The blueprint for slowing down the Baltimore Ravens has never been a mystery: make Lamar Jackson uncomfortable, muddy his reads, and shrink the pocket around him. More often than not, that’s enough to come out on top. Former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch is leaning on that same truth as the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare for Sunday.
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“They have to stop Lamar Jackson. He looks like he’s battling something, whether that something is a hamstring injury. He doesn’t look himself. Some of the plays that he’s been able to get out of, he’s not doing that consistently now. We’re gonna figure that out. They have to get after Lamar Jackson,” he said.
@CharlieBatch16 says it is KEY that the #Steelers defense is able to stop Lamar Jackson on Sunday. What do you hope to see from the team this week? #HereWeGo Presented by @FanDuel fanduel.com/pa
It’s obvious Jackson isn’t operating at full strength. And if there’s ever a week to take advantage of that, this is it. His early-season burst, the stretch where he kept an injury-riddled roster afloat almost by himself, has faded.
The Ravens are healthier now, but Jackson has cooled. Just rewind to last week’s loss to Cincinnati. He threw for 246 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception, and never looked settled. He missed open throws, put a few up for grabs, and was responsible for three of Baltimore’s five turnovers.
So, Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh will have chances. Baltimore’s offensive line, once one of its quiet strengths, has been leaky most of the year. Last week was more of the same. The quarterback was sacked three times, spent most of the evening under pressure, and bailed from pockets that never had much shape to begin with. His sack total is up to 27 this season.
The Steelers, for all their issues, still have a pass rush that can tilt a game. They’re ninth in the league with 34 sacks, and they have enough on the edges to make Jackson’s night uncomfortable, especially when he’s dealing with injuries left and right.
Lamar Jackson is banged up
It’s been a tough run for Lamar Jackson. The Ravens are trying to piece together another late-season push now that their defense finally looks whole again, but their quarterback doesn’t resemble the player who opened the year playing as well as anyone in football. A lot of that traces back to the steady string of injuries he’s been trying to fight his way through.
Jackson won’t get a full practice week before Sunday’s divisional game against the Steelers, which could decide first place in the AFC North. He managed limited work on Wednesday, then sat out Thursday with an ankle issue. He was back out there Friday, but the picture hasn’t changed much: he’s clearly feeling it.
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The ankle is only part of the story. He’s been dealing with toe and knee problems, too, on top of the hamstring injury that cost him three weeks earlier in the season. It’s been one thing after another, and eventually it shows up in the way a quarterback plays. We’ve seen that over the past month.
Jackson opened the season looking as sharp as he ever has: 722 yards, nine touchdowns, and no interceptions through the first three games. But after a rough stretch of injuries, his production has dipped.
The Ravens’ ceiling goes as far as Lamar can take them, and that requires him to be close to full strength. Playing through pain is admirable. It’s just not a recipe for their best version of football.