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PITTSBURGH -- If the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to advance to the Super Bowl, it's looking like they will have to defeat two teams that beat them during the regular season. The revenge tour starts Sunday at Heinz Field, when Jacksonville visits for an AFC divisional round game.
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The Jaguars beat the Steelers, 30-9, in early October at Heinz Field. Ben Roethlisberger threw five interceptions in that game, which prompted him to question himself immediately after that loss.
"Maybe I don't have it anymore," he said.
Roethlisberger proved he still had it late in the regular season. He finished with 16 touchdown passes and only five interceptions over the final five games.
Roethlisberger minced no words last week when he was asked which team he would like to face first in the playoffs. Without hesitating, Roethlisberger said the Jaguars.
Now he'll get his wish.
Roethlisberger is 4-5 all-time against the Jaguars, including a 31-29 loss in a 2007 AFC wild-card game at Heinz Field. He threw for two touchdowns and three interceptions in that game.
This version of the Jaguars has a ferocious defense that dominated in their 10-3 victory over the Bills on Sunday in a wild-card game in Jacksonville. They own the NFL's No. 1-rated pass defense.
Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley can help out his quarterback by calling more running plays for Le'Veon Bell in the rematch.
Bell had only 47 yards on 15 carries during the regular-season game. Bell complained a few days later about his lack of touches in that game.
The Jaguars give up an average of 4.4 yards per carry, which ranks 26th in the league. Plenty of teams have enjoyed success running the ball against the Jaguars this season. The Bills, in a losing effort Sunday, had 130 yards on 32 carries. That's 4.1 yards per carry.
The San Francisco 49ers, in Week 16, rushed for 131 yards on 35 carries. The Los Angeles Rams, the week after the Jaguars beat the Steelers in October, rushed for 142 yards on 32 carries.
Bell finished the regular season third in the league in rushing and had his share of big games this season, rushing for more than 100 yards four times. He will also be well-rested. The Steelers did not play him in the regular-season finale against the Browns, so he will have 20 days between games.
The Steelers also know the importance of shutting down the Jaguars' running game. In the regular-season game, Jaguars rookie Leonard Fournette ran for 181 yards, including a 90-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.
"I feel like we definitely could have contained him a lot better," rookie outside linebacker T.J. Watt said. "Anytime someone has over 100 yards rushing on our defense we feel like that's disrespectful. We want to make sure we fix that."
Safety Mike Mitchell said staying disciplined will be important in the rematch.
"We play our best when it's trust and the buddy system," Mitchell said. "I'm going to hit the C gap because it's my gap. If it goes into the C gap, I'm going to make that tackle 100 percent of the time. But if it goes into the B gap, then Cam Heyward is going to make that tackle. When we do that we don't lose."
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Steelers receiver Antonio Brown returned to practice Monday for the first time since sustained a calf injury in the Dec. 17 game against the Patriots. Brown missed the final two games of the regular season and did not practice last week during the Steelers' off week.
Brown admitted Monday that he was scared when the injury occurred.
"Absolutely," Brown said. "As soon as the incident happened, we had an MRI and went in a police car right to the hospital. I'm glad I'm able to be on my feet today talking to you guys and persevere from that situation."
Brown would not confirm if he had surgery to repair his calf muscle, but he called it an "ugly" injury.
Brown, the NFL's leading receiver during the regular season despite missing the final two games, caught 10 passes for 157 yards against the Jaguars in the first game between these two teams during the regular season. But he also had a ball go through his hands that Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey intercepted and returned for a touchdown.
Brown was targeted 19 times in that game, which came one week after he complained during a game in Baltimore about not getting the ball enough.
The Steelers aren't likely to target Brown 19 times in the rematch, but they are happy he is back and apparently close to 100 percent.
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Steelers defensive tackle Tyson Alualu isn't surprised Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles was their leading rusher in the AFC wild-card game against the Bills.
Alualu played for the Jaguars for the first seven years of his career and saw first-hand how well Bortles moved outside the pocket. He knows the Steelers can't allow Bortles to have that kind of success when the two teams play in a divisional round game Sunday at Heinz Field.
"He's always had that," Alualu said. "He did that throughout the time I was there. He used his feet a lot. Everyone knows it's part of his game. But watching the game yesterday and seeing how he hurt them by using his feet there definitely is an emphasis for us this week. We can't allow that to happen."
Bortles ran for only nine yards against the Steelers when they played at Heinz Field during the regular season, but the defense will be on guard Sunday.
"You have to make sure you're disciplined," outside linebacker T.J. Watt said. "He definitely will run. He's quick and mobile."
NOTES: WR Antonio Brown returned to practice for the first time since he sustained a calf injury on Dec. 17 against the Patriots. He is expected to play Sunday. ... OL B.J. Finney, who injured an ankle and thigh in the regular-season finale against the Browns, did not practice Monday. Finney, if he dresses Sunday, will be back in a reserve role. He started the Browns game because the Steelers rested starting center Maurkice Pouncey.
