Jaguars take Steelers-a tale of two games

Watching Saturday night's game between Pittsburgh and Jacksonville was like getting two different games for the price of one.  The Jacksonville Jaguars dominated the first half after the Steelers opened big.  The Steelers dominated the second half, only to see the Jaguars hit the last shot for the win, 31-29.

Pittsburgh opened the game up on a high note, marching eighty yards on ten plays to draw first blood.  Roethlisberger looked great on that drive, hitting five of six passes for sixty yards.  Najeh Davenport ran the ball in the place of Willie Parker, grabbing ten yards on three carries and the one-yard score.

From that point, the first half was all Jacksonville.

Maurice Jones-Drew returned the kick-off ninety-six yards to the Steelers' one-yard line.  Fred Taylor proceeded to punch the ball in on the next play.

Jacksonville's defense came to play in the first half, intercepting Roethlisberger three times, including one returned sixty-three yards to the end zone by Rashean Mathis.  Jacksonville also sacked Roethlisberger five times in the half and held Davenport to the ten yards he gained on the opening drive.

The Jacksonville offense didn't look spectacular, but did put another seven on the board in the second quarter.  Garrard, throwing sparingly, but efficiently, completed a forty-three yard touchdown pass to Jones-Drew, giving the Jaguars a 21-7 lead heading into the half.

At halftime, the Steelers did what every good team does-they adjusted.  The Jaguars did what every team that is on the cusp of greatness fears doing-they fell apart after a great first half.

Roethlisberger regrouped to throw two second-half touchdowns.  Najeh Davenport contributed six points on his second touchdown run of the game.  Hines Ward was everywhere Roethlisberger needed him to be and caught everything thrown his way.  The Pittsburgh defense tightened up and played like everyone expected them to play, forcing David Garrard to throw two second-half interceptions and grinding the Jaguars' running game to a halt.

After the Pittsburgh Steelers bounced back from an eighteen-point deficit to take a 29-28 lead deep into the fourth quarter, the game fell upon the shoulders of David Garrard.  With 2:38 left in the game and fifty-one yards to go, Garrard completed one pass for eight yards and ultimately found himself facing a fourth and two situation.  With 1:56 to go, Garrard took the snap-and, putting the team, and the game, on his shoulders, ran.  He not only picked up the first down, but gained thirty-two yards, putting the Jaguars in perfect field goal range.
Jacksonville hit the field goal with thirty-seven seconds to go.  Pittsburgh had one more shot, but Roethlisberger lost the ball on a sack, which was recovered by Jacksonville.  One knee later and one of the wildest wild-card games in recent memory was over.  Jacksonville, picked by many as a dark-horse candidate to go far in the playoffs and possibly pick off the favorite Patriots, lives to fight another day and makes history in the process by being the only visiting team to ever win two games in Pittsburgh in one season.

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