An inside look at Sunday’s Jets-Ravens NFL Week 12 matchup in Baltimore:
Marquee matchup
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson vs. Jets front seven
The two-time MVP leads the NFL with a passer rating of 115.5, but this has been a down year for Jackson.
He missed three games because of a hamstring injury and has not looked 100 percent since he returned.
He missed a practice Wednesday with an ankle injury and missed a practice the week before with a knee injury.
“It’s just part of football, I guess,” Jackson said. “But I’m good.”
The Jets know that the Ravens offense starts with Jackson, even if he is not 100 percent.
The Jets struggled last week against Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, allowing 271 passing yards in the loss. They still have zero interceptions on the season, the longest drought to begin a season in the Super Bowl era.
Jets coach Aaron Glenn was asked if Jackson looks like himself.
“He does, and if he doesn’t look like himself, he still looks pretty damn good,” Glenn said. “He’ll be a challenge like he is with everybody else. We have to be on our P’s and Q’s defensively to make sure that we contain him.”
The Jets will have Azareye’h Thomas back at cornerback after he missed last week’s game. This will be a good test for the new-look secondary with Sauce Gardner gone.
Brandon Stephens has played well, and now he will have to slow down Zay Flowers in his return to Baltimore.
Four downs
The new guys: One of the reasons why it made sense to change quarterbacks is to get a better read on what the Jets have at wide receiver.
The offense was malfunctioning with Justin Fields at quarterback, and it was hard to evaluate the other offensive players.
The Jets are working in new receivers Adonai Mitchell and John Metchie III, both acquired in trades before the deadline.
Last week in New England, Metchie caught a touchdown. Mitchell had two key drops, but he was getting open.
With another week to learn the system and Tyrod Taylor at quarterback, they may have a bigger impact this week.
“I think they’ve done a tremendous job, both of them, coming in and absorbing the game plans,” offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand said. “When you get new guys in, you just don’t say, ‘Hey, go look at the training camp or spring install playbook,’ because it just would be too much. But you talk to them about, hey, here’s the install for that week, and they’ve both done a really, really nice job actually to picking that up, the nuances of some of the things.”
Oh, Henry: Lamar Jackson is not the only offensive threat the Ravens have. Derrick Henry continues to be one of the best running backs in football.
He may not approach last season’s stats, when he nearly rushed for 2,000 yards and led the league with 16 rushing touchdowns, but he is having a good season again.
He has 807 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
“There’s a reason one’s the MVP and there’s a reason one gets the rushing record every other year,” Jets defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said. “They are truly like a 1-2 punch. … You have to have a plan for these two.”
Decade of despair: If the Jets lose Sunday, that will lock up a 10th straight losing season.
They have been unlovable losers since going 10-6 in 2015. They would join these teams who have had streaks of 10 losing seasons or more: Buccaneers 14 (1983-96), Saints 12 (1967-78), Browns 12 (2008-19), Lions 10 (2001-10), Broncos 10 (1963-72) and Eagles 10 (1933-42).
If the Jets fall to 2-9, it will be their worst 11-game start since 2020, when they started the season 0-11 on the way to a 2-14 finish.
Hold the line: One of the things that has gone right for the Jets is consistency on their offensive line.
They have had the same starting five for every game this season. They lost guard Alijah Vera-Tucker in the week before the season opened but have not had any injuries since then.
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“We’ve been in a good spot with our health up front this year, and I think that’s a big part of it is just that continuity where you got the same five guys playing each and every game, but they’re just continuing to develop,” Engstrand said. “They’re continuing to show the physicality level that we want as an offensive line.”
Costello’s call
The Jets are 2-10 all time against the Ravens and have never beaten them in Baltimore, losing all six games in Charm City.
The last time the Jets won in Baltimore was Dec. 4, 1983, against the Colts. That doesn’t change Sunday.
The Ravens are finding their footing, and they need this one. Ravens roll to their fifth straight win.
Ravens 35, Jets 17
