JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers used to be the ultimate litmus test for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now, they're just another in a series of struggling teams on the schedule.

It's a turn of events that seems to trouble the Jaguars (10-1) as much as it does the Steelers, one that has left a strange emptiness to the short week leading to Thursday night's meeting between the AFC Central rivals.

"I don't know why they're having the kind of season they're having," said Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin, almost as if he were talking about an ailing relative. "That's a very proud, dignified franchise who is going through some growing pains. They've always been the team by which we've judged our own team. We've always used them as the benchmark."

This season, however, the Steelers haven't been anybody's gold standard.

They're 5-6, going through an awkward quarterback change that will have Mike Tomczak starting in place of Kordell Stewart. Stewart has become Slash again, a backup wide receiver with a $27 million contract.

Coach Bill Cowher's job future has become the source of daily speculation.

Meanwhile, mention of the playoffs, a yearly expectation in Pittsburgh, brings only empty comments about taking them one game at a time.

"All we're trying to do is get a win," running back Jerome Bettis said. "We can't really worry about the playoffs and all that, because it doesn't make a difference if you can't win a football game. We're just focusing on winning a football game."

Cowher concedes the atmosphere has been unusual.

"We've lost a lot of close football games and we're in a position that a lot of people around here have never been in before," he said. "The good thing about it is we're playing a game so quickly, we don't have a whole lot of time to sit there and dwell on anything."

The Jaguars are trying to keep the reasons they should fear the Steelers foremost in their minds.

-- They have the NFL's fifth-ranked defense.

-- They're trying to avoid their first sweep by Jacksonville in the five-year history of the rivalry.

-- Tomczak was effective, throwing for 264 yards and two touchdowns, when he entered in relief of Stewart last week in a 27-20 loss to the Bengals.

"That's a wounded animal, so you know they'll have some fire," said Jaguars receiver Keenan McCardell. "We know we're going to have to play a complete game to beat Pittsburgh. Nothing has changed for us. It's still Pittsburgh. We can't fall asleep on anybody down the stretch right now."

Indeed, one of the best motivators for the Jaguars is that they hold only a one-game advantage over the Tennessee Titans with five games remaining. Any slip, and the Jaguars know they're on the verge of becoming a wild-card team again despite their league-leading record.

"People keep saying, `You're 10-1, you're 10-1,"' McCardell said. "But 10-1 is just 10-1. It doesn't have an `x' by it or a `y' by it in the standings. We haven't clinched a division or anything else. So, it's nothing. We're still in a dogfight."

True, but the fight is being waged against the Titans, Colts, Dolphins and Seahawks this year. That leaves the Jaguars to mourn the loss -- at least temporarily -- of the rival they once tried to emulate.

PITTSBURGH Season schedule and results

JACKSONVILLE Season schedule and results

September 12 @Cleveland W 43-0 September 19 @Baltimore W 23-20 September 26 Seattle L 10-29 October 3 Jacksonville L 3-17 October 10 @Buffalo L 21-24 October 17 @Cincinnati W 17-3 October 25 Atlanta W 13-9 November 7 @San Francisco W 27-6 November 14 Cleveland L 15-16 November 21 @Tennessee L 10-16 November 28 Cincinnati L 20-27 December 2 @Jacksonville 8:20pm ET December 12 Baltimore 1:00pm ET December 18 @Kansas City 12:40pm ET December 26 Carolina 1:00pm ET January 2 Tennessee 4:15pm ET

September 12 San Francisco W 41-3 September 19 @Carolina W 22-20 September 26 Tennessee L 19-20 October 3 @Pittsburgh W 17-3 October 11 @NY Jets W 16-6 October 17 Cleveland W 24-7 October 31 @Cincinnati W 41-10 November 7 @Atlanta W 30-7 November 14 Baltimore W 6-3 November 21 New Orleans W 41-23 November 28 @Baltimore W 30-23 December 2 Pittsburgh 8:20pm ET December 13 Denver 9:00pm ET December 19 @Cleveland 1:00pm ET December 26 @Tennessee 1:00pm ET January 2 Cincinnati 1:00pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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