PITTSBURGH — Preston Smith, the newest Steelers outside linebacker, has played in 156 games since he entered the NFL in 2015. In that time, mostly because he played for two NFC teams, he has never faced Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

He will get his indoctrination on Sunday and is looking forward to the challenge, no matter how daunting.

"He has MVP talent, double MVP talent, triple probably," Smith said. "The talent he possesses is electrifying."

Jackson, who is already a two-time NFL MVP, is more dangerous, if not unstoppable, than ever before. The Ravens have surrounded him with players such as running back Derrick Henry, receiver Zay Flowers and tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely.

It is no secret Jackson might be the most difficult player in the league to tackle as a runner. But his passing ability has become equally dangerous to defend, especially this season.

He leads the league with a 123.2 passer rating, is tied for the lead with 24 touchdowns and is second with 2,669 passing yards. He has thrown just two interceptions, which has all but overshadowed that he also leads all quarterbacks with 538 yards rushing, an average of 5.9 yards per attempt.

"I mean, every player is stoppable," said Smith, who will likely see more than the 23 snaps he played in his Steelers debut because of the injury to Alex Highsmith. "You've got to find ways to do it, but he is a guy you've got to make sure you contain and keep him bottled up and don't let him have a field day out there."

Then he added: "Playing against a quarterback like that, you can't let him get hot and take over the game with his abilities."

Easier said than done.

Despite that, it seems odd that Jackson has won just one of his four starts against the Steelers and is 2-4 in games in which he played against them. Even more remarkable, the Steelers have sacked him 20 times in those six games.

"I think we've always known how dangerous he is," defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. "He can beat you running. He can beat you throwing. They've really done a good job of surrounding him with really good people. There's a reason why they're Number 1 in quite a few categories in terms of offensive production. So it's going to be a really good test in terms of how we hold up versus this."

Since he came into the league in 2018, Jackson has had a perfect passer rating (158.3) four times, including a Week 9 victory against the Denver Broncos. Only 11 other quarterbacks have had a perfect rating in that time, none more than once.

One of those games was in Week 17 of the 2023 season against the Miami Dolphins, when Steelers safety DeShon Elliott was with the Dolphins. Jackson was 18-of-21 for 321 yards and five touchdowns in a 56-19 victory.

"There's no stopping Lamar," said Elliott, who played three seasons with the Ravens from 2019-2021. "You're just doing your best to contain him. Whether it's the first play or the fourth quarter, he's going to be the same player. He's so dynamic because he can do so many different things."

Jackson's four perfect passer ratings tie the NFL record held by Ben Roethlisberger, who did it in victories against the Tennessee Titans (Sept. 11, 2005), Ravens (Nov. 5, 2007), St. Louis Rams (Dec. 20, 2007) and Carolina Panthers (Nov. 8, 2018), according to Pro Football Reference.

What's more, he can become the third player all-time with a 100-plus passer rating and at least 275 yards passing in seven consecutive games, joining Peyton Manning (2012-2013) and Aaron Rodgers (2011). He has had a passer rating of 100 or higher in eight consecutive games.

"He's definitely up there," said outside linebacker T.J. Watt when asked if Jackson were the most dangerous player in the league. "We've been going against him now for seven years. He's done a great job to continue to use his mobility and rely on the pass when he has to. He can extend plays, and he has playmakers around him."

Inside linebacker Elandon Roberts first played against Jackson in 2015 in college when the Houston Cougars beat Louisville 34-31. But it wasn't the same Lamar Jackson then. He passed for 168 yards and rushed for 16 but threw two interceptions before being replaced.

A lot has changed since then.

Now, Roberts said Jackson is one of the best passers — inside and out of the pocket — he has seen.

"At this juncture where we're at, there's nobody offensively that's better than Lamar," Roberts said.

Asked if Jackson is the most dangerous player to defend in the league, he didn't even pause.

"At this point, yes," Roberts said.

Preston Smith gets to find out first-hand.

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