Dan Orlovsky Expects Steelers to Attack Lamar Jackson the Same Way They Did Jayden Daniels
The NFL is once again trying to figure out how to defend Lamar Jackson, who has solved the riddles pundits (and coaches) previously put before him.
If there's one team that has been able to consistently keep Jackson in check, it's the Pittsburgh Steelers, who Jackson has lost to three times in his four starts. Jackson's 66.8 passer rating against the Steelers is the lowest of any team he's faced.
The Steelers did a good job of containing quarterback Jayden Daniels in their win over the Washington Commanders last week, and ESPN's Dan Orlovksy expects Pittsburgh's defense to take a similar approach against Jackson Sunday.
"I think a lot of those elements that we saw last week are because of Lamar Jackson, and I would expect offensively Baltimore to see the same stuff," Orlovsky said.
Former Ravens inside linebacker Patrick Queen played an integral role in the Steelers' success against Daniels, who was held to 202 yards passing, five yards rushing, no touchdowns, and season-lows in completion percentage (50.0) and quarterback rating (68.3).
"They present a four-man front and then bring it as a five-man front, and the real addition is Patrick Queen," Orlovsky said.
Ravens cornerback Arthur Maulet, who faced Jackson when he was playing for Pittsburgh, said he has a good idea of how his former team will defend Jackson.
"They're going to put a person at the dive and they're going to run a person straight at Lamar," Maulet said. "And they're going to make him make a decision. So that's their gameplan. One person goes to Lamar, one person goes to the dive and RPO. ... Maybe they change [it] a little bit, I ain't been there in a while. [Jackson] can throw way better now. And he lost a little weight."
Pundit Believes Steelers to Win AFC North Showdown More Than Ravens
This Sunday's showdown between the Ravens and Steelers for first place in the AFC North is obviously a big game for both teams, but "Good Morning Football's" Peter Schrager believes Pittsburgh needs the win more.
"I think Pittsburgh is enjoying this nice ride right now, but they haven't even played a team in their division," Schrager said. "So when the playoffs come, they don't look at who had great wins in October and November and who is dramatic against those NFC teams, a lot of it is what'd you do in your division.
"For the Steelers to jump out in Week 11 and get a 1-0 lead in that division, and it's almost like two games because you know it's going to be these two teams at the end jockeying for that home playoff game. … If the Steelers were to do all this and then start off 0-1 in the division, I don't think that's a great look."
Schrager makes a valid point, but a strong case can be made that it's the Ravens who need the win more.
A loss in Pittsburgh would put the Ravens (7-3) a game-and-a-half behind the Steelers (7-2), who also would own the head-to-head tiebreaker heading into the Week 16 rematch in Baltimore. Additionally, the Ravens would fall to 4-4 in the AFC, while Pittsburgh would improve to 5-1 in the conference.
On a side note, NFL Network analytics expert Cynthia Frelund projected the Ravens to capture the AFC North title. Her win-total projections were 11.9 for the Ravens and 11.0 for the Steelers.
Looking at How Jackson Has Topped His MVP Seasons
With Jackson playing at a higher level than he did in his MVP award-winning seasons (2019, 2023), The Baltimore Banner's Jonas Shaffer took an in-depth look at how he has improved this year.
"His well-rounded development since last year has turned him into one of the NFL's most productive passers (2,669 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and two interceptions) in almost every scenario imaginable," Shaffer wrote.
Here are some of Shaffer's takeaways:
Throw types
"Jackson can make every kind of throw. Need something quick? The Ravens' rejuvenated screen game has been one of the NFL's best, and Jackson's EPA per attempt on throws delivered in 2.5 seconds or less this season ranks as the highest for a qualifying quarterback since 2020. He's also in the 100th percentile on short throws (0 to 9 yards downfield).
"Need to wait for something to develop? That's fine, too. The elusive Jackson ranks in the 96th percentile on pass attempts coming at least four seconds after the snap and in the 62nd percentile on passes of at least 20 air yards. Need something near the sideline? Jackson has the arm strength and accuracy to help. He's in the 100th percentile on throws outside the numbers, all while remaining as ruthless as ever over the middle. (Yes, he's in the 100th percentile on throws between the numbers, too.)"
Game situations
"It doesn't matter where Jackson finds himself. He's found ways to make the Ravens' passing game work. On throws from inside the pocket, he's in the 100th percentile among qualifying quarterbacks since 2020, up from the 48th last year. On throws inside the red zone, he's in the 99th percentile, up from the 60th last year.
"Play-action remains a cheat code for Jackson (100th percentile), but now he's elite on drop-backs without run fakes, too (100th percentile). The arrival of running back Derrick Henry has also juiced the Ravens' under-center passing attack, lifting Jackson's EPA per attempt from the 80th percentile to the 93rd."
Lack of Postseason Success Doesn't Diminish Greatness of Jackson and T.J. Watt
Jackson and Steelers inside linebacker T.J. Watt are arguably the best players in the league at their positions, but neither has been to a Super Bowl. Jackson is 2-4 in the postseason and Watt is 0-4.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Joe Starkey said it does not diminish either player's greatness.
"Jackson has more impact on games than Watt because he plays the most impactful position, and that is why he absorbs so much criticism for playoff failures. And I'm sure he'd be the first to admit that he has fallen short in the biggest games of his career," Starkey wrote. "But he's still only 27, and, well ... have you seen him play? You can't take your eyes off him. It reminds me of Michael Jordan or the guy I stayed up until 1 a.m. Tuesday watching (and didn't regret it) — Steph Curry. Every time athletes like that touch the ball, a lifetime memory might ensue.
"Jackson is basically Shohei Ohtani, back when Ohtani was pitching and hitting. Not only does he lead the NFL in passer rating by a full 15 points (the Nos. 2-10 quarterbacks are separated by just six), with 24 touchdown passes against two interceptions, but he's on pace to rush for 915 yards — which would be the seventh-most all-time by a quarterback. Jackson already holds spots No. 1, 4 and 9. It's ridiculous, really, and the same could be said of Watt, who might be the NFL's most important non-quarterback. I could bore you with numbers. Suffice to say that the Steelers almost always lose when he doesn't play and usually win when he does."
Rob Gronkowski Says Ravens-Steelers Is Still NFL's Biggest Rivalry
There's been talk in recent years that the Ravens-Steelers rivalry has lost its luster, but former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski isn't buying it.
"These two are going to be ripping and clawing like they always have. This is probably the biggest rivalry in all of football right now," Gronkowski said on FanDuel TV's "Up & Adams."
Sunday's game between the Kansas City Chiefs (9-0) and Buffalo Bills (8-2) is being called the game of the year, but Gronkowski said the Ravens-Steelers game is just as big.
"I think we got two of the biggest games this weekend out of the whole year," Gronkowski said. "The Ravens at Steelers – it's always going to be a dogfight, there's no doubt about that. The Pittsburgh Steelers fans are going to be waving that Terrible Towel, they're going to be screaming every second, and it's going to go down to the wire."
