The Jaguars probably feel pretty confident heading into their divisional-round matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field.
Jacksonville's last trip to Pittsburgh in Week 5 ended with a 30-9 upset win. The Jaguars' defense intercepted Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger five times and held Pittsburgh running back Le'Veon Bell in check.
Two defensive touchdowns enabled the Jaguars to lean on the running game, which paid off with a 90-yard win-cementing touchdown run by rookie Leonard Fournette.
While the initial game's results have empowered the Jaguars throughout the season, the Steelers have changed quite a bit since their Week 5 clash. The divisional round will feature a different Pittsburgh squad with a long history of playoff success at its core.
Below are four ways the Steelers have changed since Week 5:
1. Roethlisberger is playing on another level
Roethlisberger played his worst game in recent memory against the Jaguars earlier this season. He wasn't actually playing all that well prior to the game either.
In the first five games of the season, Roethlisberger produced six touchdowns and seven interceptions. Following the Week 5 upset, Roethlisberger produced 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 10 games. The Steelers secured a 9-1 record during that run.
While he sat out of the season finale against the Cleveland Browns, Roethlisberger has played his best football in recent weeks. He has also been able to find even more trustworthy receiving options as the season has progressed.
2. Brown may be slowed by his calf injury
The league's top wide receiver missed the final two games of the regular season due to a calf injury that he suffered in Week 15 against the New England Patriots. Brown still led the league with 1,533 receiving yards on 101 catches. He also had nine receiving touchdowns.
The Jaguars faced off against Brown while he was on a major roll during the first half of the season. Brown produced 10 catches for 157 receiving yards against Jacksonville, despite the Jaguars' talented secondary.
Brown returned to practice on Monday. He hasn't played in three weeks, so there is the potential for some rust. He may not be as fluid in the early going as he would be with a clean bill of health. That's a concern for the Steelers, as Brown is easily the top target for Roethlisberger.
3. Smith-Schuster has emerged for Pittsburgh
The Steelers lacked reliable targets outside of Brown during the first meeting against the Jaguars. Since Week 5, rookie wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has produced 757 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 46 catches.
The rookie's emergence will give the Jaguars a few more issues in coverage during the rematch. Smith-Schuster will be able to match up one-on-one against either Jalen Ramsey or A.J. Bouye. That will allow the Steelers to set up the matchup they want against nickel back Aaron Colvin.
Opposing offenses have had success while targeting the middle of the Jaguars' defense. With Brown and Smith-Schuster working the outside, the Steelers should be able to attack the middle of the Jacksonville defense without much issue.
4. A lack of Ryan Shazier may help the Jaguars' offense
Steelers inside linebacker Ryan Shazier suffered a spinal injury in Week 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was placed on injured reserve shortly after suffering the injury.
The Jaguars may be able to take advantage of Shazier's absence.
The veteran linebacker's presence was felt against Jacksonville during the first matchup. He had eight tackles and an interception against the Jaguars in Week 5.
The Jaguars may try to attack Shazier's backup, Sean Spence, to test the new matchup early on. Spence is a coverage downgrade, so quarterback Blake Bortles may try to target potential mismatches against him in the passing game.
Follow Mike Kaye on Twitter at @Mike_E_Kaye.