View from Pittsburgh: Jaguars fired up about Steelers’ perceived disrespect

Dejan Kovacevic is the columnist/creator of Pittsburgh’s pioneering sports journalism site/app, DKPittsburghSports.com.

PITTSBURGH — The Steelers denied emphatically, even using expletives, that they disrespected or looked beyond the Jaguars, this after their 45-42 loss Sunday in the AFC Divisional Playoffs.

When Ramon Foster was asked by an ESPN beat reporter if the focus was instead on facing the Patriots the following weekend in Foxborough, he snapped back, "You guys throw all that [crap] out there as far as us overlooking them. We practiced two weeks for Jacksonville. No [bleeping] way we overlooked them. Come on, you know that answer."

If that's the correct answer, it's safe to say the winners weren't buying it. Jacksonville's coaching staff and players apparently put several recent quotes from the Steelers to productive use, in particular Mike Mitchell's remarks three weeks ago to Sports Illustrated that, "We're going to play [the Patriots] again. We can play them in hell, we can play them in Haiti, we can play them in New England. ... We're gonna win."



Then, before kickoff, Mike Marrone brought to the attention of his players this Le'Veon Bell tweet Saturday that they interpreted as predicting victory:

“I’m like ouuu, boutta play the jags ouuu.” #Winsday pic.twitter.com/MiHpbjBXRN

— Le'Veon Bell (@L_Bell26) January 14, 2018