On Sunday afternoon in Week 5 at home, the Pittsburgh Steelers were stunned by the Jacksonville Jaguars: What did we learn from this latest loss?
So what do we make of the defending AFC North champions these days? A simple “who knows” might suffice and you may not be wrong. Such is the current state of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who last week gave the appearance of a club ready to get on a roll. A 26-9 win over the Ravens at Baltimore gave Mike Tomlin’s team a 3-1 record, which included two road victories within the division. That Week 3 overtime loss at Chicago seemed like the exception and not the rule for this club.
Then came Sunday’s appearance at Heinz Field by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Doug Marrone’s club appeared to be improved on defensive side of the football. With young players such as cornerback Jalen Ramsey and linebacker Myles Jack and acquired veterans such as Malik Jackson, Calais Campbell, Barry Church, A.J. Bouye and Tashaun Gipson in recent seasons, it’s easy to see why this unit is on the rise.
We saw the Jaguars defensive unit in all of its glory on Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field. Jacksonville stole five Ben Roethlisberger passes and returned two for touchdowns in a 30-9 stunner. It was a sobering afternoon for Tomlin’s club, who saw their record fall to 3-2 and their power ranking drop even further. The Steelers are now once again tied atop the AFC North with the Baltimore Ravens.
So what did we learn from this weekend’s debacle in the Steel City? Is that a trick question?
Next: No. 3