Pittsburgh offense vs. Jacksonville defense

	STEELERS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	8
	Pass	26
	Tot. Yds.	22
	Scoring	18
	Int's allowed	12
	Sacks allowed	24
	JAGUARS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	6
	vs. Pass	4
	Total yds. allowed	3
	# of Ints.	15
	# of Sacks	44
	Turnover differential	+14

It is amazing how one person can make or break an entire offensive scheme. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride has been working with Kordell Stewart to adjust the scheme to his talents and tendencies, but the bottom line is that Stewart is incapable of getting the job done with enough consistency to be a starter in the National Football League.

Stewart's reign as the Steelers starter came to a crashing halt last Sunday when he was pulled in favor of 37-year-old veteran Mike Tomczack. Tomczack is only a dependable backup in this league, but he showed that it does not take much to make Gilbride's system work.

The Steelers offense is designed to stretch the defense vertically, especially down the middle of the field with crossing routes from the wide receiver position and seam routes from TE Mark Bruener. By stretching the field, it creates more room to run the ball underneath and forces defenses to play honest.

Granted, Tomczack had his success against a Bengals defense that has had its fare share of problems, allowing more than 230 yards per game in the air. But the strategy is the critical element. Tomczack does not have to throw for 300-plus yards a game for this offense to work. He just has to make the passing game a threat and take advantage of opportunities when they arise; something that Stewart was unable to do.

It will be interesting to see how rookie WR Troy Edwards responds to his insertion in the starting lineup. Edwards is now the No. 1 receiver, with Hines Ward playing opposite as the No. 2 and Courtney Hawkins moving down to the slot position in three-receiver sets. Edwards and Ward are going to play critical roles in this game, having to stretch the field and needing to take advantage of man-to-man coverage in a lot of first- and second-down situations against CBs Fernando Bryant and Aaron Beasley.

Beasley and Bryant are critical players in the Jaguars scheme, because they are called upon to play on an island to allow the front seven to be active in the pass rush. Edwards and Ward are going to have to be able to stretch the defense and give the Steelers some production in the passing game down field. If the outside receivers are taken out of the game in single-man coverage, it will allow the Jaguars to use nine men in the zone blitz package to get after QB Tomczak, making his first start of the season.

The challenge for the Steelers now is going to be to create a rhythm offensively against Dom Capers' zone-blitz scheme in Jacksonville. The scheme is designed to put tremendous pressure on quarterbacks in the passing game, and if run correctly it also is an effective run-stopping system. The Jaguars defenders have been so disciplined with their assignments and keys, they are not only leading the league in sacks with 44, but they are also holding opponents to 87.4-yards per game rushing.

The Steelers are going to stick with the duo of Jerome Bettis and Richard Huntley as the "change of pace" attack on the ground. Bettis has been doing his usual job of pounding the ball out on first and second downs, but the emergence of Huntley as a receiving threat and more of a speed back in nickel situations, has given the Steelers offense more diversity and allows Bettis to rest.

Jacksonville offense vs. Pittsburgh defense

	JAGUARS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	5
	Pass	14
	Tot. Yds.	9
	Scoring	4
	Int's allowed	7
	Sacks allowed	24
	STEELERS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	19
	vs. Pass	1
	Total yds. allowed	5
	# of Ints.	12
	# of Sacks	30
	Turnover differential	+6

The Jaguars are averaging 26.1 points per game this season, but the offense is still not up to the level it is capable of achieving. Much of the blame for inconsistency and breakdown can be placed on injury, while some of it can also be pointed to QB Mark Brunell's erratic passing this season.

Thursday, the Jaguars still will be without RB Fred Taylor, who is sitting out for one more week to rest his hamstring, and also will play without TE Kyle Brady. Brady has been a big boost to this offense, establishing himself as a receiving threat as well as one of the top blocking tight ends in the league.

This matchup is interesting because it is hard to predict which unit will show up for either team. The Steelers have built their team around a rock solid defense, only to be let down on certain weeks with a passive effort, including the surrendering of a 415-yard offensive performance by the Cincinnati Bengals this past week.

For the Jaguars, the story is much the same. They are averaging 414-yards of total offense but have played down to the level of competition on a weekly basis. Assuming both teams come to play Thursday in this divisional rivalry, it makes for a marquee showdown.

The Jaguars are running the ball effectively even without Taylor in the lineup, but the downside is that RB James Stewart does not draw the same attention as Taylor does in this offense. Jacksonville should be able to run the ball off-tackle, behind OTs Leon Searcy and Tony Boselli, who are mismatches for DEs Orpheus Roye and Kevin Henry.

The biggest question for the Jaguars is their ability to keep Steelers ILBs Levon Kirkland and Earl Holmes from chewing up all the room inside the tackles. The key will be the ability of OC John Wade to handle his matchup inside on NT Joel Steed, who is bigger, stronger and perhaps quicker off the ball. The Jaguars cannot afford to use a double team on Steed, because it will limit the offensive guards ability to get out and chip. If Wade is outmatched, the Jaguars are going to struggle running the football.

The Jaguars, if they are able to protect Brunell up front, should be able to exploit a Steelers secondary that is having its fair share of communication breakdowns and matchup problems. Keenan McCardell and Jimmy Smith are two of the best in the business and are fully capable of dominating their matchups with CBs Dewayne Washington and Chad Scott.

The key for the Steelers is going to be the play of FS Scott Shield, who took over the starting job after Travis Davis was beaten in the deep third last week against Cincinnati. Scott is going to have to play an active centerfield to help defend against the speed of the Jaguars' receiving corps. If he gets caught inside or bites on the play fake, the Jaguars will have great success throwing the ball up top.

Special teams

	NFL RANK
	Category	PIT	JAC
	Punt return avg.	14	11
	Kickoff return avg.	29	30
	Opp. punt return avg.	23	11
	Opp. kickoff ret. avg.	6	29
	Time of possession	5	3

Kris Brown continues to impress in his rookie season, connecting on 19 of 21 with a long of 51 yards. The rookie is showing excellent mechanics and has handled all the conditions that surround the kicking game in Pittsburgh. Josh Miller seems to have finally settled in as a consistent NFL punter, and his leg strength is beginning to separate him from the pack as he is averaging 45.0 yards per punt.

For Jacksonville, Mike Hollis is presently second in the league behind Olindo Mare, connecting on 25-of-28 field goal attempts, with a long of 50 yards. Bryan Barker is having a very mediocre season, averaging 43.1 yards per return, but his ability to direct his punts has made Barker a valuable tool. He is only allowing 18.7 percent of his punts to be returned, and 26 of 55 attempts have been dropped inside the 20-yard line.

Key matchups