PITTSBURGH at JACKSONVILLE

* Kickoff: 5:15 p.m.

* TV: Channel 7

* Records: Steelers 7-8; Jaguars 10-5

* Story line: The NFL and ABC executives probably figured this would be a battle for the AFC Central title when it was scheduled last spring. Instead, the Steelers are trying to salvage a .500 season and are out of playoff contention after losing a second time to the Cincinnati Bengals, and the division champion Jaguars are coming off a 50-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. It didn’t take any sting out of last Sunday night’s loss that the Jaguars went into the game knowing that they’d wrapped up the division title because the Tennessee Oilers had lost earlier in the day. “It was flat-out embarrassing,” linebacker Kevin Hardy said. “To be a playoff team and get beat, 50-10, doesn’t make any sense to me.” But the Jaguars realize this is hardly the time to put Mark Brunell at risk, and the quarterback is expected to rest his ankle sprain. Jonathon Quinn will start in his place. The Steelers are trying to make sense of their disappointing season. The Bengals, 1-13 against the rest of the league, made it a sweep of the Steelers with last week’s 25-24 victory. The Steelers have lost four in a row since they defeated the Jaguars, 30-15, Nov. 22 at Pittsburgh in a game in which Dewayne Washington returned two interceptions for touchdowns. The Jaguars are 6-1 at Jacksonville, but lost at home to the Oilers two weeks ago.

* Line: Jaguars by 3