Jaguars' theme song: Let it snow
PITTSBURGH -- The Steelers couldn't have designed a more Pittsburgh-perfect day for an important December home game.
They whipped up everything a warm-weather opponent wouldn't want: snow, swirling winds, chilly temperatures and a marshy field.
Somehow, the weatherproof Jacksonville Jaguars shrugged off the bad weather and the Steelers, too, in a stadium where no opponent had won in a year.
Fred Taylor scored a decisive touchdown on a 12-yard run in the final two minutes while gaining 147 yards, and the Jaguars (10-4) withstood Pittsburgh's fourth-quarter comeback for a 29-22 victory Sunday that put them on the verge of making the AFC playoffs.
"The outsiders didn't believe we could come in here with the elements on the road, in a hostile territory against a team like Pittsburgh, and win the game," said Taylor, who has 381 yards in his last two games in Pittsburgh. "We were the only ones that believed."
The Steelers (9-5), previously 7-0 at home, were outgained 421-217 and outrushed 224-111 while falling into a tie with the Browns (9-5) for the AFC North lead after Cleveland defeated Buffalo 8-0.
Pittsburgh, which could have clinched the division, owns the tiebreaker going into its final two games: Thursday at St. Louis and Dec. 30 at Baltimore.
"The Jaguars are the Pittsburgh of the South," said an admiring Willie Parker, who ran for 100 yards on only 14 carries. "The weather was kind of bad, and they came in like they've been playing in it for a while. We've got to use our weather to our advantage."
The Steelers were down 22-7 after David Garrard threw 3 touchdown passes and looked beaten after getting nothing going offensively in the second half, only to tie it by scoring twice in 7½ minutes with the help of 2 missed extra points by Jacksonville.
"Great comeback, a lot of heart, but a loss is a loss," said Ben Roethlisberger, who shook off a sore shoulder and 5 sacks to throw 3 TD passes and repeatedly improvise for first downs on broken plays.
Anthony Smith's 50-yard return of only the second interception thrown by Garrard in 307 attempts this season led to Roethlisberger's 11-yard TD pass to Hines Ward.
On Pittsburgh's next possession, Roethlisberger threw a team-record 29th touchdown pass, a 30-yarder to Nate Washington. Wide receiver Cedrick Wilson's 2-point conversion pass to Santonio Holmes on a gadget play tied it at 22-22 with less than six minutes remaining.
Instead of folding, Jacksonville came back with a 8-play, 73-yard, drive ended by Taylor's scoring run during his fourth consecutive 100-yard game.
Pittsburgh's last chance ended when tight end Heath Miller came a half-yard short of a first down on a fourth-and-7 from the Jacksonville 45 in the final minute.
"We know we have to play in this kind of weather in order to advance in the AFC tournament, so it was a good experience," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said.