The Steelers, after being shredded by running back Leonard Fournette in the regular-season loss to the Jaguars, will be doing their damnedest to stop him on Sunday. But if they sell out to bottle up the rookie who ran over, around, and through the Steel Curtain for 181 yards in October, that could open up other opportunities for Jacksonville.
Specifically, it would operate as an engraved invitation to Blake Bortles to beat the Steelers with his arm.
Most would say he can’t. And most may end up being right. But remember the last time the Steelers dared an inaccurate passer to beat them in the postseason? Steelers fans definitely do. As does every Tebowmaniac in creation.
Six years and four days ago, the 8-8 Broncos hosted the 12-4 Steelers in the wild-card round. Tim Tebow, whose sporadic completions seemed often to be the product of divine coincidence, connected on 10 of 21 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns in the Denver overtime win.
And the win came on the first play from scrimmage in the extra session, when Tebow connected with Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard catch and run.
Bortles may have a chance to unleash a similar performance, if Pittsburgh decides to do to the Jaguars the same thing they tried to do to Denver, unsuccessfully, in early 2012.