For just the second time in his career, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has beaten the Steelers. And this time, he actually did it against a starting quarterback, rather than a backup’s backup. Yes, Jackson outgunned Russell Wilson, but he had plenty of ammunition.
Despite the fact that Jackson has shown immense strides as a passer, the Steelers still wanted him to throw. Not that that even isn’t the plan—failing that, the other team is running the ball on you. But the Steelers also allowed Derrick Henry to run all over them, so their plan failed.
“I think the recipe is just, we’re not getting off in time. Three-and-outs are big for us. Turnovers are big for us”, Cameron Heyward said of the Steelers’ game plan failing against the Ravens, via the team’s website. “We didn’t make a lot of plays to make them one-dimensional. We didn’t create an atmosphere where it was tougher for Lamar [Jackson]. They played four-minute football in the third quarter. When you do that, you don’t really have control of the game”.
Nothing went particular well for the Steelers, who never forced the Ravens to go three and out. The only time the Steelers ended a Ravens drive without a first down was when they were in Victory Formation. On every other drive, Lamar Jackson and company picked up at least one first down, and typically more. On nine competitive drives, the Steelers allowed at least 35 yards seven times.
As an offense, the Ravens rushed for 220 yards, Derrick Henry accounting for 162 on 22 carries. Lamar Jackson only had 22 rushing yards, despite being on the cusp of NFL history. In all, the Steelers allowed nearly six yards per rush.
As for Jackson, he went 15-of-23 passing for 207 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. The interception was really his lone blemish, otherwise averaging nine yards per attempt. The Steelers helped him by blowing some coverages, but Jackson hasn’t thrown 37 touchdown passes and counting by accident this year.
The Ravens have the best, or at least the highest-scoring, offense in the NFL this season. Last time, the Steelers held Jackson and company to under 20 points. They were nearly unique in that feat for the past couple years, but the dam broke yesterday.
Of course, the reality is the Steelers didn’t even get to put the ball in Lamar Jackson’s hands. In a game in which the Ravens ran 62 plays, Jackson only threw 23 times. He only took one sack, and only a few of his nine rushes were scrambles.
But the Steelers couldn’t stop Derrick Henry, so the Ravens didn’t even need Jackson to beat them. Frankly, he could have, even considering his career history. And that’s even more concerning if they have to play him again in the postseason.
