BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Ravens didn’t just watch their chances of a third straight AFC North title take a hit.
Sunday’s 28-24 loss to the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers put a question mark over one of the preseason Super Bowl favorites and the reigning NFL MVP.
How good are the Ravens and Lamar Jackson this season?
In another big-game disappointment, Jackson turned the ball over four times as Baltimore (5-2) fell two games back of Pittsburgh in the AFC North. His first career pick-six and an interception thrown deep in Ravens territory led to 14 points for the Steelers, and his fumble inside the Baltimore 10-yard line took points away from the Ravens.
"The turnovers, I feel, are the reason we lost the game,” Jackson said. "I put that on me.
Baltimore dominated running the ball, rushing for 265 yards against the NFL's No. 2 run defense. The Ravens just couldn't come back when they had to rely on their passing game.
Without two starting offensive linemen -- left tackle Ronnie Stanley and right guard Tyre Phillips left with ankle injuries in the first quarter -- Jackson was harassed often and finished 13-of-29 for 208 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. His final pass fell incomplete in the end zone to wide receiver Willie Snead.
It also didn't help the defense, which allowed 21 points in the second half after Pro Bowl linebacker Matthew Judon was ejected for making contact with an official.
"Now, we’re in a situation where you look at it from the perspective that this is where our season begins, and we go from here; from the very best football team we can be, starting in Indianapolis next weekend,” head coach John Harbaugh said.
Baltimore still remains in excellent position to reach the playoffs. It's just unknown how much noise the Ravens can create once they get there.
This season, there's been a trend of Baltimore beating up on the teams with a losing record and struggling against the AFC’s best.
Baltimore got roughed up in its only previous marquee matchup of the season, when it lost 34-20 to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3. Jackson threw for a career-worst 97 yards in that game against the Chiefs.
After the Ravens lost to the Steelers, it’s legitimate to ask where they fall in the AFC balance of power. Baltimore entered Sunday having beaten only one team with more than two wins. The Ravens’ last four wins came against teams whose combined record was 6-20-2 (.250) entering Week 8: Houston, Washington, Cincinnati and Philadelphia.
The Ravens next travel to face the Indianapolis Colts (5-2) on Sunday.
“It’s early in the season still,” Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell said. "All this means is that we won’t go better than 14-2. Just take it one day at a time and find some ways to win some ballgames.”
Describe the game in two words. Uncharacteristic collapse. The Ravens were unable to hold a double-digit lead for the first time in the Lamar Jackson era. Jackson had been 21-0 when leading by at least 10 points in game. But the Ravens couldn’t close it out in the second half after leading 17-7 at halftime.
Troubling trend: Injuries along the offensive line. Two starters were lost in the first quarter, which continued a season of pain for this group. Stanley was carted off the field with a serious ankle injury just two days after signing a five-year, $98.75 million extension. This came shortly after Phillips left with an ankle injury. Forced to shuffle up front, Baltimore moved Orlando Brown Jr. from right tackle to left tackle and put in right guard Patrick Mekari and right tackle D.J. Fluker off the bench. This offensive line did an admirable job in run-blocking but struggled in pass protection.
Pivotal play. The Ravens’ best opportunity to deliver the comeback win came with two minutes left in the game when Jackson came up 2 yards short on a fourth-and-3 quarterback draw at the Pittsburgh 8-yard line. Jackson didn't have much of a chance, as Pittsburgh swarmed him as soon as he crossed the line of scrimmage. It ended one of Jackson's most frustrating days as an NFL starter. "I thought it was going to be a great play at the time, but they just made a good stop,” Jackson said.