OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Three years ago, Baltimore Ravens cornerback Arthur Maulet was with the Pittsburgh Steelers and was sitting in the meeting room as they prepared to play quarterback Lamar Jackson.

“Do you want me to tell you this secret?” Maulet said it this week.

He then described how the Steelers focused on stopping Jackson on run option plays. He acknowledged the game plan may have changed since his release in May 2023, later joining the AFC North rivals Ravens. But Jackson has also changed over the years.

“Exactly,” said Maulet. “He can throw a lot better.”

When the Ravens (7-3) play the Steelers (7-2) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Baltimore can take sole ownership of first place and Jackson can show he’s ready to overcome his Pittsburgh problem . Jackson is 1-3 against the Steelers, which is the only team he has faced multiple times that has thrown more interceptions (seven) than touchdowns (four).

The consensus among them is that there is no definitive reason why Jackson struggled against Pittsburgh and posted NFL MVP numbers against the rest of the league.

“I don’t know what it is, man,” Jackson said.

‘I’m not sure,’ Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said.

Here are three reasons why Jackson stumbled against the Steelers and why it could be different on Sunday:

Not effective in the pocket: Jackson’s 21.2 QBR when in the pocket against Pittsburgh is his lowest against any team. He completed just 59.2 percent of his throws when he was in the pocket against the Steelers, averaging 6.4 yards per pass attempt. But it’s an area in which Jackson now thrives. This season, he is completing a career-high 71.5 percent of his passes in the pocket, averaging 9.3 yards per pass attempt.

Pressure: The Steelers sacked Jackson 20 times, an average of five per game. The biggest problem has been Pittsburgh’s linebacker TJ Wattwho sacked Jackson 7.5 times and recorded 14 hits in four games against him. This season, Jackson has been sacked 13 times, tied for the Bills. Josh Allen to say the least among quarterbacks with at least eight starts.

Interceptions: Jackson’s seven interceptions against the Steelers are his second-most against any team behind the Cleveland Browns (eight). But Jackson started nearly three times as many games against Cleveland. This season, Jackson has been excellent at protecting the ball. He’s been picked off twice in 10 games and has thrown no interceptions in 136 passes, which is the third-longest active streak in the league.

“I think Lamar just had the intention of playing as well as he could in all areas, and that’s a big part of it,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “There are so many things that come into play in the quarterback position, and then so many things that also come into play in what you’re talking about. We’ve improved greatly in those pre-snap communication areas ; that we do.

The last time Jackson played against the Steelers was in October 2023, when Baltimore lost 17-10 at Pittsburgh. Jackson wasn’t at fault as the Ravens dropped a handful of passes, including two in the end zone.

“We owe them one thing,” Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. “We didn’t play very well in the road (game). We let it down.”

The Ravens-Steelers rivalry is one of the NFL’s best in years, but this is the most unusual matchup for Jackson.

Since becoming Baltimore’s starting quarterback midway through the 2018 season, Jackson has missed more games against the Steelers (six) than he has started (four). He was sidelined three times due to injury and missed two games because the Ravens had already clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed. He also missed a game due to COVID-19.

“Some years, different things happen, and sometimes we’re in a good position,” Andrews said. “But we’re happy to have him this week. It’ll be fun.”