Mike Tomlin spit the truth about Lamar Jackson after the Steelers beat Baltimore
Jackson was arguably why the Steelers were even in this game to begin with, as the Ravens dominated Pittsburgh well into the third quarter. Yet, it was a pick-6 that got the Steelers on the board, and another interception that gave them the ball in the red zone to but into a then-10 point Baltimore lead.
The Steelers were given enough chances to wake up offensively that, eventually, they did. Baltimore couldn’t recover defensively, and all because Jackson gave Pittsburgh free points on two careless decisions. Inherently, Tomlin knows his defense can beat Jackson despite his former MVP status, but it’s rare for the coach to actually say what he’s thinking at the postgame presser.
Tomlin felt bold after beating the Ravens in Week 8
Mike Tomlin on Lamar Jackson: "We have respect for him, but we don't fear him."
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) November 1, 2020
Of course, Tomlin and the Steelers respect every player in the NFL. But to not fear, or at the very least stress over, a player on Jackson’s caliber speaks to the confidence the Steelers have in their defensive gameplan against Lamar.
By saying he doesn’t fear Jackson, Tomlin is saying what most NFL coaches have long thought of his abilities. Jackson is elite on the ground, but in sure passing situations he can be inaccurate at times. The Steelers succeeded on Sunday by putting the Ravens in third-and-long, sure passing situations. Jackson is unfamiliar with these given Baltimore’s high-volume rushing scheme under the play-calling of Greg Roman. Beating the Ravens isn’t so simple, but if Pittsburgh can, eventually, stop the run, it makes Jackson uncomfortable.
Tomlin is confident in his group’s ability to do just that, so much so that he’s not remotely afraid of Jackson, even just one day removed from Halloween.