Ravens Make Final Call on QB Lamar Jackson for Steelers Matchup

Getty The Baltimore Ravens have decided whether quarterback Lamar Jackson will play in Week 18.

The Pittsburgh Steelers received good news from their rival days prior to the season finale. The Steelers will not face one of the NFL’s front runners for the MVP award, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, in Week 18.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told the media on January 3 that Jackson will be inactive for the matchup against the Steelers on January 6. Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley will start in his place.

“A couple announcements, the quarterback for this game will be Tyler [Huntley], the backup will be Josh [Johnson],” Harbaugh told reporters. “That’s the way we will be going with it.”

Behind a six-game winning streak, the Ravens own a 13-3 record entering Week 18. With that mark, the Ravens have already locked down the AFC’s No. 1 seed for the postseason. The No. 1 seed also comes with a first-round bye.

That means the Ravens have nothing to gain or lose in Week 18.

The Steelers and Ravens will cap off their 2023 slates with their second matchup of the season on January 6. Kickoff will be at 4:30 pm ET at M&T Bank Stadium.

Other than Jackson, Harbaugh did not share on January 3 whether any other Ravens starters will be sitting in Week 18.

Ravens Plan to Sit QB Lamar Jackson in Week 18

Harbaugh called the Steelers’ matchup the team’s priority when he met with the media on January 1. But he explained that his team had two main goals entering Week 18.

“We kind of have a two-fold thought-process right now. We have our priority, which is the Steelers game,” Harbaugh told the media on January 1. “Putting our best foot forward, playing our best game against our biggest rival, who we expect to be playing great football.

“We expect it to be a very hard-fought game. So we’ve got to get our minds right for that, as we will, and playing for the next step in the playoffs.”

The Ravens will surely try to win with Huntley behind center, but the matchup with Pittsburgh will apparently not be a priority over guaranteeing Jackson’s health for the playoffs.

Regardless of why he’s sitting, the Steelers task to beat the Ravens and finish 10-7 is undoubtably easier with Huntley starting rather than Jackson.

During their recent six-game winning streak, Jackson has averaged 8.3 passing yards and 6.1 rushing yards per attempt. He has also thrown 14 touchdowns versus only 2 interceptions.

Huntley has eight games of starter experience in his career. He started five contests, including a playoff game, last season. In those games, he posted 6.4 yards per pass with 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.

Two of his five 2022 starts came against the Steelers. Huntley registered a 66.7% completion percentage with 218 passing yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception in those 2 starts. The Steelers and Ravens split the two games, with Pittsburgh winning on the road at Baltimore.

Scheduled to be inactive on January 6, Jackson will have two weeks of rest before Baltimore’s first playoff game.

Ravens Have Previously Spoiled a Steelers’ Season With Backup QB

While Huntley doesn’t pose as significant a challenge as Jackson would, that doesn’t mean the Ravens are going to lay down to the Steelers.

The Steelers should know that from previous experience.

In 2019, the Ravens had the No. 1 seed locked down, so they sat Jackson at home in Week 17 versus the Steelers. With Robert Griffin III behind center, the Ravens routed the Steelers, 28-10, to officially eliminate Pittsburgh from the playoffs.

Jackson is confident Huntley will be able to spoil Pittsburgh’s playoff hopes as Griffin once did.

“I believe Snoop will get the job done,” Jackson told reporters. “We have guys that can go out there and ball out.”

In addition to a win at Baltimore, the Steelers need either the Jacksonville Jaguars or Buffalo Bills to lose during Week 18 to earn a playoff spot.