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 2008 Steelers 26 at Jaguars 21 SNF
 Things seem to pick up where they left off in the '07 playoff loss to Jacksonville as Rashean Mathis picks off Roethlisberger on Pittsburgh's opening drive and returns it 72 yds for a TD. But Ben bounces right back with an 11-play 71-yd drive capped by a short TD pass to Heath Miller. The Jaguars quickly respond with a TD of their own, thanks to a bogus 39-yd PI call on Ike Taylor. With Parker and Mendenhall out, Mewelde Moore gets the start and performs well (17 carries, 99 yds, 3 catches). After adding a Reed FG and forcing a punt in the 2nd quarter, the Steelers take over at their own 18. Despite an ailing shoulder and not throwing in practice all week, Big Ben proceeds to carve up Jacksonville's secondary, hitting Holmes for 19, Washington for 14 and then freezes a Jag CB out of his jock with a fantastic pump fake that leaves Nate Washington WIDE open for a 48-yd bomb and a 17-14 lead. The Steelers drive to the 5 again before halftime but settle for a FG and a 20-14 lead. After no scoring in the 3rd, an unnecessary roughness call early in the 4th quarter extends a J-ville drive and leads to Gerrard's 24-yd TD pass to TE Marcedes Lewis and a 21-20 Jaguar lead. Pittsburgh gets the ball back at their own 20 with 6:39 remaining and Roethlisberger, who finishes with 309 yds and 3 TDs, adds to his legend. On first down, DT John Henderson has "nine-tenths of a sack" but Ben spins out of it and hits Ward for 16. On 3rd & 3, Ben finds Washington for 12 and the drive continues. Following a HUGE Mewelde Moore run for 27 yds, the Steelers face a 3rd & 8 when Roethlisberger makes the throw of the game. On a jailbreak blitz by Jacksonville with a DT hanging onto his jersey and a MLB taking a shot at his head, Ben steps up and gets the pass away, connecting with Ward for 18 yds and a 1st down at the Jag 13. Three plays later, again on 3rd down, Ben throws a perfect fade to Ward in the corner of the end zone for the winning score with 1:53 left. The Jaguars get the ball back for one last drive but run out of downs at their own 34. |
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