Three players to watch: Jaguars vs. Steelers

The Jacksonville Jaguars will have to count on these three players if they want to turn their fortunes around and beat Pittsburgh at home on Sunday.

This is one of those games that if the situation was different and the Jaguars had a winning record, this might be the game of the year in the NFL. Two teams who have fought each other for 23 years, shared memories of hard-fought contests and regular season and playoff triumphs.

While the Jaguars are struggling at 3-6 and the Steelers are surging at 6-2-1, there is still a strong chance this game could live up to expectations. The Jaguars match up well with the AFC North leaders. Ben Roethlisberger has had some of his best and worst games against the Teal and Black. And if this is a game where Jaguars players are going to play for pride, then getting a huge win on Sunday will help heal a locker room that has suffered five straight losses.

Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone told the media on Friday he saw a team that was mentally and emotionally invested in finishing the season strong. He has said all week that taking what the team has done in practice and preparing for an opponent must translate on the field.

Hopefully, this roster takes another step toward showing they are not the lost offense of weeks past and the unpredictable defense that has been much maligned of late.

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"“They understand it’s going to be a real physical game. I think yesterday we had some things to clean up, some tough situations, tough looks, which is normal,” he said. “We were able to clean it up today [Friday], come in focused, get it done, so from that standpoint, I feel good about that. We just have to go forward and carry that stuff forward from the practice point on to the game field.”"

The Jaguars are an underdog at home and now have the chance to prove to the NFL world there is still fight in them. The Steelers are a great proving ground. It’s a sad state when you have to use that kind of motivation to show your season is not lost, but that’s what Jacksonville must do.

Here are three players to watch on Sunday when Jacksonville faces Pittsburgh.

The Jaguars interior defense – I will say this… The Jaguars defense does not have to face Le’Veon Bell, but the notion of stopping James Conner is no small task. Marcell Dareus was on the team’s injury report with triceps and back injuries. Will he be at full speed on Sunday.

Both Malik Jackson and Abry Jones may have to pull more weight in stopping Pittsburgh’s run game. Also, I would be interested to see if the Jaguars use Taven Bryan more inside for this game.

Conner has 742 yards rushing on the ground this season. While he is still the punishing runner he was in college, he is now a more complete back, making tacklers miss and getting tough yards. The Jaguars run defense has been a major disappointment this season. Stopping the run forces Roethlisberger to beat you through the air.

It’s a pick your poison kind of situation.

A.J. Bouye – The cornerback will play on Sunday, which is great news for the Jaguars secondary. A.J. Bouye missed the last two games with a calf injury. His loss was exploited in the losses to both Philadelphia and Indianapolis.

Now, he comes back to help stop both Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. It’s the kind of matchup fans love to see.

Bouye and Jalen Ramsey have not played at an All-Pro level this season. Missed coverages blown assignments and a lack of communication in the defensive backfield have been issues this season. Will the veteran bring a calm to the unit once again and ignite a more aggressive style this week?

Ereck Flowers – The last first-round pick of the Tom Coughlin era in New York, Ereck Flowers is thrust into action against the Pittsburgh Steelers pass rush.

Not the best situation to get your first start with Jacksonville as Flowers has been criticized this season while with the Giants for being a spinning top. The former University of Miami tackle is now the fourth left tackle to start for the Jaguars this season.

He was also listed in the team’s injury report with a knee injury but is cleared to play on Sunday.

"“What are we on, our fifth left tackle? At the same point, I feel comfortable. We have Ereck Flowers being ready to go. If something happens, we have ‘Pat’ [Omameh]. I don’t think a lot of places have that much depth,” Marrone added from his Friday presser."

The Jaguars are also without center Brandon Linder, who suffered a knee injury last Sunday and is lost for the season. Tyler Shatley, a dependable backup, will play on the pivot like he did last year in the regular season game at Pittsburgh.