With 50 seconds remaining in the second quarter, it looked like the Jaguars were going to expand on their 7-3 lead as halftime approached. Ryan Shazier had different plans.
Ryan Shazier had one of the strangest interceptions we’ve seen
Jacksonville’s two-minute drill was cut short by a smart play from Ryan Shazier.
Blake Bortles completed a seven-yard pass to James O’Shaughnessy, but was met by Vince Williams who fell beneath the backup tight end while trying to tackle him. O’Shaughnessy may have been laying on his back, but with Williams in the way, he wasn’t yet down. That’s when Shazier entered the play, popped the ball from the Jaguar’s hands, and plucked it out of the air for the rare interception that wasn’t Bortles fault.
Shazier picked himself up from the ground and rumbled into Jacksonville territory, but his return would be called back when officials ruled he was down by contact after the turnover. Ben Roethlisberger would drive the Steelers 45 yards in 38 seconds to set up a 34-yard Chris Boswell field goal that made it 7-6 Jacksonville at the end of the half.
What this means for Pittsburgh: The Steelers are losing to an inconsistent Jaguars team, but Shazier’s smart play turned a potential seven- or 10-point deficit into a single point at the break. A slow start from Le’Veon Bell has helped keep the home team out of the end zone early in Pittsburgh,
What this means for Ryan Shazier: The interception was the sixth of Shazier’s career and second in two games, even if it looked more like a fumble than a pick. The former first-round draft pick has grown into a leadership role on the Steelers’ defense, and plays like Sunday’s prove how valuable he is to Pittsburgh’s still-improving front seven.
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