We have seen the dual-threat quarterback take the league by storm over the years, striking fear into opposing defenses with their arm as well as their legs as a runner. Guys like Randall Cunningham, Steve McNair, and Michael Vick revolutionized the game, making the mobile quarterback more of the norm in professional football than the traditional pocket passer.
And then… Lamar Jackson showed up.
Jackson got drafted by the Baltimore Ravens with the last pick of the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft and has become an NFL icon thanks to his prowess as both a passer and a runner. He won the NFL MVP in his second season when he threw for over 3,000 yards and rushed for over 1,000 yards and amassed 43 total touchdowns, becoming the ideal dual-threat quarterback. He’s rushed for 4,657 yards and 28 touchdowns since coming into the league, being a threat to take it the distance with his legs as a runner as much as with his arm, having the arm strength to stretch defenses vertically down the field.
Jackson is what makes Baltimore’s offense go, and Pittsburgh is preparing to keep him bottled up in the pocket to prevent him from escaping and making magic happen with his arm or his legs.
“He’s a dangerous guy,” outside linebacker Alex Highsmith said to the media Friday via video from TribLive’s Chris Adamski’s Twitter page. “He’ll get after you with the pass and the run. So, you just gotta be aggressive and I think that’s something for us that we just always want to be aggressive in this matchup with him because you know he’s one of the most dangerous players in the league, so we really have to get after him.”
Jackson is one of the most dynamic players in all of football, but the Steelers have done a good job when they’ve faced him thus far in his career. Jackson is 1-3 against Pittsburgh in his career and recorded middling stats, having completed just 59.6% of his passes for 634 yards and four touchdowns to six interceptions, having taken 16 sacks, according to Statmuse. Still, Pittsburgh’s defense has been shaky, at best this season, especially against the run. That means the defense must be on its A game as Jackson and the Ravens smell blood in the water heading into Sunday’s matchup.
“You gotta do your job with him and be able to contain him and make sure that he isn’t able to make those big splash plays like he’s always making,” outside linebacker Golden said to the media via video from Chris Adamski’s Twitter page.
Pittsburgh hasn’t played well against the run to start 2023, allowing three of the four teams it has faced to rush for over 130 yards on the ground. They’ve struggled against the pass as well, having the likes of Brandon Aiyuk, Davante Adams, and Nico Collins torch them through the air. Jackson looks to have an assortment of weapons at his disposal in the passing game, including TE Mark Andrews and WRs Zay Flowers, Odell Beckham Jr., and Rashod Bateman. Still, Pittsburgh’s best bet is to keep Jackson in the pocket and prevent him from getting out to extend plays as a passer or gut the defense himself with his speed.
