Jaguars Alone At The Top, First Place AFC South

Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars Quarterbacks Blake Bortles (5) and Chad Henne (7). Photo Credit: Keith Allison - Under Creative Commons License

The Jacksonville Jaguars earned their biggest win of the season on Sunday with a 5 interception performance in a rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers. With their 30-9 win over the Steelers, the Jags now sit atop the AFC South.

The Jaguars were able to pick off Ben Roethlisberger 5 times including a pick-6. Calais Campbell and Dante Fowler were able to get the pressure needed to force Big Ben to throw in a hurry and make mistakes.

The defense held the Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell to only 47 yards on 15 carries.   With the high powered defense clicking on all cylinders, it was really up to the Jags offense to not lose the game. QB Blake Bortles was an efficient 8-14 for 95 yards even with 1 interception.

But the real efficiency came from RB Leonard Fournette who controlled the ball with 181 yards and 2 scores on 28 carries. This was a real statement game for the Jacksonville Jaguars and can be a great sign for what’s to come for the rest of season.

The rest of the division is floundering with injuries and uncertainty and the Jags are finding their stride. Still no word on when Andrew Luck is going to play for the Colts, and even when he does, their season may be lost already.

If you were a major defensive player for the Texans this weekend you probably suffered a season-ending injury.

Marcus Mariota is questionable at best for next week’s game and Titans management is so concerned they went out and signed Brandon Weeden off the street to fill the gap until his return.

This perfect storm of injuries and question marks, and the Jags finding their defensive personality and their offensive rhythm could mean a huge opportunity this season. If the Jags can continue to run the ball with Leonard Fournette and the secondary can make big plays, the Jaguars can find themselves in the playoffs.

Next game: Rams @ Jags Oct, 15 4:05pm ET