Heading into Week 14, the Steelers-Ravens matchup doesn’t come with the usual playoff implications or division dominance we’ve seen in years past. Instead, both teams sit at 6-6, hovering in the middle of the pack with more questions than answers - especially under center.
Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers are two quarterbacks with MVP trophies on the shelf, but right now, neither is playing like it. The big question: Which of these struggling stars can flip the switch when their teams need it most?
Let’s start with Lamar Jackson. On paper, his numbers aren’t alarming.
He’s completing nearly 65% of his passes, has a 15-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio, and still flashes the kind of athleticism that makes defensive coordinators lose sleep. But the deeper you look, the more it’s clear something’s off.
Jackson’s averaging just 205 passing yards per game and hasn’t accounted for a single touchdown - rushing or passing - in three straight games. That’s not just a slump.
That’s a red flag.
For a player who once redefined the quarterback position with his dual-threat explosiveness, Jackson’s production has cooled significantly. Last season, he averaged 245 yards and 2.4 touchdowns per game.
This year? He’s down nearly 40 yards and a full touchdown per contest.
And perhaps most surprising: he has only one rushing touchdown all year. One.
For a player whose legs have been a cheat code in the red zone, that’s a major shift.
Some of that can be chalked up to lingering injuries. Some of it may be the natural growing pains of adjusting to a new offensive system under Todd Monken. But former Ravens great Rod Woodson thinks the solution isn’t about big changes - it’s about getting back to basics.
“Lamar needs to get back to the foundation of playing quarterback,” Woodson said this week. “It’s not the big things - it’s the little things.
Footwork. Arm mechanics.
Taking what the defense gives you. If it’s a five-yard throw, take the five yards.
Don’t hold the ball waiting for a 20-yard shot and end up taking a sack.”
That’s the kind of veteran insight that hits home. Jackson has always thrived when he’s in rhythm - when he takes what’s there and lets the big plays come to him, not force them. And while his playoff record (3-5) and postseason numbers (219 yards, 1.25 TDs, 0.9 INTs per game) don’t scream “clutch,” Woodson believes the fire is still there.
“When it’s crunch time and the game’s on the line, Lamar wants to be that guy,” Woodson said. “And I believe he still can be.”
The Ravens need that version of Jackson to show up - not just in Week 14, but for the stretch run if they want any shot at sneaking into the postseason. Because right now, they’re not getting MVP Lamar. They’re getting a quarterback who looks stuck between gears.
Now, let’s pivot to the other sideline, where Aaron Rodgers is doing what Aaron Rodgers does - mixing flashes of brilliance with head-scratching leadership moments. The Steelers started the season 4-1 but have gone 2-5 since, and Rodgers hasn’t looked like the guy who once carved up defenses with surgical precision.
To his credit, he’s playing through a fractured left wrist, which is no small thing for a 42-year-old quarterback with nothing left to prove. He could easily be sitting in a broadcast booth or collecting checks from a beach.
Instead, he’s out there grinding, still trying to will a fading team to relevance. But the results haven’t followed.
Last week, Rodgers went 10-for-21 for just 117 yards - a stat line that feels more 2005 than 2025. He’s averaging just under 190 passing yards per game, the lowest mark of his career by a wide margin. And while he’s still got the arm talent, the consistency and explosiveness just aren’t there.
Then there’s the leadership angle. Rodgers made headlines again for calling out teammates for not running the right routes - while in the same breath saying, “I need to be better.”
That kind of finger-pointing, even with a dose of self-awareness, has been part of the Rodgers experience for years. It’s vintage Rodgers: a little accountability, a lot of deflection.
Still, you can’t question his toughness. And in a rivalry game like this, with both teams desperate to stay alive in the playoff chase, Rodgers has one more shot to remind people who he is.
If he goes out and throws for 250 yards and three scores in a win, he’ll earn the right to be smug again. But based on what we’ve seen this season, that feels like a long shot.
So who’s more likely to turn it around - Jackson or Rodgers?
The safer bet is Jackson. He’s younger, more dynamic, and still in his physical prime.
His struggles feel more like a temporary disconnect than a permanent decline. Rodgers, on the other hand, is battling both age and injury - and his margin for error is razor-thin.
But in a rivalry like Steelers-Ravens, nothing is ever that simple. These games tend to bring out the best - or worst - in both teams.
And with both quarterbacks facing a crossroads, Sunday’s showdown might not just decide a game. It could define the rest of their seasons.