The Baltimore Ravens are ruling the AFC North, and now they are about to face the team that shares the spot with them. Yep, it’s the Pittsburgh Steelers whose defense allowed a horrifying 249 rushing yards to the Buffalo Bills last week. Yet, former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger believes the Steelers’ entire plan should focus on stopping quarterback Lamar Jackson by shutting down the run at any cost.

“Lamar, beat us with your arm,” he said via Steelers Depot’s post on X. “We’re gonna put nine guys in the box. We are going to make sure that you do not run for 100 yards. Go into this saying, no, Lamar has to beat us with his arm. It has to, like that is our mindset. We are shutting down the run.”

Roethlisberger revealed his candid thoughts on how he would have countered Lamar Jackson’s offense. In addition, the former NFL player thinks that the Steelers’ strategy to beat the Ravens should be making them predictable. The team that has won six Super Bowls has demonstrated a strong run defense in various games this season. 

It’ll be difficult to stop the Ravens’ offense, especially with both Derrick Henry and Jackson playing for them. Henry is still perilous, even if he’s not the powerhouse he once was. This year, he has 931 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, so any defense that doesn’t watch out will suffer. 

As for Lamar Jackson, things have been tough as he reels through his career-worst slump. Over his last four games, the QB hasn’t gone above a completion rate of 58.6 percent. Moreover, he has thrown only one touchdown and committed six turnovers. His game against the Cincinnati Bengals raised serious alarms when he completed just 53.1 percent of his passes and got sacked three times. 

His injuries and inconsistency have clearly slowed him down. And that’s why Ben’s strategy might make sense. Now, we wonder if the Steelers can actually pull off this plan? Meanwhile, the Steelers legend couldn’t resist bashing head coach Mike Tomlin. 

After the Lamar Jackson plan, Roethlisberger targets Tomlin

The Steelers may be on top of their division, but their season has undoubtedly taken a wild turn after their strong 4–1 start. Now, the frustration finally reached a boiling point after their home loss to the Bills. The crowd at Acrisure Stadium booed loudly and even chanted “Fire Tomlin!” as the franchise dropped to 6–6. On Tuesday, Roethlisberger didn’t hold back and joined the voices calling for big change while speaking on his Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger podcast. 

“Maybe it’s a clean-house time. Maybe it’s time,” he said. “I like Coach Tomlin. I have a lot of respect for Coach Tomlin, but maybe it’s best for him, too. Maybe a fresh start for him is what’s best.”

Additionally, Roethlisberger said Tomlin could be a perfect match for coaching the Penn State football team. He thinks he would win “national championships” because of his leadership and recruiting skills. Still, the former QB doesn’t want the Steelers to fire the coach right away.  

Rather, he proposed that the two parties reach a peaceful “agreement” to end his lengthy tenure. Though Tomlin has led the team to 189 regular-season wins, they haven’t won the AFC North since 2020. Pittsburgh hasn’t tasted playoff victory since 2017. If the Steelers don’t manage to neutralize Lamar Jackson’s team, their hopes for division leadership will be dashed. With the pressure rising, Tomlin’s job security is under enormous threat.