Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry looking at historic to-do lists on Sunday

For the first time since Thelma Elkjer determined the newly merged NFL’s new division alignment in 1970, the league enters a historic week in which three games feature matchups of teams each with at least seven wins. One of those three marquee games is in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers (7-2) put first place on the line against the Ravens (7-3) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS).

Pittsburgh might be the only team Lamar Jackson hates as much as the Lauderdale Lakes Vikings, especially now that the Steelers have former teammates Patrick Queen and DeShon Elliott. Incidentally, Jackson will have a former Steeler who must’ve left on bad terms, wide receiver Diontae Johnson, among his targets on Sunday.

But if Baltimore is going to officially make Johnson a Raven, the most influential new Ravens player figures to be running back Derrick Henry. And on the way to a potential Ravens win, both Henry and Jackson have impressive to-do lists.

Jackson, who leads the NFL with a 123.2 passer rating, has 24 touchdown passes and just two interceptions. He also has finished with at least a 100.0 rating in eight straight games.

• Jackson needs one touchdown pass and no interceptions to become only the fourth player in league history with 25 touchdown passes and two-or-fewer interceptions in his first 11 games of a season. Only Tom Brady (2016), Drew Brees (2018) and Patrick Mahomes (2020) have done it previously.
• He needs 275 passing yards and another 100.0-or-higher rating to join Peyton Manning (seven from 2012-13) and Aaron Rodgers (seven in 2011) as only the third ever to hit those marks in seven consecutive games.
• Rodgers (12 in 2011) and Manning (nine in 2004) are the only players ever to post passer ratings of at least 100.0 in nine straight games within a season, something Jackson also can accomplish Sunday.

Henry’s list is shorter but still impressive. The running back, who leads the league in scrimmage yards (1,216), rushing yards (1,120) and scrimmage touchdowns (14, 12 rushing, two receiving) this season, has found paydirt in each of the Ravens’ first 10 games.

• With one touchdown at Pittsburgh, Henry would join O.J. Simpson (first 14 games in 1975), Jerry Rice (first 12 in 1987) and John Riggins (first 12 in 1983) as only the fourth player in the Super Bowl era (1966-present) to score a touchdown in each of his first 11 games of a season.

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