There are such things as good losses. Week 6 at Pittsburgh is one of them. Despite the continued inept nature of the Jaguars offense this season, the defense really showed their grit in the second half. If you didn't see the numbers, they only allowed 3 first downs. Ben Roethlisberger looked lost out there once the pressure started to get there. The defense kept this team in it after a first half that seemed like a blow-out in the making. The offense puts a lot of pressure on the defense, usually putting them on a short field.
Unlike last week which exhibited feelings of heartbreak and despair, the fans have to be proud of the effort given this week, especially against a good Steelers team. Were it not for some poor clock management and a sack to start the last drive, the game could've been a lot more interesting with a possibility of a Jaguars victory. So let's delve deeper into what happened during the game:
1. Was the Greg Jones-Lamarr Woodley scuffle a matter of frustration or heart? Either way I liked it. It's about the only tenacity we saw on offense all day. Wish I'd see more of that actually.
2. Gabbert needs an offseason badly to work on his pocket presence and footwork. Granted his time to throw is minimal, but he could use a little help on the footwork. He needs a better feel of the pocket and when to step up to throw. In this league, if your first read isn't there, you can't just decide to tuck and run. You have to try to get it to another guy. I give him a lot of time as a rookie to learn this and make adjustments, but hopefully it can happen sooner rather than later.
3. Run Mojo Run. He's still running hard and it's tough being the third best rusher in the league on a one-win team. I'm sure it hurts him to see this team struggle as much as it hurts the fans.
4. You gotta love John Chick. He's just a football player there's no other way to say it. He knows how to use his hands on those burly tackles and get to the quarterback. He brings a spark to that defense no question about it.
5. What is going on with Marcedes Lewis? At least 8 targets from what I saw, and only 2 catches. He's dropping anything in his hands. Gabbert is looking to this guy on 3rd downs and in the red zone and Marcedes has got to make those plays.
6. Defense is good, but still have to stall drives and get off the field on 3rd down. Speak for itself. This defense lets opposing teams slowly but methodically move the ball down the field. You have to make the plays on 3rd down to get the ball back to your offense and catch a breather on the sideline.
7. Offensive line needs continuity. They're plaguing this team. Aside from the issues of way below average receivers, this offensive line is shuffled every week. I give my hat off to Bradfield he played pretty damn well for a rookie against a tenacious Steelers defense. Will Rackley has not panned out so far-he's allowed a sack in every game this year. There's no continuity in this line and the penetration and inability to pickup blitzes isn't making Gabbert's life any easier.