Lamar Jackson’s terrible stats should give Steelers fans hope of beating Ravens

Lamar Jackson appears destined to win his third MVP award. The Baltimore Ravens signal-caller has one-upped his own greatness, putting together the best individual campaign of a decorated career.

All the numbers pop. Jackson has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns, with only four interceptions to stain a sterling resume. He also has 915 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, leading the NFL with 6.6 yards per carry.

The first-place Ravens won 12 games and put a nice cushion between themselves and the second-place Pittsburgh Steelers with a dominant 17-point victory in Week 16. Their reward? A bout with those very same Steelers in the Wild Card round, marking the third meeting between these teams in 2024.

All indicators favor Baltimore on paper. The Ravens were the better regular season team, especially late. Pittsburgh has lost four straight, with questions anew surrounding Russell Wilson's future as the starting QB in Steel City. All the momentum rests with Baltimore. All the stats. The narrative. It's all skewing toward the Ravens.

So, why is there so much hand-wringing over this Saturday's matchup? Well... let's just say history is on Pittsburgh's side.

Lamar Jackson's postseason history could spell doom in Ravens-Steelers

As Rich Eisen points out, Jackson's history — both against Pittsburgh and in the postseason at large — is deeply concerning. For all his regular season dominance, Jackson's impact has thus far been muted in the NFL Playoffs.

In his past MVP campaigns, Jackson has a combined record of 1-2 in the postseason. He has developed a reputation for untimely duds on this stage. It doesn't help that Jackson has a career record of 3-5 against Pittsburgh. We shouldn't necessarily let noisy stats from years ago impact our perception of current events, but a trend is a trend. Until Jackson presses deep into the playoffs and takes a trip to Disney World, folks will question his ability to perform under the bright lights.

Jackson boasts the largest win percentage differential between the regular season and postseason of any NFL quarterback since 1950. That is an especially damning stat. It's proof that regular season success does not inherently translate beyond the regular season. Nobody can question Jackson's raw talent, but when schemes tighten up and pressure mounts, Jackson has a maddening tendency to lay eggs.

The 2024 playoffs were a prime example of Jackson's capacity for soaring highs and sudden lows. He dominated Houston in the divisional round, but looked hapless in Baltimore's loss to Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game. Jackson completed 20-of-37 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown, but also threw an interception as the Ravens were held to 10 points in a 17-10 loss. It was a game of possessions and Jackson made too costly an error.

Pittsburgh, if nothing else, has an aggressive and well-oiled defensive machine. T.J. Watt and company are going to put pressure on Jackson in the pocket and force him to make decisions under duress. If he cannot come through, expect this negative postseason narrative to ramp up against Jackson. At a certain point, regular season awards offer diminishing returns without postseason success to back them up.