As we prepare for a do-or-die AFC North showdown on Sunday Night Football, Pittsburgh Steelers fans are monitoring the status of two players: T.J. Watt and Lamar Jackson. Watt is recovering from a punctured lung, and there's an outside chance he could suit up in the Week 18 season finale. Meanwhile, Jackson missed last week's game with a back injury, and Steelers fans are hoping to avoid the 2023 MVP.
But one former Steelers star believes fans should be hoping Jackson suits up.
James Harrison joined Joe Haden on the Deebo & Joe podcast, where he spoke on Jackson's status ahead of Sunday Night Football. Harrison is pleading his case why it would be better for Pittsburgh to face backup quarterback Tyler Huntley in Week 18.
"Please, please let Lamar [Jackson] play... I hope Lamar comes back. I would rather see Lamar Jackson right now than [Tyler] Huntley, because Huntley can get a gear right now that Lamar Jackson can't get to right now or is afraid to get to because he's gonna pull something.
And I also think that, with Lamar in there, we're going to have a better chance of winning. Simply because, the Ravens, I feel, would be stupid enough not to give Derrick Henry the ball thirty-five to forty times..."
James Harrison makes a good point with controversial comments ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens clash
If we were dealing with a healthy Lamar Jackson right now, Harrison would be off his rocker with comments like these. However, his argument is twofold.
Not only is Lamar hobbled—which makes Huntley the bigger rushing threat right now—but the Ravens may also ignore the obvious plan to succeed if Jackson is on the field.
Last week in Green Bay, we witnessed a Ravens team that leaned heavily on Derrick Henry and the rushing attack with Jackson out. Head coach John Harbaugh allowed Henry to rush 36 times, and he turned his opportunities into 216 yards and four touchdowns—the biggest rushing performance by an opposing player ever at Lambeau Field.
However, if Jackson plays, the Ravens could look to pass more than they did last week. This, in turn, would take the ball out of Henry's hands and give more opportunity to Jackson, an injured quarterback who tends to make costly plays against the Steelers.
Because of this, Harrison might be on to something. If the Baltimore Ravens come into Pittsburgh on Sunday Night Football and decide they are going to run the ball 35 to 40 times against a susceptible Steelers defense, this is probably their best path to victory.
Lamar Jackson is unquestionably better than Tyler Huntley... but playing a hobbled Jackson could wind up being a mistake by the Ravens in this AFC North title game.