The Buffalo Bills former head coach, Sean McDermott, has beaten Lamar Jackson in the playoffs twice, and he knows the Bills can’t afford to relax against him. Ahead of Sunday’s matchup, McDermott warned his former team that Jackson makes teams pay for even one small mistake.

“You not only have to prepare for him as a runner, but now you got to prepare for him as a passer,” Sean McDermott said on The Rich Eisen Show. “And then it’s easy to say, ‘Hey, we’ll add extra rushers, fill the lanes.’ And we did that in Buffalo at times. But the other added element to that is when you’re on the scene, can you get him down?”

“He’s so elusive. So fast that once he breaks contain or once he breaks into the open, he can take it 80 yards and hurt you in a heartbeat. So that’s why he’s a unique challenge for that reason.”

The former head coach’s warning about Jackson goes to say how much of a threat he can be for the team. McDermott met Lamar Jackson multiple times in the latter’s stint with the Bills, some of which have not been happy memories for the coach. In the Ravens-Bills clash in 2019, Jackson threw a 61-yard pass to Hayden Hurst, who took it for a touchdown. The score went up 17-3 after that play, and Baltimore eventually won the game 24-17.

The playoffs are where Buffalo has pulled ahead. Jackson’s Ravens have faced Buffalo twice in the AFC Divisional round in the 2020 and 2024 playoffs, and they left with a loss both times. In the first meeting, the Ravens lost 17-3, with Jackson being limited to only 162 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. In the second bout, Jackson threw for more than 200 yards, but turnovers cost the Ravens badly.

Though Josh Allen has been the victorious quarterback in the postseason, he gave Jackson his due flowers ahead of Sunday’s matchup.

“He’s been one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks. And what he’s consistently done when he’s on the field is unbelievable,” Allen said of Jackson, via the Associated Press. “He’s a very special player, and I’ve got so much respect for him. That’s why you play this game is to have matchups like this.”

Jackson and Allen were both drafted in 2018, and both are extremely talented QBs. The Baltimore QB, however, was on fire this season, having tallied 967 yards and seven total touchdowns before he went down with his injury. In fact, Jackson had already posted 222 yards and two touchdowns through the air in the Tennessee game before he left.

Jackson has since missed time, including the Cincinnati Bengals game. But prior to the matchup, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said they were preparing as if Jackson were to return for this game. He remains the X-factor in that offense, which already has weapons like Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers.

Jackson returns to action after missing three games with a high ankle sprain. According to him, the pain in his left ankle is “bearable,” and he returned to full practice this week for the first time since the injury.

“I feel like I’m no longer a statue,” Jackson said on Friday, per ESPN. “I’m able to move around a little better. I can give it a shot.”

The Ravens need him. They sit last in their division and know it.

“We’re trying to get back to where we should be,” he said.

Jackson’s running ability changes how a defense has to play, and the numbers show it. Per ESPN, Baltimore averages 28 points per game with him and just 17.6 without him.

Sunday should show whether the Ravens are real contenders or simply a team in a rough patch. All eyes will be on Lamar Jackson, who is going to be a big selling point of this marquee clash.