Hall of Famer sounds alarms about 'diminished' Lamar Jackson ahead of Ravens-Steelers game

For the most part, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has not looked like his two-time MVP self since he returned from a right hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games. 

During a Wednesday appearance on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption," Hall of Famer and current NFL analyst Steve Young shared why he believes Jackson isn't simply shaking off rust ahead of Christmas. 

Is Lamar Jackson in his own head? 

"He’s diminished physically," Young said about Jackson, per Adam Zagoria of NJ Advance Media. "You can see it. And you can see it in his demeanor. You can see it in his play. It’s like, when you’re hurt, and you can’t be all of yourself, and you get [injured], it kind of gets into your head."

Jackson guided the Ravens to four straight wins following his three-week absence before Baltimore suffered a 32-14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thanksgiving night. That said, the numbers show Jackson hasn't been elite since last October. 

Over his last five games, Jackson completed 59.8 percent of 132 pass attempts for 972 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 98 yards on 31 attempts, good for an average of 3.2 yards per carry. To compare, his career average is 6.0 rushing yards per attempt.  

Since early November, Jackson has missed some practice time due to knee, ankle and toe issues. 

Steve Young finds it "hard" to watch Lamar Jackson

"Now you’re not as good a passer," Young said about what he's seen from Jackson. "You’re not ahead of the data. You’re not seeing the open guy as much. You’re just diminished as a player, and you got to get back to health."

Young added that "it’s hard" and "painful" to "watch Lamar in this spot." 

The 6-6 Ravens will host the 6-6 Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday for a clash that will determine which team begins Monday sitting atop the AFC North standings. One piece of good news for Jackson and Co. heading into that game is that the Steelers are dealing with their own problems amid an in-season swoon. 

As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Baltimore as a six-point favorite over a Pittsburgh side that has lost five of its past seven games.