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Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff Writer
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — In a season when it feels like Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has had all the answers, the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player was stumped Wednesday.
Heading into Sunday’s road showdown against the Steelers, Jackson essentially shrugged his shoulders when asked why he struggles against Pittsburgh more than any other team.
“I don’t know what it is, man,” he said. “Last year, we [were] supposed to [beat] them, but things just didn’t go our way; the football gods weren’t on our side. But it’s a whole other year, it’s a new year, [and] I’m looking forward to the game.”
Jackson is 1-3 against the Steelers and 17-5 against the other AFC North teams (Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns). Pittsburgh is the only team against which he’s thrown more interceptions (seven) than touchdown passes (four).
In Jackson’s only game against Pittsburgh last season, the biggest issue was holding onto the ball. The Ravens had a handful of dropped passes, including two in the end zone, in a 17-10 road loss at Pittsburgh in October 2023.
“We don’t live in the past game; we don’t live in the past record,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “None of that matters. It’s the next game. But we’ll look at it scientifically; you go back and watch all the games and try to make sure that we are doing the things that we need to do to win this particular game.”
When it comes to rivalries, Jackson talked about how he hated losing to the Lauderdale Lakes Vikings in youth football in South Florida. But Jackson said he doesn’t feel differently about the Steelers than any other team on Baltimore’s schedule despite Pittsburgh winning seven of the last eight meetings.
“I hate every team in the league when I’m going against them,” Jackson said. “I don’t have [any] heart for a team when I’m going against them — I’m trying to win — because they don’t have a heart for me, when they’re going against me. Probably, after the game, it’s all love, but on that field, no.”
Jackson is quarterbacking an offense that ranks first in total yards (440.2) and points (31.8), which is why he’s the frontrunner for another MVP award. In his last eight games, he’s thrown 22 touchdowns and one interception.
By relying more heavily on his arm than his legs, Jackson has played differently than in the past. He believes everyone will have to wait until Sunday to see if that produces a different result against Pittsburgh.
“We have different guys who bring different things to the table for us to help us out on the offensive side of the ball,” Jackson said. “But I can’t call it.”
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