The visit of the Jacksonville Jaguars to Pittsburgh will bring back some bad memories of the two times these teams met postseason. The Steelers are 6-7 at home including those two playoff losses.
Jacksonville entered the league in 1995 and joined the Steelers in the AFC Central. The first meeting between the teams saw the Jaguars surprisingly win 20-16. Three weeks later in Pittsburgh, the Steelers won 24-7.
The Steelers’ 1996 season was one that saw Mike Tomczak take the team to the playoffs before they fell in New England.
When the team prepared for the following year’s preseason, Bill Cowher named Kordell Stewart as the starter. A 5-0 exhibition record, including a game in Dublin, sealed the deal when the regular season began.
After two losses in their first three games, including a 30-21 defeat in Jacksonville, Stewart guided the team to four wins before the return visit of the Jaguars. The Steelers quarterback would be without his favorite target Charles Johnson who had been injured in a win over the Colts.
With both teams having the same 5-2 record, Steelers’ center Dermontti Dawson saw the game as being a pivotal part of the Steelers season. “The simple fact that both of us are tied it’s important for us to get up on those guys. It could play a big role toward the end when it comes to the playoffs and everything else, for position.”
The (5-2) Steelers vs the (5-2) Jaguars; October 26, 1997
Both defenses began the game in an aggressive mood. Mark Brunell was sacked on the Jaguars’ first series. Kordell Stewart was intercepted on his first pass. The teams exchanged possessions and sacks in a scoreless first quarter.
The Jaguars took control in the second quarter. Brunell’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Willie Jackson opened the scoring before Mike Hollis added a field goal from 20 yards.
As half time approached, Coach Cowher spurned an opportunity to kick a field goal from the Jaguars’ 30 deciding the wind was blowing too strongly. When the Steelers went into the locker room, they found themselves 10-0 down.
Stewart, who hadn’t been sacked once in the previous two games, had gone down three times in the first half as the Steelers offense found it difficult to move the ball.
The Steelers’ woes continued on the first series of the second half when they went three and out. Finally, on their next possession Stewart began to find his targets. Completing 3 out of 3 for 46 yards and complemented by the running of Jerome Bettis, he found Courtney Hawkins with a 28-yard touchdown pass.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Jaguars returned the kick 36 yards to give them good field position on the Pittsburgh 40. Brunell moved the chains to the Steelers’ 11 with his first pass. When they were brought to a halt on Pittsburgh’s 2, Coach Coughlin decided to forgo the field goal attempt. Greg Lloyd stifled their fourth down run up the middle to see the Steelers back on offense and begin a 98-yard scoring drive.
Stewart’s passing, again combined with the running of Bettis moved the chains. As the game went into the final period, a 1-yard touchdown run from Stewart gave the Steelers their first lead at 14-10.
The Steelers advantage didn’t last too long. On their next possession, a Jerome Bettis fumble gifted the Jaguars a short field of 16 yards. Brunell finished the short drive when he found Pete Mitchell with a 3-yard touchdown pass giving Jacksonville a three-point lead.
With the Steelers now chasing the home win, Thigpen outjumped his covering cornerback to haul in a 41-yard pass. The catch enabled Norm Johnson to kick a field goal from 19 yards to tie the game 17-17.
The remaining six minutes of regulation saw Burnell dislocate a knuckle on this throwing hand. He was replaced by Rob Johnson.
After winning the coin toss for overtime, the Steelers elected to receive. Stewart led them 77 yards, completing 4 out of 4 for 50 yards with a 17-yard touchdown catch from Bettis that ensured a Steelers’ victory.
The Pittsburgh Steelers 23 vs the Jacksonville Jaguars 17
Kordell Stewart set a new personal record with 42 passing attempts, 25 completions for 317 yards. His first 300-yard game ranked 16th in team history. Stewart became the first Steelers quarterback since Terry Bradshaw in 1979 to start all 16 games in a season.
Yancey Thigpen’s 196 yards tied ninth all time Steelers most yards receiving, and it was the first time he had back-to-back 100-yard games.
The overtime win meant the Steelers went 6-0 in overtime at home and 12-5-1 overall.
Jaguars Coach Coughlin admitted, “It’s very frustrating. I feel bad for our players. It’s especially frustrating when all these games are so close. This was for the lead in the division.”
“Yancey has stepped up big,” said Coach Cowher. “He had to when we lost Charles Johnson and Will Blackwell. The guy’s a pretty good receiver.”
The Steelers went into the playoffs as the AFC second seed behind the Chiefs. They edged passed the Pete Carroll coached Patriots 7-6 in the Divisional playoff game before losing by a field goal in the Conference Championship to Denver.
