The victory improves the Steelers’ record to 4-1. Jacksonville falls to 2-3.
The touchdown pass capped off a stellar night for Roethlisberger, who
completed 26 of 41 passes for 309 yards, three touchdowns and one
interception.
Mewelde Moore, filling in at running back with Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall out, gained 99 yards on 17 carries as the Steelers finished
with 416 total yards of offense.
Steelers’ perennial nemesis Rashean Mathis struck again on Pittsburgh’s
opening possession, intercepting Roethlisberger and returning it 72 yards
for a touchdown to give Jacksonville a 7-0 lead.
The pass was intended for Santonio Holmes, who slipped coming out of his
cut and never saw the ball.
The Steelers, however, answered immediately, putting together a 71-yard
scoring drive capped off by a 1-yard pass from Roethlisberger to tight end
Heath Miller. It was Miller’s first TD catch of the season.
But Jacksonville reclaimed the lead moments later when Steelers’
cornerback Ike Taylor was penalized 40 yards for a pass interference
penalty in the end zone and Maurice-Jones Drew made Pittsburgh pay with a
1-yard touchdown run that gave the Jaguars a 14-7 advantage.
The Steelers went to their no-huddle offense on their next possession and
it led to a 38-yard Jeff Reed field goal that trimmed the Jacksonville
lead to 14-10 early in the second quarter.
Pittsburgh took a 17-14 lead on its next possession when Roethlisberger
connected with Nate Washington on a 48-yard bomb and increased it to 20-14
with a 23-yard Reed field goal just before halftime.
Jacksonville regained the lead early in the fourth quarter when David Garrard tossed a 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mercedes Lewis to
give the Jaguars a 21-20 advantage.
But Roethlisberger drove the Steelers 80 yards in the game’s final five
minutes for the go-ahead score and the Steelers defense forced the Jaguars
to turn the ball over on down with 25 seconds left to seal the win.