Pittsburgh Steelers 42 Jacksonville Jaguars 45: Leonard Fournette bags three touchdowns as Jags stun Steelers in epic AFC showdown
After scoring just 10 last week against the Bills, Blake Bortles and rookie Fournette tear the Steelers apart at Heinz Field
ROOKIE Leonard Fournette put in a stunning performance as Jacksonville Jaguars pulled off a shock 42-45 playoff win at Heinz Field.
Coming into the game with the NFL's No2 ranked-defence, the Jags were written off despite beating the Steelers here 30-9 way back in Week 5.
And the game was billed as a revenge mission for Big Ben and Co, who were heavy favourites to advance to the Conference Championships.
The Jaguars made a stunning start right out the blocks, as Bortles drove them downfield with 58 yards on the opening drive - more than he managed in the entire first half last week against the Bills.
Clearly full of confidence and with a pumped up Fournette, the unfancied visitors drove in a 1-yard TD to rock Heinz Field, before quickly imposing yet another error on Big Ben.
Roethlisberger threw five picks here in that Week 5 defeat - and was at it again as Myles Jack stole a number on Antonio Brown to give the Jags superb field position.
They didn't waste it, with Fournette needing just one play to gash through the defensive line and score his second touchdown of the game.
The home support was stunned - but there was more to come as TJ Yeldon made it 21-0 just minutes later after another Fournette inspired drive, walking through for a 3-yard score.
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Brown - only passed fit at the eleventh hour - had been quiet in the early exchanges, but got the Steelers back in the game with a remarkable one-handed catch in the end-zone as one of the great double-acts in football finally started to fire.
But never discount this Jags D - who responded to briefly losing Fournette to injury by blitzing Roethlisberger and allowing Telvin Smith to scamper for a 50-yard touchdown.
With a near mutiny on his hands, Big Ben had one more ace up his sleeve before the break, tossing a magnificent 36-yard TD to Martavis Bryant on fourth down, sending the Jags in with a 28-14 lead at the half.
Roethlisberger came out for the second half fighting, completing FOURTEEN straight passes, which including a wonderful 17-yard touchdown to Bell.
After a period of the sides failing to find first-downs, Blake Bortles finally brought himself to the party just as the momentum looked to be changing.
A magic 45-yard through to Keelan Cole allowed Fournette a chance for his hat-trick - which he took with predictable aplomb.
Still the touchdown trading continued, as Brown took another exceptional catch before Tommy Bohanon looked to have wrapped it up with a seven-yard grab.
But once again, the Steelers made it a nervy finish as Big Ben threw his fourth TD of the night with a clever toss to Bell.
Going into the final two minutes and in Steelers territory, the Jags worked the clock and presented Jake Lambo with the chance to make it safe.
He obliged from 45 yards - and wrapped up one of the best playoff games of recent years.
Juju Smith-Schuster added a score in the final four seconds, but it was met with an eerie silence from the stunned Heinz Field crowd.