Ravens' Lamar Jackson Must Avoid Massive Letdown

The Baltimore Ravens cannot go into next week with bigger questions.

Oct 8, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball as Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers T.J. Watt (90) and Alex Highsmith (56) chase during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Lamar Jackson has the Baltimore Ravens offense humming and looks to be the favorite for his third MVP this season. But one regular season opponent continues to loom over his legacy, and with everyone predicting a Ravens victory, this could be another blow to his name.

Jackson has critics despite being one of the NFL's best players over the last seven seasons. Winning two MVP awards will buy you plenty of supporters, but the Ravens quarterback still has those who point out his flaws more than his heroics.

Winning a Super Bowl is the biggest checkmark, but not the first. Jackson has plenty of critics when it comes to his inability to pull it off in January. But some still bring up his 2-4 record against the Pittsburgh Steelers. And the Ravens being heavily favored around the league to pull it off in Week 11 could lead to some major question marks if they lose.

The Ravens remain a top five team in most power rankings, and there are plenty of analysts not even giving the Steelers a shot to pull off a victory.

"I think Baltimore puts a beatdown on them. I just think this is such an outclass in talent. Russell Wilson would have to recapture his early days in Seattle to match the offensive Baltimore’s gonna put on them," Craig Carton said on Breakfast Ball.

This is no Super Bowl loss or Lamar Jackson never pulling off big wins in January. This is simply, can he flip the script on Pittsburgh before everyone begins believing he's never going to beat them consistently?

The Steelers are on a four-game winning streak and hold a lead in the AFC North, and they're still underdogs. But with big expectations come big letdowns. Jackson needs to make sure that does not happen before next week's headlines are filled with questions about how good the Baltimore Ravens really are.

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