It's fair to say that the Jaguars owned the Steelers last season. They beat them twice -- once in Jacksonville and again in the playoffs in Pittsburgh. So while the teams came into Sunday's games going in different directions -- the Steelers had won five straight while the Jags had lost five straight -- recent history suggested that this could be Jacksonville's get-right game.
And through 44 minutes, that's exactly what happened. Roethlisberger threw three interceptions -- two courtesy of Jalen Ramsey (including one in the end zone) -- and the Steelers trailed 16-0 late in the third quarter looking every bit the team that had no chance against a dominant and rejuvenated Jags outfit in desperate need of a victory.
But NFL games are 60 minutes and Pittsburgh dominated the final quarter, scoring 20 unanswered while Jacksonville's conservative offense somehow got more so and its defense was suddenly unable to stop Big Ben, who has thrown 10 interceptions against this unit in the last three games. With seconds remaining, Roethlisberger plodded into the end zone on a shovel pass option for the game-winning score.
Afterwards, Roethlisberger talked about how he quieted a trash-talking Jaguars defense.
"They have a linebacker, No. 50 -- we'll just use numbers, we won't have to say names -- that wanted to let me know every time I threw an interception," Roethlisberger said, via ESPN.com. "He found me, and told me how many interceptions I threw. It was a little motivation to come back and win the game."
That would be Telvin Smith, who had a pick-six against Roethlisberger last season with four tackles.
Then there's Ramsey, who in an August interview with GQ called Big Ben "decent at best." For much of Sunday's game he wasn't even that, but the 36-year-old quarterback got red hot down the stretch, perhaps because there's only so much gum-flapping the 15-year veteran could take.
"They are a really good defense," Roethlisberger continued. "They like to talk a lot -- before the game, during the game. But I'm carrying the game ball home."
The Jaguars, meanwhile, are trying to figure out where it all went wrong -- not just on Sunday but on a season that looks all but lost.
"I walked off the field pretty mad," Ramsey said, via Jacksonville.com. "Pretty mad was my emotion. I've been pretty pissed off, I'm not going to lie to you."
At 3-7, the Jaguars are behind eight other teams -- including the Browns! -- for the final wild-card spot. Mathematically, it isn't over but given how the first 11 weeks have unfolded, the season appears to be lost.
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