Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms believes the Baltimore Ravens are going to destroy the Pittsburgh Steelers in Saturday night’s Wild Card Round game at M&T Bank Stadium.
“I think the Ravens are gonna whoop that ass. I do,” Simms told Mike Florio on Pro Football Talk Live. “The Steelers are done. Four (losses) in a row, they got their ass whooped three weeks in a row.
“And then, okay, they put up a fight against the Bengals, who have one of the worst defenses in football, and they did make a few plays. I didn’t like the look of how Pittsburgh’s defense got absolutely (run) over by Derrick Henry.”
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk is skeptical that Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will beat the Steelers on Saturday night, but he still has Baltimore winning. Along with being 2-4 in the postseason, Jackson has completed 57.4% of his passes for 1,324 yards with six touchdowns, six interceptions, and a passer rating of 75.7.
“Lamar Jackson has a history of failing in the postseason. When Lamar Jackson tries to talk his way out of his history, he only puts more pressure on himself…You will feel the pressure, oh yes you will,” Florio said.
The Steelers historically play well against Jackson, but the two-time MVP carved Pittsburgh up in their last meeting in Week 16, completing 66.7% of his passes for 207 yards with three touchdowns, one interception, and a quarterback rating of 115.4. Overall, he’s 2-4 as a starter against the Steelers in his career.
Jackson contributed some of his past postseason struggles due to being too antsy.
“Yes, I’m [usually] just too excited — that’s all,” Jackson said. “[I’m] too antsy, that’s all. I’m seeing things before it happens, like, ‘Oh, I have to calm myself down.’ But just being more experienced, I’ve found a way to balance it out.”
Baltimore won its last four games to win the AFC North for a second consecutive season. The Ravens out-scored their opponents 135-43 in those contests.
With the Ravens red-hot and the Steelers reeling, Baltimore is currently 10-point favorites. That’s the largest spread for Wild Card weekend.
Prior to the Steelers’ 34-17 loss in Week 16 to Baltimore, 11 out of the last 12 Steelers-Ravens games were one-possession contests. The Steelers have has also won eight of their last 10 games against Baltimore.
The Steelers are also 10-2 against division opponents in the playoffs. So anything can happen in a divisional game. But, for sure, the Steelers will have to play a near flawless game to knock off Baltimore.