JACKSONVILLE – The challenge will be real.
That's true for the entire Jaguars team Sunday, and particularly for a rookie quarterback making his second NFL start against one of the league's most-respected defensive coordinators.
The Jaguars will face the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, and while that will mean Jaguars rookie quarterback Blake Bortles is facing the quarterback to whom he most often has been compared – Ben Roethlisberger – of more immediate importance is the Steelers' defense.
In particular, facing the Steelers means facing a defensive coordinated by Dick LeBeau, who is known for blitzing rookie quarterbacks and having success doing so.
"Obviously, they do a bunch of different things," Bortles said as the Jaguars (0-4) prepared to play the Steelers (2-2) at EverBank Field Sunday at 1 p.m. "They're solid at what they do. They're an aggressive defense that goes after it and attacks the ball. We're going to have to be sharp and exact with what we do."
That's particularly true against rookie quarterbacks.
The Steelers are 17-2 against rookie quarterbacks in LeBeau's tenure as defensive coordinator, and Roethlisberger didn't play in either loss. One loss was to Baltimore in the 2007 regular-season finale after the Steelers clinched their playoff positioning. The other loss came to Cleveland in 2013, a game that featured eight Steelers fumbles.
The Steelers enter the game after being upset by previously winless Tampa Bay last week, losing 27-24 when Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon passed five yards to wide receiver Vincent Jackson with seven seconds remaining.
The Jaguars have lost four games by a total of 152-58, including a 33-14 loss to San Diego last week in which the Chargers pulled away from a 17-14 halftime lead.
Cornerback Dwayne Gratz (concussion), tight end Mickey Shuler (illness) and wide receivers Marqise Lee (hamstring) and Cecil Shorts III (hamstring) have been ruled out for the Jaguars. Demetrius McCray will start for Gratz and rookies Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson likely will start for Shorts and Lee.
Right tackle Austin Pasztor (hand) is expected to make his first start of the season for the Jaguars, meaning the team's starting line of Pasztor, rookie Brandon Linder, rookie Luke Bowanko, Zane Beadles and Luke Joeckel should start together for the first time.
Here's a look at the week's Steelers-Jaguars coverage on jaguars.com …

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