SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal

Despite their success, running back Fred Taylor and the Jacksonville Jaguars keep a low profile. In terms of respect, the Jaguars always feel like underdogs.

Jacksonville finished the regular season 11-5, but had no starters voted to the Pro Bowl. Taylor is expected to go for the first time as an injury replacement for Willie Parker of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Without Parker, the Steelers are stumbling into the playoffs as 21/2-point home underdogs to the Jaguars in an AFC wild-card matchup Saturday.

"No team in the NFL playoffs, including New England, is playing better than Jacksonville, and it is lost on no one that the Jaguars seem to have some kind of whammy on Pittsburgh," handicapper Kelso Sturgeon (kelsosports handicapping.com) said.

Taylor rushed for 147 yards and the winning touchdown, and David Garrard passed for three scores in Jacksonville's 29-22 victory at Pittsburgh on Dec. 16.

The teams have played once in each of the past three seasons, and the Jaguars won and covered every time. In the eight meetings between the teams since 2000, Jacksonville is 5-3 straight up and 7-1 against the spread.

Sturgeon said the loss of Parker, fourth in the league in rushing with 1,316 yards, should be too much for the Steelers (10-6) to overcome.

Pittsburgh must rely heavily on quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. In a season-ending loss at Baltimore, Roethlisberger rested and Najeh Davenport rushed for just 27 yards on 12 carries.

"The Steelers, a traditional running team, must try to beat Jacksonville with the pass. Parker is out and Davenport can't fill his shoes, as he showed last week," Sturgeon said.

Page 1, 2