Trevor Lawrence passed for 292 yards with a touchdown and an interception to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 20-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
The Jaguars (6-2) extended their lead in the AFC South thanks to a defense that held Pittsburgh’s unpredictable offense in check and more than enough offense to overcome a sequence of errors that allowed the Steelers (4-3) to stay in the game long into the second half.
Lawrence blew it up with a 56-yard strike to a streaking Travis Etienne with 5:14 left in the third quarter, helping Jacksonville create a 14-point lead as the Jaguars triumphed for the sixth time in their previous seven visits to Acrisure Stadium.
Etienne ran for 79 yards and caught three passes for 70 yards and the score, a play in which he streaked past rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and raced to the end zone. Evan Engram hauled in 10 receptions for 88 yards as Jacksonville heads into its bye week looking every bit the AFC South favorite it was expected to be.
Pittsburgh played the second half without quarterback Kenny Pickett, who exited late in the first half with a rib injury after getting drilled by defensive end Adam Gotsis. Mitch Trubisky came on and threw for 139 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens late in the third quarter that brought the Steelers within 17-10.
Lawrence, playing with a brace on his left knee, guided the Jaguars on a clock-draining drive that ended with Brandon McManus’ fourth field goal to put the game out of reach as the Jaguars won their seventh straight regular-season road game.
The Jaguars have shrugged off a 1-2 start behind Lawrence and a defense that seems to be improving by the week. While Pickens raised eyebrows during the week by saying Jacksonville plays a “hope” defense that relies heavily on the pass rush to protect the secondary, Jacksonville essentially kept the Steelers in check for long stretches on a day it outgained Pittsburgh 377-261.
The Steelers came in somehow still afloat in the competitive AFC North despite having an offense and a defense that rank near the bottom of the league in every major statistical category except wins.
It was more of the same in the late-October mist. Pittsburgh needed four possessions before picking up a single first down while Jacksonville moved the ball with relative ease only to settle for three McManus field goals and have two other drives end with turnovers deep in Pittsburgh territory.
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