Leftwich: Steelers always a big deal to Jaguars

"I've already talked to him," Roethlisberger said. "The whole first (quarterbacks) meeting, I was asking him who he knows, what he knows, little tidbits about each guy. It's a big help to have him here."

Given how frequently the teams play and the detailed scouting reports, Leftwich wonders how big a help he can be unless he plays in Jacksonville.

"This is the third meeting (since December) and especially because they played in the playoffs, if you play a playoff game, the scouting is so great that you know just about everything about the opposing team," Leftwich said. "I'm quite sure I don't have anything top secret they don't already know."

What concerns the Steelers is playing another physical opponent so soon after losing right guard Kendall Simmons and first-round draft pick Rashard Mendenhall to season-ending injuries against Baltimore.

Until they added running backs Najeh Davenport and Gary Russell on Wednesday, the Steelers were down to one healthy running back.

"Back to back, that's what the schedule's put on us," wide receiver Hines Ward said. "We played Monday night and we've got to travel down to Jacksonville and it's going to be another physical game. We know it, but they know it as well."