11/19/20-Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars

By: Mike Pelaia

 

The undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Jacksonville this coming Sunday to take on the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars who currently sit at 1-8. Normally, I’ll write about what it is the black and gold need to do to win the game and finish it off with a score prediction.  Bottom line, I don’t see this as being much of a game and I fully anticipate the Steelers to roll this NFL JV franchise 37-3. 

I’m looking for Mason Rudolph to play the entire 4^th quarter and many other starts like TJ Watt, Cam Heyward, JuJu Smith Schuster and more to be able to rest early, along with Big Ben Roethlisberger to prepare for the upcoming Thanksgiving night contest against the Baltimore Ravens. 

That’s all I care to say about that game.

I, however, do have a few thoughts about this team that I’d like to get out there and will do here.

• The notion that Roethlisberger isn’t an MVP candidate is absurd. Anyone who saw the 2019 Steelers after he was hurt and sees them this year with him healthy, should realize how valuable the guy is. I’m not saying he is THE MVP, but he damn sure should be part of the conversation.

 

• James Conner isn’t very good. I don’t care what some of his numbers say, a lot of the yards he has have come on an occasional big run, which has been nice but the eye test tells me he just isn’t an RB1.  He’s a fine backup, a good guy in a running back by committee approach but I hate having him as the top guy.  He can leave after this season and I won’t blink an eye.

 

• TJ Watt is THE defensive player of the year. He should have been the guy last year but he is just too important to this defense to box him out of the award this time.  If he isn’t in that conversation at the end of the year, then what are we talking about at all?

 

• JuJu Smith Schuster has proven he’s a number one wide receiver. Last year was clearly a byproduct of not having a quarterback to throw to him. Look what he’s doing with Roethlisberger. Claypool may have more memorable big plays but JuJu is making the important plays and huge chain moving catches. They will need to find a way to keep him this off season if they can. 

 

• The Steelers will not go 16-0 and that’s ok. Don’t worry about an undefeated season.  The black and gold just need to stay in front of the Chiefs, who only have one loss at the moment can definitely drop another one or two. 

 

• If the playoffs expand to eight teams on each side and the Steelers have the top seed, they will be burned by not having any advantage of a bye. Don’t overlook how big that is.

 

• Mike Tomlin has to be coach of the year to this point. Never have I ever said anything close this but how can that even be argued?