As the Baltimore Ravens prepare for their game in Pittsburgh on Sunday, head coach John Harbaugh expresses different levels of confidence in quarterback Lamar Jackson.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are refuting Myles Garrett’s assessment of their game plan in Cleveland over the weekend. One Browns player says Aaron Rodgers was hot under the collar in that game.

We preview the Penguins’ next opponent, and we have honors for a Duquesne basketball player.

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Looking at Lamar

If Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson is able to play through his back injury, he’ll play Sunday against the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. That’s the declaration from Ravens coach John Harbaugh, despite solid backup play from Tyler Huntley last week against Green Bay.

Huntley was 16 of 20 for 107 yards, a touchdown, no interceptions and 60 rushing yards. But according to ESPN.com, Jackson will start, health permitting.

“I think the fact that we have a lot of confidence in Tyler is a real big positive and (a) real plus, but it doesn’t factor into whether Lamar plays,” Harbaugh said. “If Lamar’s ready to go, he’s playing. That’s it for sure.”

Jackson’s health status, though, is less definitive.

“It was not good at all early in the week, and it improved as the week went on,” Harbaugh said. “That was cause for optimism.”

Jackson threw for 219 yards and ran for 43 more when the teams played earlier this year. He accounted for two touchdowns, threw an interception and was sacked twice. The Steelers won that game 27-22.

The winner of Sunday’s game claims the AFC North. The loser won’t qualify for the AFC playoffs.

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Feeling frustrated

If you thought Aaron Rodgers looked perpetually frustrated and angry during the Steelers loss to Cleveland, you were right.

Browns defensive lineman Alex Wright said he heard Rodgers venting frustration during the game.

“Oh, he was. He was out there cussing up a storm,” Wright said via a Browns postgame transcript. “Upset about whatever he and the coaches had going on over there. This is the first time since the last game that I’ve seen him that flustered. Other than that, he did what he could, and their offense did what they could. We did a good job as a defense.”

Rodgers was just 21 of 39 for 168 yards. He was sacked twice. Once by Wright.

Many Steelers fans were critical of the Steelers’ game plan, insisting that it was designed more for the sake of preventing Myles Garrett from getting the NFL sack record than it was designed to actually score points.

Garrett advanced that theory after the game as well.

“I feel like they were more worried about keeping me away from Aaron than getting the win,” Garrett said, via that same transcript. “I think that’s what came back to bite them. So, they’ll have to fight it out with Baltimore next week. But I’m just proud of the guys for fighting and getting this one. That’s the main thing.”

Left tackle Dylan Cook insisted that was not the case.

“No. We just need to execute better. We shot ourselves in the foot multiple times,” Cook told me Monday. “I had a false start on a third-and-short. That took us back to a third and medium. It starts there. We can’t have that.”

Tight end Pat Freiermuth also refuted the notion that the Steelers had any conscious agenda to prevent the record (co-owned by Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt at 22.5) from falling.

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More sports

• Playoffs arrive early for Steelers with must-win game against Ravens in season finale
• Penguins acquire forward Yegor Chinakhov from Blue Jackets
• 5 things we learned from Steelers’ loss at the last-place Browns
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Hurricane warning

After reaching their highest goal total of the season, the Penguins are hosting the leaders of their division.

The Carolina Hurricanes are in town for a 7 p.m. faceoff Tuesday night. They have 51 points and 24 wins. Those are the highest totals in the Metropolitan Division and the entire Eastern Conference.

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Carolina’s most recent win was a 3-2 overtime victory over the New York Rangers at home Monday night.

Meanwhile, the Penguins are coming off a 7-3 victory in Chicago on Sunday night. They now have 41 points. That’s just one point clear of last-place Columbus at the bottom of the Metro.

The Canes are the Eastern Conference’s highest scoring team at 3.29 goals per game. Carolina hasn’t been great on the power play, though. They are 22nd in hockey at 17.8%. They are 10th in the NHL when it comes to goals-against at 2.84.

This is the first contest between the teams this season. They won’t meet again until March 10, when they play each other three times in 12 days.

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Top Jimmie

Duquesne guard Jimmie Williams is the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week. He received the award Monday.

During a pair of home victories last week against Canisius and Cleary, Williams averaged 20 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists while converting 17 of his 23 field goal attempts, including 6 of 8 from beyond the 3-point arc.

This is the second A-10 player of the week honor for the Dukes this season. Fellow guard Tarence Guinyard was also given the award Nov. 10.

Duquesne (8-5) opens Atlantic 10 play Tuesday night at Davidson (8-4).