The Steelers dominated the Jaguars when these two teams met last year and are likely to repeat, even with most of the starters on the sideline. Pittsburgh is a good bet for Friday’s matchup at EverBank Field.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The spread is currently at a pick ‘em despite the Jaguars hosting the Steelers as few expect much out of Jacksonville again this season. Preseason games, of course, are hard to peg as a lot rides on who starts, but look for the odds to continue to lean towards the road team as the Steelers won the AFC North last year and the Jaguars ended up just 3-13.
Jacksonville has also failed poorly in the preseason the last two seasons going a combined 2-6 SU.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
Ben Roethlisberger is the established starter for this team, but in the preseason Week 1 matchup, look for Bruce Gradkowski and Landry Jones to get the bulk of the snaps under center. Roethlisberger may get some looks, however, as Pittsburgh already opened their preseason in the Hall of Fame game.
Gradkowski is a veteran backup. He got the chance to start his rookie year in 2006, but has seen limited action since. In his career, he’s completed only 52.9% of his passes and has a 65.8 passer rating though he did complete two of his only three playoff pass attempts. He had a good Week 4 in last year’s preseason throwing 8 for 11 with a pair of touchdowns.
Jones, meanwhile, was a fourth round pick back in 2013, but has yet to see any time in the regular season. Jones got the snaps in the Hall of Fame game and went 16 for 32 for 135 yards. He also rushed for 10 in the loss.
For the Jaguars, Blake Bortles is finally planted as the starter, but the team will also look to backups Chad Henne and Stephen Morris on Friday.
Henne has been a starter for both Jacksonville and Miami and, while not an elite quarterback, is a serviceable backup with 58 career touchdowns and a 59.3 completion percentage.
Last year in three starts before giving the starting job up to Bortles, Henne posted an 80.7 passer rating. Morris, meanwhile, hasn’t seen any time in the regular season but was 16 for 25 last preseason with 120 yards and an interception.
COACHES' MOTIVATION
Mike Tomlin gets an extra preseason game to evaluate his team after they played in the Hall of Fame game over the weekend.
His team failed to get much going offensively behind Landry and he’s likely to at least see if other options can get the offense rolling. With a bit of rust off, the Steelers may be a bit ahead of their opponents. In general, though, Tomlin figures to be much more concerned with preparing for the regular season.
Similarly, Gus Bradley now has two years under his belt in Jacksonville and is a veteran coach now in his own right. Still, he’s got a bit more to prove as the Jaguars are a combined 7-25 under his watch.
QUOTE TO NOTE
Jacksonville’s offensive line was atrocious last year, but the line is coming together here in the preseason and Bradley spoke about their improvement, saying:
“They’re really starting to become closer as a group and counting on each other. They’re understanding their role, what their strengths are and how they go about their job. Seeing them come together and it’s what we had hoped for.”
POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH
Keep an eye on the Jacksonville backfield in this game and throughout the preseason. Jacksonville is likely to be quite run-heavy as they pick through their running back options.
Denard Robinson seized the role last year, but an injury cost him the later part of the year and—potentially—his starting spot. He rushed for 4.3 yards per carry last year, but managed just 44.8 per game though that is somewhat skewed as he only started nine games.
While he performed relatively well when given the ball, it’s T.J Yeldon—not Robinson—that is the favorite to win the starting job. Still, the team will want to get a look at how best to use their collection of backs that also include veterans Bernard Pierce and Toby Gerhart as well as Storm Johnson and even undrafted rookie Corey Grant who brings plenty of speed.
INJURIES
The Injury list is still a bit up in the air, but tackle Mike Adams, kicker Shaun Suisham and corner back Senquez Golson are all out. Meanwhile, Gus Bradley has ruled out defensive end Chris Clemons and calls Marquise Lee’s participation unlikely.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Jaguars are once again loaded with questions. A need to see what they have on the ground will likely lead to a heavier than normal running game which should also keep the combined score down.
For this one, Pittsburgh and the under are your safest bets.
Pittsburgh 17, Jacksonville 10
The NFL odds for this Sunday game were first available at BookMaker sportsbook. The Jaguars were pegged as 0-point chalk while the total opened at 36.5. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time odds and player props during the game. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
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