Looking at the records of the two teams, there are those outside of the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, some media and fans, who are wondering if the Steelers will look ahead this week, past the Jacksonville Jaguars and to their next opponent, the Baltimore Ravens who they play next week.
Inside the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, the focus is simple.
It's on the Jaguars and the Jaguars only.
The Steelers will take a 9-0 record into Sunday's game, while the Jaguars are 1-8. But if history has told this team anything, it's the Jaguars are coming to play. The Jaguars hold an all-time 14-12 edge over the Steelers, and it's always a battle going against them.
When asked how the team doesn't get ahead of themselves, Ben Roethlisberger laid it out in the simplest of terms.
"The goal isn't to go undefeated. The goal is to win a Super Bowl. We are just going one week at a time," said Roethlisberger. "We are not worried about anything other than this week. You look at past history of this game and it hasn't been pretty for us. We have yet to play a really good game against these guys. I am hungry to come out and get this game.
"The last 10 games against them hasn't been good at all. Extra motivation or whatever you want to call it. We are not taking these guys lightly at all. They have had our number. I know we won the last one barely. I know it's a different team. You have to understand this game, this group, these two teams, it's complete focus."
In order to pull out a win over the Jaguars, the Steelers will have to be balanced, but at the same time rely on what has become the bread and butter of their offense, the passing game. The Steelers air game is ranked seventh in the AFC, thanks to Roethlisberger and the versatile group of receivers.
There isn't one receiver who is putting up massive numbers, rather a balanced group with JuJu Smith-Schuster leading the way, but Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, James Washington and tight end Eric Ebron are all a huge part of the success.
"It's a special group," said Roethlisberger of the receivers. "It's complete in the sense that everybody is contributing, everybody is getting moved around. If you look at an offense, you have your traditional X (receiver), your traditional Z and F and those guys stay in that spot. What we have done this year is throw the letter out the window and just say you are going to go to this spot, you are going to go to this spot. That is a credit to those guys that they don't need to be in their memorized spot. They are able to learn the whole package and understand when things are changed that's what they are supposed to do. In terms of just moving guys around and them understanding it, I think it's pretty cool."
Smith-Schuster is leading the way with 54 receptions for 516 yards, and his physical style of play has been huge on third down, which has helped build a bond between him and Roethlisberger.
"Trust. There is a lot of trust there," said Roethlisberger. "He is a guy that has been in the system for a while. He is a guy I can line up anywhere and he knows what to do. What you see from him in terms of his demeanor, his attitude, when the ball is in his hand is determination. It's unbelievable. There have been times in the last couple of games when I have gotten the ball to him on third and whatever, and he has caught it a little bit short of the first down, and I have 100 percent confidence he is going to find a way to get the first down.
"He is just a competitor. He is fun to play with. I am so proud of him. He is not putting up gaudy numbers like he has in the past but the things he is doing is just as important for this offense and this team in any year he has done.
"He is tough. He can make combat catches. He gets those first downs when you need them. He is smart. He is a guy you can move around and put him pretty much anywhere and he knows what to do. He helps get other guys lined up. I think when you have a guy when push comes to shove, when the rubber meets the road, all the different slangs you want to use. When you have a guy like JuJu that I know and trust him, it makes you feel pretty comfortable."
Roethlisberger said he never knows who is going to have the hot hand going into a game, and he never plans ahead who he is going to focus on getting the ball to.
"It's how it manifests itself," said Roethlisberger. "You know JuJu is going to be there when you need him on third down just because of the comfort level we have with each other. Truly going into the game, you never know who it's going to be. We don't predetermine it."
