Lamar Jackson has received the identical variety of playoff video games as NFL MVP trophies: two.
An absence of postseason victories is more and more a difficulty for the Ravens star quarterback, who’s seeking to change the narrative when AFC No 3 seeds Baltimore host the No 6 ranked Pittsburgh Steelers within the Wild Card spherical on Saturday evening – reside on Sky Sports activities NFL from 1am, Sunday morning.
Jackson owns a 2-4 file within the playoffs, having thrown six interceptions and fumbled six instances (three of which have been recovered by the opposition) within the postseason. He has thrown for six touchdowns and rushed for 3 scores in his playoff profession.
The 28-year-old has admitted he must be extra relaxed. “I’m just too excited, that’s all. Too antsy,” Jackson instructed reporters this week of his playoff troubles.
“This is a narrative until it goes away,” Sky Sports activities’ Neil Reynolds stated, reacting to Jackson’s feedback on the newest episode of the Inside The Huddle Podcast.
“He’s 2-4 in the playoffs, with a quarterback rating of 75.7, while his regular season rating for his career is 101.9. And now he’s basically admitted that it has got in his head a little bit. I’ll be watching Lamar quite closely early on in this game.”
Former NFL assistant coach with the Buffalo Payments, Phoebe Schecter added: “These clips will likely be being performed in Steelers conferences this week, displaying ‘look, he is afraid’.
“He has kind of done himself a disservice there, because that’s going to be ammo for the Steelers team, and he’s also missing his star receiver in Zay Flowers, which is a huge part of this.”
One participant who might come to the rescue for the Ravens is star operating again Derrick Henry.
In his first season with the group, Henry rushed for 1,921 yards, second within the NFL, and 16 touchdowns, tied for first. He has performed in seven postseason video games, serving to the Tennessee Titans attain the AFC Championship Sport within the 2019 season earlier than they misplaced to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
How the Steelers protection holds up towards each Jackson and Henry may very well be the important thing to the competition.
“The Steelers do a really great job of containing Lamar,” Schecter added. “They’ve got very disciplined guys on the defensive line, a big veteran presence.
“They perceive what they should do to maintain him within the pocket and, if they will do this, they will restrict what Derrick Henry is ready to do to you, as a result of they’ve these bodily linebackers which are capable of carry them down and play in house.”
Saturday’s meeting is the fifth all time in the postseason between the teams. Pittsburgh have won three of the previous four, but the Ravens prevailed in the most recent playoff matchup, 30-17 in the Wild Card round 10 years ago.
This season, the Ravens (12-5) and Steelers (10-7) break up their two regular-season conferences, with every group profitable at house.
Pittsburgh captured the primary recreation 18-16 behind six discipline targets from Chris Boswell on November 17. Within the rematch on December 21, Jackson threw three landing passes and Henry rushed for 162 yards in Baltimore’s 34-17 triumph, which shaped a part of a four-game Pittsburgh dropping streak to finish the season.
“On face value, this game is punishment for the Steelers for losing four in a row, having to go to Baltimore,” Reynolds added. “But it’s also a team they’re very familiar with and one they’ve beaten already this season.
“Even the sport that Baltimore received simply earlier than Christmas, it was 17-17 fairly late within the second half earlier than Baltimore pulled away.
“I do think Baltimore win this game, but I’m not sure it’s as straightforward as the seedings and the recent form would suggest.”
Watch the Baltimore Ravens host the Pittsburgh Steelers within the Wild Card spherical of the NFL postseason, reside on Sky Sports activities NFL at 1am, Sunday morning; stream with NOW.