Pittsburgh @ Jacksonville preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 16, 2011 ) Jacksonville 13, Pittsburgh 17

Ben Roethlisberger will face a rookie quarterback who has been compared to him when the Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Jacksonville rookie Blake Bortles, the No. 3 pick in the draft, has similar size (6-foot-5) and the same uncanny nature of extending plays as Roethlisberger. “He is an impressive-type young player,” Roethlisberger told reporters. “He makes some rookie mistakes but he also makes some plays that you don’t expect rookies to make in a good way.”

Bortles is making his second NFL start and doesn't think he should be compared to someone with Roethlisberger's accomplishments. “He’s won two Super Bowls and been to all kinds of Pro Bowls and I've played one game,” Bortles told reporters. “There’s a big difference there. He’s been somebody that has been fun to watch.” The Jaguars are one of two remaining winless teams in the NFL, while Pittsburgh has been inconsistent and dropped a 27-24 loss to Tampa Bay last week.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Steelers –6. O/U: 47.

ABOUT THE STEELERS (2-2): The Pittsburgh players have been questioning themselves as the team hasn't shown any signs of putting together a sustained run. “We haven’t been consistent, we haven’t won two games straight,” said running back Le’Veon Bell, who leads the AFC with 378 rushing yards and 570 yards from scrimmage. “We haven’t won on a consistent basis. We haven’t looked good on a consistent basis as a collective group.” Receiver Antonio Brown has an AFC-leading 29 receptions with five touchdowns (tied for first in the NFL), while outside linebacker Lawrence Timmons has a club-high 34 tackles.

ABOUT THE JAGUARS (0-4): Bortles completed 29-of-37 passes for 253 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in last Sunday’s 33-14 loss to the San Diego Chargers. Getting some help from a ground game ranked 30th in the NFL (69.8 yards per game) is necessary as Toby Gerhart (114 yards, 2.6 average) and Denard Robinson (66 yards, 3.3 average) have failed to distinguish themselves. Jacksonville’s defense has racked up 12 sacks – defensive end Andre Branch has three – and middle linebacker Paul Posluszny has an AFC-best 41 tackles.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Jacksonville ranks last in the NFL in pass defense at 320.8 yards per game.

2. Roethlisberger is third in the AFC with 1,092 passing yards and went over 35,000 for his career against the Buccaneers.

3. Jaguars WR Ace Sanders returns from a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, while rookie WR Marqise Lee (hamstring) has been ruled out.

PREDICTION: Steelers 23, Jaguars 17