War Room: Steelers' adjustments, persistence pay taken at Highmark Stadium (Steelers)

Javon Hargrave recorded two sacks on Blake Bortles - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS

The Steelers' defense played a tale of two halves in their win 20-16 win against the Jaguars.

Let's dig deep ...

TWO-MINUTE DRILL

• Where scheme beat team: The Steelers knew they needed to take away Leonard Fournette and Blake Bortles' scrambling to limit the Jaguars' offense. They knew that last year in the playoffs as well, but were unable to do so and it ended their season.

Early on, it looked like a repeat was about to happen, but the defense made slight adjustments in both scheme and personnel to change the tide. That's evident by the split in success between Fournette's first and second halves.

In the first half, Fournette had 14 carries for 75 yards — a 5.36 yards per carry average. The second half had the same number of Fournette carries, but for only 20 yards and a 1.43 average. That's closing a game out.

Dale Lolley asked Mike Tomlin after the game if they made any adjustments to help that flip, but his response might surprise you.

“We didn’t make any adjustment," Tomlin said in his postgame press conference. "Seriously." He would go on to say that the Steelers made the same play calls in the second half. That part is correct, but there were adjustments, even if he won't admit it.

Watch this early 11-yard run from Fournette and we can see where the Jaguars were succeeding all first half. There are a few things to note: First is T. J. Watt's approach and how wide his angle was. He keeps his pursuit angled to Bortles to take away the chance of an option, giving Fournette plenty of space to cutback. That was a huge factor in how much space he had to operate in the backfield, allowing him to be more aggressive in his runs.

But also look at how Dan McCullers is shoved effortlessly out of the play as the Jaguars used center Tyler Shatley and guard A. J. Cann to chip off him and block Vince Williams. McCullers is the nose tackle and needed to at least stuff Shatley to keep Williams clean, but failed to do anything contributory. Those two factors led to plenty of runs like this:

But in the second half it all changed, as the Steelers put in Javon Hargrave at defensive tackle and had their outside linebackers clamp down on the edges to bottle up Fournette. Watch how Hargrave drives Shatley four yards into the backfield, disrupting Fournette's path and blowing up the entire play. Fournette's alternate routes are also now limited because both Watt and Williams, who switched with Dupree, come down hard to stop the run:

Those two simple adjustments helped change the tone in the second half, and allowed the rest of the defense to do their job because it kept the Steelers' linebackers and defensive backs clean from offensive linemen to roam their gaps and play downhill. Hargrave's effort to consistently dominate Shatley changed everything, but he wasn't alone in setting up other defenders.

Jon Bostic got into the act. Watch how the Jaguars try to use Shatley to pull and be a lead blocker to the C-gap (between tackle and tight end) for Fournette, but he ends up running into Jermy Parnell because Bostic has him stuck in his gap. That prevented Shatley from getting to Mike Hilton, who jumped just outside Parnell and forced Fournette back to the inside. Bostic had shed Parnell by then and made the tackle for no gain:

Fournette's confident demeanor faded by game's end, as the Steelers had turned into the bullies. The Jaguars' proud rushing offense was snuffed after a hot start and the Steelers defense forced four consecutive three-and-outs.

Across the board, the rest of the Steelers had the same message — there was no adjustment to stop the Jaguars — that they just stuck to the plan.

“We just stepped up as a defense, and we were getting to the ball and making tackles," Javon Hargrave said after the game. "We did a good job containing [Leonard] Fournette, as well.”

“We couldn’t blink and had to keep going in the same direction that we were in the beginning of the game," said Bud Dupree when asked about the plan to stop Fournette. "We had to make sure we controlled him."

In fact, the Steelers' defense didn't change their play calls, but they did adjust. By adjusting the priority of their outside linebackers on the edge and giving Hargrave more chances to dominate the middle of the Jaguars' line, the Steelers swung momentum back in their favor.

Sometimes the smallest changes can have huge results in big games.

• All about the tackling: Missed tackles were a main problem of the Steelers in 2017, as Pro Football Focus revealed with their number-crunching on that team:

Because of that, our commitment this season is to keep a close eye on this facet.

This was, by far, the most missed tackles recorded by the Steelers this season — 14 total misses. But most of them came in the first half when Fournette was winning. Sean Davis and T. J. Watt led the way with three misses a piece:

But don't overlook the positives, either. Vince Williams looked strong with ten tackles and no misses while Jon Bostic had six with one miss. That's 16 tackles and one miss between the starting inside linebackers, a performance that allowed them to control the second half.

Top matchups: We pick three pivotal matchups and evaluate which team won them, as well as how it played into the game:

• Roethlisberger vs. Jaguars' secondary: The Steelers' turnover problem against the Jaguars last year wasn't because their receivers weren't getting open, it was because Ben Roethlisberger missed opportunities and made huge mistakes. The same could be said of this year's game, but the difference was Roethlisberger recovered and dissected the Jaguars with two touchdown throws and a winning run to finish them off. Advantage: Steelers.

• Fournette vs. Steelers' front: Much like the above matchup, the Jaguars started this game by winning this matchup. But when Fournette's second-half average dropped to just 1.43 yards per carry, after having 75 yards on 14 carries in the first half, shows he couldn't impose his will when it mattered most. The Steelers defense turned into the bruisers late, giving Roethlisberger several chances to lead the comeback. Advantage: Steelers.

• Bortles vs. Steelers' pass rush: Blake Bortles had hurt the Steelers with his feet in the past, so the Steelers came in with a plan to limit his run-pass-option chances by having the outside linebackers focus on Bortles. Once it was clear Doug Marrone wasn't using Bortles like last year, they went to more traditional play calls, forcing the Jaguars to rely on Bortles to throw on more third-and-long situations. When that happened, the Steelers went to town with six sacks. Advantage: Steelers.

Had a big play or a decent game ⭐

Very impressive, multiple big plays ⭐⭐

Elite performance ⭐⭐⭐

Gave up a big play without redemption ☠

Total performance was a disappointment ☠☠

Horrible, inexcusable ☠☠☠

QUARTERBACK: B-

In the most roller coaster performance I've seen of late, Roethlisberger never quit and showed up when it counted.

Ben Roethlisberger: ⭐

I only give a middling grade because he was the biggest factor for the Steelers being in the 16-0 hole in the first place, but you cannot ignore his resilience. For most of the game he looked past open receivers or flat-out missed them. But that seemed to go away late in the third quarter when he found Antonio Brown wide open for a 78-yard touchdown.

Despite the turnovers, the trash talk from the Jaguars, and the crucial drops by Conner, Roethlisberger proved to be the leader, as advertised, and put the game on his shoulders with three late touchdowns. The run was a thing of beauty, as discussed in Drive to the End Zone.

RUNNING BACKS: D-

Conner had his first truly bad game.

James Conner: ☠☠☠

Though he had one nice first down run in the third quarter, Conner never got going, with only 25 yards on nine carries. But what truly stood out were his two crucial drops in the fourth quarter. Both on good passes that hit him square in the hands.

OFFENSIVE LINE: B-

The line had a good performance in pass protection, but was unable to assert itself in the run game.

Matt Feiler: ☠☠

Gave up a sack where his feet froze on a spin move and missed a key block on Roethlisberger's touchdown run that could've allowed him to walk into the end zone. After strong showings in recent weeks, we finally saw Feiler's deficiencies come to light and where Marcus Gilbert might be missed.

Maurkice Pouncey: ⭐⭐

Kept the middle of the line clean in pass protection and picked up most of the Jaguars' twist blitzes. Plenty of times Roethlisberger stepped up in the pocket because Pouncey had control of his assignment.

David DeCastro: ⭐⭐

One of the players you know will never back down to brutes like the Jaguars, and DeCastro was asserting himself all game, both in the run game and in pass protection.

Alejandro Villanueva: ☠

Had a tough assignment on Caleis Campbell most of the game, but still came up short too many times. Not a horrible game, but it cut his streak of great performances.

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS: A+

This group had a tough task against one of the NFL's best secondaries and showed up in the big moments.

Antonio Brown: ⭐⭐⭐

Despite the early game numbers, where Brown had zero catches on five targets at one point, he was beating Ramsey with solid routes on several occasions. Roethlisberger failed to see him on many of those, some of which could've result in touchdowns. But he never let that get the best of him and kept working all game.

His 78-yard touchdown was something, but let's look at his last catch of the game. He lined up in the slot against Ramsey and recognized the Jaguars had man coverage across the board. His assignment was a deeper crossing route, but instead of coming off the line immediately, he works behind Vance McDonald to use him like a pick, creating space against Ramsey and finishing his route for the huge play:

That's wily veteran leadership schooling a younger player who never saw it coming.

JuJu Smith-Schuster: ⭐⭐⭐

His eight catches for 108 yards featured two huge back-shoulder receptions on the Steelers' final two touchdown drives. The first came against Ramsey on a perfect ball from Roethlisberger, the second against A. J. Bouye, both All-Pro cornerbacks. The second catch against Bouye showed off amazing athleticism by high-pointing a pass and keeping himself in bounds while holding onto the ball.

Vance McDonald: ⭐⭐

I would give him three stars if he had more plays, but his touchdown catch was truly amazing. Last week he went up over Luke Kuechly for a touchdown, a prime cover linebacker. This week he beat an even better cover linebacker in Telvin Smith. He's become a threat that defenses have to truly honor or risk getting torched.

James Washington: ⭐

Don't look now, but Washington flashed great hands on an impressive sideline grab against Ramsey. Still needs to show more, but it was a solid showing against the NFL's top cornerback.

DEFENSIVE LINE: B+

A mixed bag of success and failures for a group that showed up big in the second half.

Javon Hargrave: ⭐⭐⭐

Hargrave's two sacks and a swatted pass complemented an impressive performance where he sniffed out screens and moved around the interior gaps. He proved he deserves a consistent spot in this line and had a great game, taking on double teams and changing the line of scrimmage on several key plays in the second half.

Cam Heyward: ⭐⭐⭐

When the Steelers need an enforcer on the defensive line, Heyward is the man. He consistently maintained his gap throughout the game and the Jaguars schemed to avoid him early. When the Steelers' defense solidified the other gaps, Heyward was still there shoving his man into the backfield and creating opportunities for his teammates.

Tyson Alualu: ⭐⭐

Despite one missed tackle, Alualu had the second most tackles on just 38 snaps, and was part of the second half turnaround against Fournette. He proved his worth as a depth lineman by staying engaged throughout the game. The final sack of the game was because Alualu drove his guard so far back, it forced the tackle to help and freed up Watt for an easy strip-sack.

Dan McCullers: ☠☠☠

Zero tackles, missed tackles and was bullied all along the line. His presence was a detriment and the Jaguars ran right at his gap almost every time he was in the game. McCullers has been given chance after chance and has proven he's not good enough to play for this team. The Steelers would be better served finding another defensive tackle.

LINEBACKERS: B+

Three sacks from this group, and they never backed down after a rough start. Early in the game the Jaguars' offensive linemen were getting to them, but when the defensive line fixed their problems up front, the linebackers feasted accordingly and stopped Fournette.

Vince Williams: ⭐⭐⭐

Led the team with ten tackles and added another sack to make his season total 3.5. When he was given the space to operate at the line, he looked good and made some big tackles on Fournette to establish authority inside the tackles. Had a nice pass defended, too, while covering receiver Dede Westbrook.

T. J. Watt:⭐⭐⭐

Two sacks to bring his season total to ten and was a force on the edge most of the game. Missed some tough tackles on Fournette, but he never let that stop his surge. Averaging a sack a game isn't easy, and now we're seeing growth in how he's getting them.

Watch his first sack when he destroys a double team. Tight end James O'Shaughnessy tries to help left tackle Jermy Parnell against Watt. But Watt displays his best hand usage all season against both.

He uses his left hand to keep O'Shaughnessy from ever getting his hands inside of Watt's frame, all while using his right hand to rip under the arms of Parnell and keep his leverage to work the edge. Eventually he pushes O'Shaughnessy off with his left hand, and while still using the ripped right hand to anchor against Parnell, gets his left hand active to swipe down on the arm of Bortles:

That's as amazing a rush as I've seen from an edge rusher on this team since James Harrison in his prime. He added a second sack/fumble to end the game when he spun off a stunt from Alualu and got Bortles again.

Jon Bostic: ⭐⭐

Bostic notched six tackles and was even stoning double teams in the hole to open up opportunities for others. His spot was the Steelers' biggest liability against the Jaguars in the playoffs when Sean Spence occupied it; now it's an asset.

Bud Dupree: ⭐

Only three tackles, but none missed and he was collapsing the pocket opposite Watt while also maintaining his edge most of the game. Once the Steelers adjusted to let him and Watt pinch, he was a key contributor to shutting down Fournette in the second half.

SECONDARY: A-

They weren't asked to do much, but they helped against the run and took away the shorter passes for Bortles whenever he wanted to try for easy completions.

Joe Haden:⭐⭐⭐

Gave up one reception and never missed a tackle. Another solid showing.

Coty Sensabaugh:⭐⭐

Last year Bortles got the best of Artie Burns for some big plays, but that never happened with Coty Sensabaugh on Sunday. He also recorded seven tackles and helped pinch down his side on several run plays. He's stepped up and made a case to hold his spot for the rest of the season.

Terrell Edmunds: ⭐

Solid tackling whenever the ball got to his level. Didn't make big plays, but he was a cog in the second-half machine that stopped the run.

Morgan Burnett: ⭐

Only 22 snaps, but helped take away the middle of the field in the Jaguars' passing game. He would've had a pass defended with a solid swat while covering O'Shaughnessy on a third down pass, but it bounced into the hands of Westbrook in a pure case of bad luck.

Mike Hilton: ⭐

Though he only had one tackle, he was all over the field in smothering underneath receivers with limited snaps. When he was on the field, he made his presence known by helping in key gaps.

Sean Davis: ☠

Not a bad game, but he missed some key tackles on Fournette when he had a shot. He recorded eight tackles, but he also dropped what could've been a game changing interception.

THE ROAD AHEAD

The Steelers have another long road trip to face the Broncos, who come off an upset over the Chargers thanks to a Case Keenum drive that set up the game-winning field goal. But the key will be protecting Roethlisberger from Von Miller, who will either matchup with Feiler or Gilbert. The Steelers should hope Gilbert is healthy, seeing as he's shut out Miller the last two times he's faced him, and Feiler was struggled with Jaguars second-year player Yannick Ngakoue.

MATT SUNDAY GALLERY

Steelers at Jaguars, Jacksonville, Fla., Nov. 18, 2018 - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS

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