QB Lamar Jackson’s Steelers Problem: A Puzzle to Solve
As good as Lamar Jackson has been throughout his career, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been his Achilles heel.
Jackson is 1-3 against the Steelers while posting a 17-5 record against other AFC North teams in his seven-year career.
He’s thrown seven interceptions and just four touchdowns against Pittsburgh, the only team in which he has more picks than touchdowns against.
Ahead of their meeting on Sunday, Jackson had no explanation for his woes against the Steelers.
“I don’t know what it is, man,” he said, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. “Last year, we [were] supposed to [beat] them, but things just didn’t go our way; the football gods weren’t on our side. But it’s a whole other year, it’s a new year, [and] I’m looking forward to the game.”
Jackson’s only win against Pittsburgh came in 2019 despite that matchup being arguably his worst performance as he threw for 161 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. Since then, he’s lost three straight meetings.
Despite his record against the Steelers, Jackson doesn’t treat the game differently than he would any other matchup.
“I hate every team in the league when I’m going against them,” Jackson said, per Hensley. “I don’t have [any] heart for a team when I’m going against them — I’m trying to win — because they don’t have a heart for me, when they’re going against me. Probably, after the game, it’s all love, but on that field, no.”
As he reflected on teams he struggled against, Jackson recalled his days in youth football and said he still has hard feelings for certain teams.
“Fort Lauderdale Vikings. I hated ’em. I still hate ’em,” he said, per the Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker.
“All I can think about is the games we lost against ’em….(laughing) I don’t want my child to play for Fort Lauderdale.”
Last year’s meeting was a 17-10 loss in which Jackson threw for 236 yards and an interception. The Ravens and Steelers met again in January last season, but Jackson didn’t play with Baltimore having already decided its playoff fate.
Jackson, in the midst of another MVP-caliber season, is coming off an outstanding game against the Cincinnati Bengals where he threw for 290 yards and four touchdowns. He’ll look to carry that momentum into Sunday’s meeting and finally shake his struggles against the Steelers.
