Tomlin Explains Secondary Breakdowns vs. Ravens
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had touchdown passes from 38, 50 and 64 yards out in Sunday night’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. To say the least, the Steelers failed to keep a lid on things.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin noted that they could’ve executed better and made better calls, but ultimately, Jackson was the difference maker.
“I think Lamar first and foremost on a lot of fronts,” Tomlin said on Tuesday when asked about why the Ravens were able to get explosive plays over the top of the defense. “He makes you do some things schematically that could make you uncomfortable, but if you’re trying to win moments in the game you do what you have to do.
“But also just his unique talents. I mean, one of those touchdowns we had two of our most significant guys, had him wrapped up in the backfield and he somehow came out of [Keeanu] Benton and [Alex] Highsmith and threw a long touchdown. So his talents were directly impactful. His talents also dictated schematics at times. To put it succinctly, Lamar Jackson.”
Jackson looked like Houdini on his 50-yard touchdown pass to Zay Flowers in the fourth quarter. Alex Highsmith and Keeanu Benton just couldn’t get the two-time league MVP to the ground.
On the Ravens’ following possession, Jackson found Flowers for another explosive touchdown. This time a 64-yarder.
Flowers became the first player to catch two touchdowns of 50-plus yards in the fourth quarter of a game since Baltimore Colts WR Roger Carr in 1978, according to ESPN Research .
After Jackson’s second touchdown pass to Flowers, Aaron Rodgers led the Steelers down the field with under two minutes to play, leading one more vintage scoring drive in what might have been the final game of the his career. With the Steelers trailing by four, Rodgers got the Steelers into scoring range and the connected with Austin on a 26-yard score with just under a minute to play.
But the drama was nowhere near over yet. Veteran Steelers kicker Chris Boswell missed the extra point — his first such miss of the season — giving the Ravens a chance to win the game with a last-second field goal.
A long kickoff return by Keaton Mitchell set the Ravens up in excellent position, and Lamar Jackson hit Isaiah Likely with a fourth-down pass to get inside the Pittsburgh 30-yard line. Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed the kick wide right as time expired, giving the Steelers the victory.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Tomlin Explains Secondary Breakdowns vs. Ravens
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