For four quarters, they slugged it out.The defending Super Bowl champs and the team that plays in that city that hosted the Super Bowl . . . once.
It was a game of big hits, not big plays . . . save for Reggie Williams’ career-long 48-yard fourth-quarter reception.
And after the Jacksonville Jaguars came away with a 9-0 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers on “Monday Night Football,” it’s a safe bet they’re on the national radar now.
“That’s exactly what we wanted to do,” Jacksonville defensive tackle Marcus Stroud said. “We wanted to go out and show the entire nation that hey, we’ve got good football down here.”
It was the lowest-scoring game in “Monday Night Football” history, edging out Oakland’s 9-3 win against Denver in 1980. It was also just the fifth time a defending Super Bowl champion has been shut out — the first time since the 1981 Oakland Raiders.
Josh Scobee’s field goals from 31, 32 and 42 yards proved to be the difference maker for the Jaguars, who now boast two nationally-televised wins over a pair of teams — Pittsburgh and the Dallas Cowboys — that own 10 Super Bowl titles between them.
However, there is no question which performance was more impressive.
Jacksonville held the Steelers to just 153 yards of total offense, including just 26 on the ground. That’s the lowest rushing total by a Pittsburgh team since Bill Cowher took over as head coach in 1992.
It was also the Jaguars’ first shutout since Dec. 7, 2003, when they beat Houston 27-0.
Pittsburgh, coming off a victory last week against Miami, had starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger back for the first time since he underwent an emergency appendectomy 15 days earlier.
And through three quarters, the Jaguars held the defending Super Bowl champions to just 91 yards of total offense. Pittsburgh ran only three plays in Jacksonville’s territory and never crossed the Jaguars 45-yard line.
“That’s the best,” defensive tackle John Henderson said. “That’s how you want your defense to come out every Sunday, every Monday, every Thursday — whichever day it is.
“You want to come out and just give it all you’ve got, every man doing their job.”
Jacksonville only sacked Roethlisberger twice, but the Jaguars hit him so often the Steelers quarterback appeared to be flinching on some throws, expecting to take another shot on every throw. Roethlisberger completed 17 of 32 throws for just 141 yards. He was intercepted twice by Jacksonville cornerback Rashean Mathis.
Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker, who rushed for 115 yards on 29 carries against the Dolphins, found no running room against Jacksonville. He finished with 20 yards on 11 attempts.
And while the Steelers are known as big hitters — a fact they backed up Monday night — Jacksonville defenders repeatedly hit Pittsburgh receivers, knocking would-be pass receptions loose.
Was that the best Henderson has seen the Jaguars defense play?
“Man . . . I mean . . . wow, yes sir,” Henderson said with a big toothy grin. “I gotta say yes. We’re going to get many more, but that was the best.”
Jacksonville’s offense may not have found the end zone, but the Jaguars were able to move the ball on Pittsburgh enough so that when they did have to punt, they were able to pin the Steelers deep in their own territory and force Pittsburgh to go on a long drive.
Running back Fred Taylor, who has always played well against the Steelers, didn’t disappoint Monday night. He gained 92 yards on 22 carries, while quarterback Byron Leftwich completed 26 of 39 passes for 260 yards.
Leftwich’s biggest pass of the night came on third-and-6 from the Pittsburgh 32-yard line, when he hit wide receiver Matt Jones along the left sideline for a 13-yard gain.
The play not only gave the Jaguars a first down, but it made Scobee’s eventual 31-yard field goal try much shorter.
Another third-down pass in the fourth quarter — this one on third-and-5 from Jacksonville’s own 13-yard line — went for 10 yards to tight end George Wrightster.
It was on that same drive that Williams would later make his big play, with help from running back Maurice Jones-Drew — who picked up blitzing safety Troy Polamalu — and wide receiver Matt Jones, who delivered a block on Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend that sprung Williams for the big gain to the Pittsburgh 15.
Scobee finished the drive with a 32-yard field goal with 6 minutes, 15 seconds remaining.
Williams, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2004 draft, had been labeled a bust in Jacksonville following two unproductive seasons.
However, after catching a career-best six passes against Dallas — including the second touchdown reception of his career — Williams had another big night against the Steelers. He caught eight passes for 98 yards.
And with the Steelers trying to mount a late drive, Mathis got inside of Pittsburgh receiver Santonio Holmes for an interception with 4:53 remaining that set Jacksonville up at the Pittsburgh 29-yard line.
Scobee then put the Steelers in a big hole with a 42-yard field goal that made it a two-score game.
Another Mathis interception was returned to the Pittsburgh 2-yard line with less than two minutes remaining, but rather than try to punch it in and risk a turnover, Leftwich kneeled three times to run the clock out.
Jacksonville (2-0), which has thrived on playing the underdog role, will likely be in the same situation next week against the Indianapolis Colts (2-0). But if they can get that one, the Jaguars won’t be able to play that card anymore.
Not that they would really mind.
The only thing they really had a problem with Monday night was that they wouldn’t be able to savor it very long. Coach Jack Del Rio has a 24-hour rule for his team to think about any game — win or lose — and then there’s Peyton Manning to get ready for.
“It’s too bad you only have 24 hours,” safety Donovin Darius said. “And it’s too bad it’s 12 o’clock right now. You’ve got to go home and you’re supposed to go to sleep. I won’t go to sleep until 5 in the morning.”
