Updates from Heinz Field:
End of game
This one wasn't pretty if you're a Steelers fan.
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The good news? The Steelers still sit in first place. It's becoming apparent that this AFC North is a bad division.
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We will have plenty of postgame coverage. Thanks for following along.
1:47 left, fourth quarter
In one final insult, Leonard Fournette runs off a 90-yard touchdown rush just after the 2-minute warning to further humiliate the Steelers.
2-minute warning
Ben Roethlisberger has thrown a career-high five interceptions. This one's over. A disappointing loss for the Steelers, one that will amplify the questions about its listless offense. This is becoming more the rule than the exception. It's just been masked by winning.
4:28 left, fourth quarter
This one is all but over, after Ben Roethlisberger threw his fourth interception of the game.
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Winning has masked the regression of Roethlisberger and the Steelers' passing offense over the past 12 calendar months. But that doesn't mean it's not happening:
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6:43 left, fourth quarter
The Jaguars are making this excruciating for those withstanding the rain at Heinz Field right now… eating up more than 8 minutes on a drive that started very early in the quarter (it went 13 plays and 67 yards) – it ended with a 47-yard field goal by Jason Meyers.
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End of third quarter:
Turnovers have largely been the story of the game -- and not in a good way for the Steelers. Two of Ben Roethlisberger's three interceptions have been returned for touchdowns, and even if the Steelers' interception led to a field goal.
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3:59 left, third quarter:
Another pick-6 – and the Steelers are in big trouble at Heinz Field.
This time, it was Penn Hills native Barry Church who let a ball fall into his hands when Ben Roethlisberger appeared to force a third-down throw to Antonio Brown. Church returned it 51 yards largely-untouched into the same end zone that just 2 minutes and 33 seconds earlier Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith had taken a pick-6 into that gave Jacksonville the lead again.
6:38 left, third quarter
Another tipped pass that is intercepted – and this time it leads to six Jacksonville points.
Ben Roethlisberger's 33rd pass attempt of the game became the second one that was intercepted when lineman Abry Jones got a hand on the ball and made for an easy catch for Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith. Smith waved his was 28 yards into the end zone for the Jaguars' second touchdown of the game.
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7:22 left, third quarter
The struggling Steelers offense put together a nice drive on its first possession of the second half… but again it stalled deep in Jaguars' territory.
A 14-play, 73-yard drive that lasted 6:06 resulted in a 20-yard field goal by Chris Boswell – his third of the game from 34 yards or in, representing some poor "red zone" offense.
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On the bright side the Steelers defense has been largely stellar – it induced a pair of 3-and-outs to begin the second half and has allowed one first down or fewer on four of six Jacksonville possessions. T.J. Watt just had a sack.
Halftime
The Steelers couldn't get anything going offensively – and it appeared as if they were assured to head into halftime trailing by AT LEAST four points.
But then Jacksonville did a (historically) Jacksonville thing – or is it Ryan Shazier did a Ryan Shazier thing?
The Steelers linebacker had an interception for the sixth time in his past 10 games (including playoffs) dating to last season. It wasn't exactly a conventional one:
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It led to a Chris Boswell 34-yard field goal with 4 seconds left in the second quarter that pulled the Steelers to within 7-6 at halftime.
Until that point, the Steelers had 149 yards, but only 100 since a 49-yard bomb on the first play from scrimmage and only 88 in three possessions since their first drive. Their best drive – it traveled 54 yards, albeit it started at their own 5 – ended because of a Jalen Ramsey interception.
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10:00 left, second quarter
The Jaguars do ground-and-pound as well as anyone. And they took the lead by riding an emerging elite running back in this league, Leonard Fournette. Jacksonville ran on seven of eight plays during a 47-yard drive (all but one of the carries by Fournette, including his 2-yard leap into the end zone to cap it off.
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End of the first quarter
Ring the Bell is back.
Le'Veon Bell had 10 of the Steelers' 12 touches during a first quarter in which he had 52 yards from scrimmage. But the Steelers' lead is just 3-0, in part, because of an interception of Ben Roethlisberger by Jalen Ramsey with 1:24 left in the quarter.
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10:17 left, first quarter
Jacksonville had scored a touchdown on its first possession during each of its first four games of this season. Not Sunday – the Steelers defense induced a three-and-out from the Jaguars on the first drive of the game.
The Steelers responded with seven-play, 61-yard drive to take the lead by way of a Chris Boswell 29-yard field goal.
The big play?
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So much for a rift between Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown. Or of the thought that Ben was ignoring his star receiver intentionally.
Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at cadamski@tribweb.com or via Twitter @C_AdamskiTrib.
