This season, Lamar Jackson has been catching heat left and right. From being called out for his poor playoff resume to being labeled a choker in big games, the Ravens star has heard it all. Despite losing the first two games, Jackson made a strong comeback, proving to the NFL world that he is still a big player. He and Derrick Henry together put the Ravens back on the track. After the recent loss, the QB has found himself in hot waters again.

The Steelers beat the Ravens 18-16 in week 11 of the season. Although, they’re still in the number two spot in the AFC North, the loss has sparked more talk about Lamar Jackson’s performances in big games. Analysts are once again questioning Jackson’s ability to perform during the big games. Former Steelers player Ryan Clark highlighted Lamar Jackson’s tendency to struggle in key moments, referring to it as his weakness. Clark, during the post-game live, said, “It’s when he plays his biggest team rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his biggest individual rival, Patrick Mahomes, that he stops being Lamar Jackson.”

Something’s off with Jackson whenever he plays against the Chiefs and Steelers. He went head-to-head with Patrick Mahomes in the preseason and ended up losing that game. Before this season, he played against the Chiefs in the NFL Conference Championship earlier this year. And guess what? He lost. Looks like Mahomes and the Steelers have been giving the QB a tough time. His performance against the Steelers too is pretty average. His completion percentage against his divisional foes is just 59.1%, and his passer rating sits at a low 66.8. Plus, the Steelers’ defense has sacked him 20 times over the past four games. Does not sound like the Lamar Jackson his fans know.

This season, however, the numbers paint a different picture when you compare Lamar Jackson and Mahomes. Even though the Ravens QB has been putting up better numbers than Mahomes, he still hasn’t been able to get a win against him.

Lamar Jackson vs Patrick Mahomes

Both the QB’s are top MVP contenders this season. But how are they holding up this season?

Lamar Jackson has thrown 25 TDs with a meagre three interceptions in the 11 games he’s played so far. The QB even went as far as to score 5 touchdowns vs the Bucs. Jackson’s averaging 6.2 yards per carry and has racked up 2,876 passing yards, completing 215 out of 321 attempts. But what about the other side? Well, Mahomes has thrown for 2,404 yards and a mere 15 touchdowns across 10 games, with a surprising 11 interceptions. His completion rate is also lingering at 69.5%. Definitely not peak Mahomes!

Despite being more efficient (

statistically) than Mahomes, Ravens have surely not been as successful as the KC team. The Chiefs were undefeated this season until last week, losing to the Bills last week marking their first loss of the season. But they are still ruling AFC West with a 9-1 record.

Moving on from numbers and comparisons, only one question remains: can Jackson find out a way to rise above these struggles? It’s much needed for Ravens success. It’s not that easy considering who his opponents are.