After struggling against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the past, Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson looked like his usual MVP-candidate self Saturday evening. Throwing for three touchdowns in a 34-17 victory, Jackson had nearly the same number of scores as he did in his previous five starts against the Steelers (five).
Today, we’ll break down the film of those three scores.
1. Isaiah Likely Touchdown
A really nice scheme here. Unbalanced formation with LT Ronnie Stanley aligned to the right side. Few teams use unbalanced and funky o-line looks like John Harbaugh and the Ravens. Fake the toss to really sell run, another effective weapon for Baltimore down near the goal line.
In a 3×1 formation with FIB (formation in boundary), the Ravens stress the Steelers’ defense to that side. Switch release with No. 3, TE Isaiah Likely, running the wheel as No. 1 on the outside, WR Tylan Wallace, running the post, as RB Derrick Henry takes the flat. Four out in the pattern with a run-fake.
FS Minkah Fitzpatrick gets his eyes caught in the backfield while LB Patrick Queen gets picked by the seam route of WR Zay Flowers. Likely gets wide open and it’s pitch-and-catch.
Below is the play from an aerial view. Slight choppiness as I cut around Tom Brady’s telestration.
Who is at fault? It’s hard to say with certainty. Obviously, Fitzpatrick gets caught in no man’s land though Queen’s movement made me initially think he was trying to carry Likely. You can see him start to get depth right before getting pick as if he was going to match Likely upfield.
These busts and stressors are hard to know for sure and what the Steelers’ rules are. But they were clearly one-step behind and the Raven scored with ease.
2. Rashod Bateman Touchdown
Another scheme win here out of a 2×2 formation with the Ravens running a smash concept. A hi-lo combination of a curl and corner route designed to beat Cover 2, which is exactly what the Steelers are running here. It’s an inverted look but Cover 2 the same.
To the bottom, CB Cory Trice Jr., who had replaced the injured Joey Porter Jr., has the flat. Damontae Kazee, the safety to his side, has the deep half. The curl route from Likely keeps Trice in underneath, stressing Kazee to try and match the corner route. He’s out-leveraged and has to rally to take the correct angle and recover.
Jackson makes a pinpoint throw and hits Bateman in the back left corner with Kazee trailing. Touchdown.
Trice did his job, but you have to understand the down/distance. It’s 3rd and 8. You can get a little more depth and feel/squeeze that corner route to encourage the underneath throw to Likely short of the sticks. Easier to rally downhill than stop anything over your head.
That made life tough on Kazee. Great scheme here from Baltimore with the perfect call against the look they assumed they would get while taking advantage of a young corner like Trice playing things “by the book.”
3. Mark Andrews Touchdown
Final score from Jackson. Just a coverage bust as the Steelers can’t communicate the motion. WR Zay Flowers coming across to make this 2×2 formation 3×1. CB Cam Sutton follows, and on the snap, Minkah Fitzpatrick points and tries to communicate who should take TE Mark Andrews and who should take Flowers.
But both players end up taking Flowers. It leaves Andrews open underneath the goal posts for the touchdown. Another easy throw from Jackson to Andrews.
Also, nice job by Jackson to move FS Damontae Kazee, looking left and then coming back to right. I think he was checking the 1v1 to the top against Trice and wasn’t deliberately looking Kazee off, but it moved him all the same. Ideally, Kazee stays at home because he’s not defending that fade ball but he’s not the main issue here.
Sutton thought he was travelling with Flowers the whole way. Fitzpatrick was trying to get him to pass off. They didn’t communicate on the fly, and it cost them a touchdown. Pittsburgh’s road communication issues continue.
Overall, the Ravens schemed things up nicely on their first two scores. On the third, the Steelers screwed things up. Pittsburgh’s injuries and Baltimore’s game plan combined for Jackson’s best day, giving the Ravens a real chance to win the North.
