Jaguars leading vs. Steelers at halftime despite unfavorable weather, mistakes
It hasn't stopped raining but the Jacksonville Jaguars are leading at halftime in Week 8. They've kept the Pittsburgh Steelers at bay and made enough plays to go 9-3.
The defense has done a good job of stymying the Pittsburgh offense. By the fourth quarter, they hadn't had a first down. Kenny Picket attempted several throws but the Jacksonville secondary was ready for him. Darious William, in particular, has done a good job against the pass, batting two passes.
According to the team's PR page on Twitter, Darious Williams had at least a pass defensed nine straight games dating back to Week 18 of the 2022 season, the longest streak in the NFL.
. @Dee_Willl2 has recorded 1 pass defensed in today’s matchup putting his season total to 12. He has the longest active streak in the NFL for consecutive games with a pass defensed (9), dating back to Week 18 of the 2022 season.
— JaguarsPR (@JaguarsPR) October 29, 2023
Once again, Trevor Lawrence hasn't been bothered by the knee injury he's been dealing with. He's 12-of-16 for 127 yards at halftime. Meanwhile, Kenny Pickett went 10-of-15 for 75 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Jaguars got off to a good start vs. the Steelers, they need to finish drives
Throwing in the rain is not easy. Still, the offense showed the ability to move the ball through the air and gain yards in chunks. On the Jaguars' second possession, Trevor Lawrence made a sweet throw to wide receiver Calvin Ridley, which he reeled in for.
Slideee Rid@CalvinRidley1 | #JAXvsPIT on CBS/NFL+ pic.twitter.com/0xhIyaVyuG
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) October 29, 2023
On the next drive, Lawrence had another key completion, this time to Christian Kirk for 29 yards. Unfortunately, tight end Evan Engram lost a fumble a few plays later.
Things didn't go much better for Jacksonville on their next possession. They got to the Steelers' six-yard line but Lawrence threw a pass to Ridley into triple coverage and Pittsburgh intercepted it. For the first time in the game, Pickett and the offense were able to move the ball. The Jaguars' defense made a stand when they got to the red zone and held them to a field goal.
Kicker Brandon McManus, for his part, has been clutch. He's made his three attempts, with the second one being for 51 yards. This season, he's 4-of-5 in field goals of 50+ yards.
This game has been closer than the Jacksonville Jaguars would've probaby liked. However, that's partly due to self-inflicted wounds. If they want to leave Acrisure Stadium with a win, they must then finish drives and put points on the scoreboard.
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