73 yards to overtake John Stallworth in Overall Career Receiving Yards
2. Big Ben needs 2 TD passes to tie The Blonde Bomber's single season record
3. Jeff Reed needs but ONE beer point to move into sole possession of 3rd place among the Steelers all time consumption scoring leaders.

Here's to hoping we'll be able to toast these accolades properly after Sunday's game...

And now, without further ado - below are a few things on either side of the ball that the Steelers should do to insure victory this weekend:

OFFENSE:

• 3 Points Ain't Gonna Cut It ~ What? You didn't see that coming? Yes, my first key to the Steelers Offensive success this Sunday or any Sunday for that matter is to SCORE TOUCHDOWNS. Field goals will help, but you need to be able to have the confidence that when your team gets beyond the 20, the 10, the 5 yard line, they're going to finish it off and get 7. We know they can do it. We just need to see it again. Now is the time to develop that Offensive rhythm to [hopefully] propel us into the playoffs. So again, note to Bruce Arians - Try not to get cute at the wrong time. Preferably the right time would be after the game when you're chatting up that chippy cheerleader...I see you BA...


• Two Words ~ Hines. Ward. Get him heavily involved in the passing game. We'll need a good amount of Santonio as well. But I'm envisioning the need for a lot of short passes to a guy who never disappoints. If you need a good pass play to pick up 10-15 yards, look no further. I'm a firm believer in if it ain't broke don't fix it, and Big Ben to Hines Ward ain't broke yet, so you do the math.


• Chicks Dig 3rd and 4th Down Conversions ~ Of course, ideally you don't have to deal with 4th down at all. But either way, when you get into 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1, you need to continue to keep those drives alive (mostly the 3rd downs but go with it). We did this very well against the Patriots. But the Jaguarsoffs Defense is just a hair better than the Pats...and by a hair I mean like a really [use your imagine on word choice] long hair. The Jags aren't going to fold like the Patriots would. This will likely mean Dump Davenport will need to come in and come up big in short yardage. Perhaps on the goal line, who knows. One way or another I'm seeing mucho Najeh. With maybe even a Heath Miller sprinkled in there for flavor...

DEFENSE:

• Trial By Fire ~ #1 objective on Defense is still STOP THE RUN. I talked about it yesterday, but let's not forget that once upon the 2000 season, Fred Taylor rushed for 234 yards on the Steelers. Of course, once upon the 2000 season Fred Taylor was 24 and had significantly less wear and tear. Nonetheless, he's still the #1 back for the Jags. He has earned our respect and we should plan to stop him accordingly. Fortunately or unfortuantely, much of this may come down to Nick Eason and/or Travis Kirschke and maybe a little Ryan McBean. I'm sure the Jags are privy to the news that Aaron Smith is no longer a concern on the Steelers Offensive Line, and they will be looking to fully exploit that fact. So Kirschke, Eason, McflyBean, whoever is assuming the position, please stop the Jaguars rushing attack at the line of scrimmage. We would be forever grateful. Thanks.


• Apply Pressure Liberally ~ They're either going to run the ball or pass short. Maybe a deviation here and there, but I'm not envisioning the game plan for the Jags becoming much more complex than that. So since we know that, make sure we're blitzing - getting penetration, and on the outside, pressing their receivers like we should've done against New England. They're some big dudes, but I'm pretty sure you can knock 'em off their routes and frustrate 'em just the same. Perhaps The Prophet would like to lend a hand...?


• This Is Football, Not A Tea Party ~ I feel like I use this analogy every week...probably because I do (someone please help me think of something else)...buuuuuuut -- Your balls are directly below your abdomen between those two things that help you run down the field. Now that you know where they are, try and use them. This was the single biggest problem I had with the game we played against the Patriots last week. We were playing flag football out there. Not hitting barely at all, let alone hitting hard, and generally not tackling well. Like I've said all week - this is going to be a physical game. If you're not ready to hit and be hit, you're not ready to win. So kick each other in the groin or something before the game. Remind yourselves what it's like so you do everything you can to avoid feeling like that after 60 minutes has expired.

And that's a wrap ladies and gents. At least that's what I think.

You guys have any thoughts on this game? What else should we be doing? Did you know that Fred Taylor is Santonio Holmes' cousin? And Troy Polamalu's Uncle is the Jaguars Running Backs Coach? Interestingly, Joey Porter and The Prophet are not related...weird...

PS - I plan on doing another gameday discussion thread here in case anyone wants to jump on and talk about the game while it's happening. Or we could talk about like Britney's new boyfriend and stuff...Your choice.

PPS - Everyone wish Cope well...in case you hadn't heard, he's in the hospital with pneumonia.

REFERENCE MATERIAL:
Rookie DE Gets His First Chance to Impress Steelers [Wexell]
McBean Ready [SteelCityInsider]
Polamalu On Track to Start [Tribune-Review]
Steelers-Jaugars What to Look for[WPXI]
No Guarantees, Predictions This Week [Associated Press]
Exam Time for Eason, Kirschke [Post-Gazette]
Big Ben vs. Jaguars, No Fond Memories [Post-Gazette]
Roethlisberger Takes Snaps At Morning Practice [KDKA]
Polamalu Matched Against Uncle [Associated Press]

David Garrard Has Great Protection...

"David Garrard at quarterback is playing extremely well for them...He’s big, he’s strong, and he’s mobile. We’ll have our hands full in regards of containing him."
- Mike Tomlin

Hopefully you're still with me and haven't clicked away from the page disgusted...Everybody still there? Ok.

We've got the Jagoffuars coming into da Burgh this weekend, and after last week's debacle, memories of the last two times we've played the Jags, and the news that we've lost Aaron Smith for the season, it's tough to be very confident about how the Steelers will fare. But I'll do my best.

Jacksonville, as we all know, plays a similar game to our Steelers. They like to run the football and play tough, physical defense. In fact, they're physical in just about every aspect of their game.

Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew are two backs that can punch you in the face just as quickly as they can dance around you. David Garrard is a 6'2", 240 pound mobile and efficient Quarterback who operates behind a pretty capable Offensive Line (see headline). And their Wide Receiving corps consists of the 6'4, 214 pound Reggie Williams who is clearly the biggest scoring threat of the bunch (and torched us last time for a good 95 yards), the 6'4", 223 pound Ernest Wilford who pretty much doesn't count except for the fact that he's a big dude, and the 6'6", 238 pound Matt "Big Red" Jones who also took it to the Steelers the last time we met (6 catches for 73 yards).

On Defense, take your pick. Although Jacksonville will be without starting DT Marcus Stroud (IR) and DE Reggie Hayward, two of it's top lineman, they've gotten a lot bigger play this season from guys like DE Paul Spicer, the team's sack leader with 6.5, and backup DTs Grady Jackson and Rob Meier. Plus, they've still got Rashean Mathis, the man who you all may remember iced the victory for them in our 2005 meeting (when Tommy Maddox tossed him the game, literally). And also they now have Sammy Knight at Strong Safety, who is leading the team in tackles with 70, despite pushing 70 in the age department (ok he's only 32 but still).

So yeah, this ain't exactly gonna be Tea and Crumpets out there. But after last week, my only hope is that the embarrassment in Foxborough has left the Steelers ANGRY and HUNGRY for a win. Hopefully this week we can try HITTING people instead of throwing our bodies around as if tackling meant falling all over ourselves while watching the guy with the ball run by us.

Now that we've gotten the poetry and prose out of the way, you might be asking - How do the Steelers and Jagoffsguars match up on paper? Well in keeping my Thursday routine consistent, I'll tell you. Read on, then we'll talk more:

OFFENSE:
Rushing Yards ~ Jax = 1870 (#2) | Pit = 1841 (#3)
Passing Yards ~ Jax = 2743 (#21) | Pit = 2765 (#20)
Total Yards ~ Jax = 4613 (#12) | Pit = 4606 (#13)
Points Scored ~ Jax = 305 (#10) | Pit = 309 (#8)

DEFENSE:
Rushing Yards (Allowed) ~ Jax = 1210 (#5) | Pit = 944 (#2)
Passing Yards (Allowed) ~ Jax = 3261 (#28) | Pit = 2464 (#3)
Total Yards (Allowed) ~ Jax = 4471 (#19) | Pit = 3408 (#1)
Points Against ~ Jax = 229 (#7) | Pit = 189 (#1)

So clearly our agenda this Sunday will be STOP THE RUN and PASS EFFECTIVELY. While this sounds all well and good, chances are it won't be that easy.

Even if we do stop the run, Garrard and this Offense we're facing is the dink and dunk kind of passing game that has been obliterating the Steelers all season (See Denver, Jets, New England). What's more, not only do they manage the game well with short throws and the run, but David Garrard has only thrown ONE interception on the entire YEAR! Now granted he missed three games in there. But the only other QB in the league that can come close to that is Jeff Garcia (who has also been injured) who has three picks. Of course the other side of that coin is that Garrard only has 13 passing TDs. So it looks like we've come full circle back to our original objective - Yep, STOP THE RUN. That will be the barometer for success on Defense against this beast.

On Offense, the objective is clearly to establish a passing game. The Jags are 28th against it (thought this could on a normal year easily be chalked up to the fact that they play the Colts twice). Most likely this will mean something similar to what we were forced into on Monday night against the Dolphins. However of equal importance is short yardage running. We can't completely avoid the run (unlike some recent opponents), nor should we. Willie Parker never got a rhythm going the last time we saw these guys. But with that depleted Defensive line of theirs, hopefully he will have a little more success this time around and at least crack 25 yards...yeah, you heard me.

Anyways, this will be a BATTLE. And I mean that in a greater sense than the last game against the Cheatriots. I mean this will be THE test of the year. Will the Steelers bring their balls this week? I sure hope so.

What do you guys think? Where can we gain the competitive edge? Do you think our front 7 can withstand that punishing running game? Will all 5'10" of DeShea Townsend be able to handle the Jags freakishly large receivers? Am I a complete screw up for photoshopping David Garrard's head on a Trojans package? What does that even have to do with this post?

Oh yeah, and the Jags also have cheerleaders, can't forget that:


REFERENCE MATERIAL:
Jacksonville 2007 Stats [Pro-Football-Reference]
Jacksonville 2007 Stats [ESPN]
Jags To See Steelers New Roethlisberger [Tribune-Review]
Jaguars Adjust Defensive Line [Tribune-Review]
Jags Benefit From Preseason QB Change [Tribune-Review]
Taylor Makes Late Push for Pro Bowl [FloridaToday]
Jaguars Cornerback Mathis Gets Some Rest [Orlando Sentinel]