Ravens' Lamar Jackson Shows Off Wheels vs. Steelers

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson wasn't afraid to run whatsoever in the playoff opener.

Jan 11, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs against Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (39) and linebacker Nick Herbig (51) in the second quarter in an AFC wild card game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Lamar Jackson's greatest strength has always been his ability to run the ball and keep defenses on their toes, but the Baltimore Ravens superstar hadn't been running as much as one might expect lately.

This year, Jackson averaged a career-low 8.2 rushing attempts per game in the regular season. That was hardly a bad thing, though, as he put together the best passing season of his career and one of the best in NFL history. However, it was a bit odd to see him running less than ever before.

That was not the case in Saturday night's playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, though. Jackson had 15 carries, his most since Week 1, for 81 yards in the victory. A good chunk of those carries came early on, helping to set the tone for the rest of the game.

Jackson running less was in all likelihood a conscious decision to protect himself, but now that the playoffs are here, he's emptying the tank to win.

"I see Lamar on a mission," tight end Isaiah Likely told reporters post-game. "I tell you all the time, his focus is sharp and that's what he preaches all of the time. He doesn't care how it looks on the stat sheet, all he wants to get is a 'W.'"

Sure, Jackson's running was impressive in a vacuum, but it's even more so in context. Due to him running so much early on, he forced the defense to focus on him and allowed Derrick Henry to take over the game. Henry did just that, rushing for 186 yards and two touchdowns while averaging over seven yards per attempt.

"It shows that the defense is going to have to play him as well," Likely said. "With 'DH' [Derrick Henry] back there in the backfield, you're going to have to come for '8' [Lamar Jackson] also. He showed he wasn't going to slide. He was going to take as many yards and as much contact as they were going to give him."

The Ravens finished the game with 299 rushing yards, a new franchise record for a postseason game. Jackson may have only been responsible for a little over a quarter of those yards, but make no mistake, he was one of the main catalysts for this performance.

Of course, the job's not finished yet, though.

"To be honest, it's really not about the Steelers," Jackson said. "It's just [about] us winning in the playoffs. It's great to win."

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