The Baltimore Ravens have road victories against the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals as they head into their week five matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. A win on Sunday would mean three wins on the road in the division and a leg up on all of their competition. Talk about being in the driver's seat.
Still, every Baltimore Ravens fan knows that this means it will be a tough duel against the Steelers, a team known to play spoiler. What do the Ravens have to do to avoid heartbreak?
3. Lamar Jackson must play better against the Pittsburgh Steelers
Lamar Jackson has not played against the Pittsburgh Steelers very often. He missed three games due to injury, one game due to a positive COVID test, one game because the Ravens already clinched the division conference.
So, it has left him playing in just three games as a starter for the Ravens. Still, he is 1-2, which is disappointing. Jackson has just four touchdowns to six interceptions against the Steelers, too. Even in his win, he threw three interceptions, and the Ravens needed overtime and a turnover from Marlon Humphrey to walk away with a win.
On the flip side, Jackson is 14-3 against the Bengals and Browns, and that comes with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has more interceptions in three games against the Steelers than in nine games against the Bengals. There is something about this rivalry that brings out the fierceness, and Jackson has yet to show that he can beat the Steelers.
So, for the Ravens to knock off the Bengals and Browns is not a shocking development. A third division win being the Steelers, and it being Lamar Jackson getting the start to do it has been a harder feat.