McCain touchdown seals Steelers’ victory
Steelers cornerback Brice McCain, right, celebrates with teammates James Harrison and Cameron Heyward, center, after he intercepted a Blake Bortles pass Sunday and ran it back for a fourth-quarter touchdown.
Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is tackled by Jaguars middle linebacker Paul Posluszny after a short gain during the second half Sunday.
Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles scrambles to pick up a fumble as he is pressured by Steelers inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons during the second half Sunday.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Steelers cornerback Brice McCain had seen the play many times.
He recognized Jacksonville’s formation and knew what was coming.
As a result, McCain jumped in front of a pass intended for rookie wide receiver Allen Hurn, intercepting it and returning it 22 yards in the fourth quarter to help a foundering Pittsburgh offense in a 17-9 victory at Everbank Field over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
McCain’s interception, his first as a member of the Steelers after signing as a free agent in the offseason, helped avert what could have been a second embarrassing defeat for the Steelers (3-2) in a row after last week’s 27-24 loss to Tampa Bay.
“I couldn’t even see the quarterback (throw the ball),” said McCain, who was forced into the lineup as the nickel corner when Ike Taylor suffered a broken arm at Carolina Sept. 21.
“I saw him check, and I’ve been playing against the Jaguars for a long time. The signal a pick play, so I went over the top, and he threw it right to me.”
It was fortunate for the Steelers, who were clinging to a 10-9 lead after a 36-yard Josh Scobee field goal late in the third quarter, his third of the game.
Jacksonville (0-5) had just forced a turnover deep in its own territory when Ben Roethlisberger was sacked at the 19 by Abry Jones, fumbled and the Jaguars recovered.
On the next play, McCain came up with the interception.
“He did a great job of reading the play, jumping the play and then finishing,” said Steelers safety Mike Mitchell. “Not only did he catch it, he scored. That’s the kind of play great teams and great secondaries do.
“Obviously, it swung the momentum our way and was a critical play in the game.”
It was desperately needed because Pittsburgh’s offense struggled to put points on the board.
Though Roethlisberger completed 26 of 36 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown – a 1-yard pass to reserve tight end Michael Palmer in the second quarter – the Steelers seemed to make a turnover or other critical mistake just when they seemed to be getting things going on offense.
Not only did Roethlisberger’s fumble negate one scoring chance, the Steelers came up short on first-and-goal in the first half, settling for a 24-yard Shaun Suisham field goal after Roethlisberger threw three straight incompletions from the Jacksonville 4.
Pittsburgh saw another long drive in the third quarter stall after Roethlisberger threw a 17-yard completion to Antonio Brown to the Jacksonville 23 that was negated by a penalty on left tackle Kelvin Beachum for illegal hands to the face.
“We weren’t finishing,” said running back Le’Veon Bell, who finished with 82 yards rushing on 15 carries. “We had a turnover; they stopped us a couple of times. We have to finish when we get down there.”
But the offense did do what it couldn’t the week before in the loss to Tampa Bay – run out the clock at the end.
After forcing a punt with 4:05 remaining in the game, the Steelers ran a 10-play drive that ended with Roethlisberger twice taking a knee to end the game.
“We turned the ball over and then the defense backed up the offense by getting a pick-6. The offense returned the favor by keeping them off the field with the last possession,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
The defense shut down Jacksonville’s offense, led by Bortles, the third-overall pick in this year’s draft who was making just his second NFL start. The Steelers, who improved to 18-2 against rookie quarterbacks since 2004, intercepted Bortles twice and got their hands on six other passes, limiting the rookie to a 52.0 passer rating and 191 yards.
With little running game as support – Jacksonville managed just 56 yards on 15 carries – all the pressure was on the rookie to make a play. And the Steelers took advantage with McCain’s interception.
“It was a great moment at the time,” said McCain, whose last interception for a touchdown came in 2011 against Tennessee as a member of the Texans. “I didn’t know it would seal the game. At the moment, it felt great to get a pick. And a pick-6, that felt even better.”
Odds and end zones
Safety Shamarko Thomas suffered a hamstring injury covering a punt in the second quarter and did not return. … The Steelers have allowed their opponents to score on the opening possession of all five games this season. … Ramon Foster returned to the starting lineup at left guard after missing the past two games. … Le’Veon Bell had 115 total yards, giving him more than 100 total yards in each of the Steelers’ first five games. He is the first Pittsburgh player to have more than 100 yards from scrimmage in five games to open a season. … Steelers cornerback Cortez Allen had an interception in the second quarter, his second of the season. … After committing 44 penalties in their first four games, including 13 last week, the Steelers had seven Sunday.