Obviously when we think of the Jaguars and Steelers we remember when they faced each other in the divisional round of the playoffs back in 2017, although they are two very different franchises since Ben Roethlisberger and Blake Bortles were at the controls on that Sunday, that beating of the Florida Steelers is still "recent".
We will see if this Sunday Jacksonville can confirm themselves as candidates in the conference or if it is Pittsburgh who is used to give surprises in the season and can score one more in the year.
Uneven projects, not so different realities
While in the Jaguars we find an established Doug Pederson who has found in Trevor Lawrence his franchise QB and the pieces that complement him because last season they were already confirmed in their division and although they could not beat the Chiefs staying in the divisional round the project for this year is already placed at the level of Bills, Ravens or Bengals, remember that they already beat Buffalo this year.
On the other hand, the Steelers just found Kenny Pickett and are still looking for a QB for the future, while under Mike Tomlin they have not had losing seasons, but despite being in the process of "reconstruction" they have competed this year and will fight in their division.
Players to watch
The former Clemson Tigers running back has assumed the role that was expected of him in the backfield this year , now free of injuries he has accumulated 127 carries, 504 yards and 7 touchdowns, taking a lot of pressure off Trevor Lawrence and establishing himself in the backfield.It remains to be seen how he fares against the best defense he has faced in the NFL this year.
On the local side the figure to keep an eye on is T.J. Watt one of the best if not the best Pass Rusher in the league and also already free of injuries is a player not only capable of changing the course of a game but to win it alone, this season accumulates 8 QB catches leading the league in that category.
The keys to the game
The ground game in Jacksonville: We already mentioned Etienne' s good start to the season but Pittsburgh' s ground defense is one of the worst in the league, allowing 140 yards per game, if the Jags can establish the ground game they will dominate the clock and the game.
How much will they need Pickett: The former Pittsburgh Panthers QB is performing well this year with a5-4 TD and INT record, including a winning offensive series against Balltimore, but for Tomlin it has never been a guarantee to leave games in the hands of his QB.
The health of Sunshine: While we saw Trevor Lawrence in the win over the Saints in New Orleans after that scare against the Colts, we will have to be very attentive to the former Clemson QB since all the aspirations of his team revolve around the quarterback.