The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers locked horns in a classic AFC North matchup on Sunday. Pittsburgh won 18-16, extending their division lead to 1.5 games. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense could not move the ball for most of the game but scored a touchdown in the final minutes that could have tied the game. The two-point conversion was a disaster, leading many to believe what the play call was. Jackson told reporters after the game what the play call was.
Jackson rolled out to his left and could not find a hole. He appeared to abandon the run and fling the ball to an open receiver. No one was available and the ball fell incomplete. The Steelers picked up a first down to seal the victory. While Jackson has been spectacular this season, his MVP candidacy took a big hit on Sunday.
This is the fourth loss of the season for the Ravens, a surprisingly high amount for a team talked about among Super Bowl contenders. They fell to the Chiefs and Raiders early in the season and the Browns just a few weeks back. Jackson spoke about the similarities between those losses.
“We can’t be beating ourselves in these types of game[s]. We’ve got to fix that.,” Jeff Zrebeic of The Athletic posted.
The Ravens must fix issues before the playoffs
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The main criticism of Lamar Jackson's career is that the Ravens have faltered in the playoffs with him under center. While they have had great regular seasons, they have not won the AFC in his career. Last season was the ultimate example, as they had the Championship Game at home but could not contain Travis Kelce and the Chiefs. This season must be different.
The Ravens picked up Derrick Henry to help them close games out in the fourth quarter. After a Hall-of-Fame career with the Titans, Henry has scored in his first 11 games as a Raven. The Steelers were the first team since the Chiefs in Week 1 to hold him under 70 total yards after his 65-yard performance.
The key to beating Baltimore is beating Henry. While that is easier said than done, the great teams in the AFC have been able to do it this season. Henry and the Ravens must figure out how to beat the elite defenses in their conference before January comes around. They have an opportunity against this Steelers team at home in Week 16.
