Last Sunday, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin showed his respect for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson by referring to him as “Mr. Jackson,” a nod to the two-time NFL MVP’s accomplishments. However, the Ravens faced a tough challenge as they fell to the Steelers 18-16, further widening the gap at the top of the AFC North. This loss marked Jackson’s disappointing record against the Steelers, now standing at 1-4.
Jackson expressed his confusion over his team’s struggles against their long-time rivals, saying, “I can’t call it. I can’t call it. It felt like we were taking strides in the right direction, and something happens.” In the match, he completed 16 passes out of 33 attempts for 207 yards, tallying one touchdown and one interception. With the game on the line and just over a minute left, Jackson made a desperate play for a two-point conversion, which ultimately fell short.
Historically, Jackson has faced difficulties against Pittsburgh, having thrown eight interceptions in five games, juxtaposed with only five touchdown passes. Despite his team averaging 6.1 yards per play compared to Pittsburgh’s 4.1, the Steelers capitalized on a plus-three turnover margin and maintained a time of possession advantage of 36:23, allowing them to grind out the victory.
Jackson acknowledged that controlling possession and avoiding turnovers are key in these tightly contested matchups, stating, “It’s the (team) who has more possession of the ball and keeping it safe… We didn’t do a good job of that.”
Penalties plagued the Ravens, who lead the league with 92 and had 12 flags for 80 yards against the Steelers. Jackson pointed out the need for smarter play, while head coach John Harbaugh echoed this sentiment, noting that penalties pushed the team into challenging situations throughout the game.
For the Steelers, kicker Chris Boswell stood out by successfully making six field goals, while Baltimore’s Justin Tucker struggled, missing two crucial kicks in the first quarter. Harbaugh addressed Tucker’s performance, emphasizing the need for consistency as they move forward in the season.
As both teams regroup, the Ravens will look to overcome their penalty issues and improve their performance against rivals, while the Steelers continue to build momentum in their pursuit of postseason success. This match served as a reminder that even the strongest teams can face challenges, and both squads have the resilience to turn things around in the upcoming games.
In summary, the Steelers’ victory highlighted the importance of discipline and execution, as well as the challenges that come with rivalry games. Moving forward, it will be essential for both teams to focus on refining their strategies to find continued success on the field.