The Jets are in Baltimore Thursday night to face the Ravens in a clash of two teams headed in opposite directions.
The Ravens, with an MVP candidate in Lamar Jackson and a defense that hasn’t allowed 20 points in five weeks, are 11-2 and poised for the first seed in the AFC playoffs. The Jets, meanwhile, were mathematically eliminated from earning a playoff berth despite a comeback win over the lifeless Dolphins.
An upset over the Ravens would be one of the most shocking stories of this season, but it will take a lot for this Jets team to deliver it. Besides the injuries, which continue to afflict the Jets, the offense looks inept even against the worst defenses and isn’t designed to compete in a shootout. Against the red-hot Ravens, they’ll need to score on almost every position to stay competitive in this game.
Here are four things you need to know for the Jets’ Week 15 clash.
Best run defense vs. best run offense
The Jets allow a league-low 3.0 yards per attempt and the 31st-fewest yards per game (78.8).
The Ravens average league-high in yards per game (200.3), yards per rush (5.5) and rushing touchdowns (18). The trio of Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill provide a menacing backfield and that’s not even including the dynamism of Lamar Jackson – who is the NFL’s ninth-leading rusher.
This doesn’t bode well for the Jets, who gave up 65 rushing yards to Ryan Fitzpatrick just a week ago. The 112 rushing yards they allowed to the Dolphins was the second-highest all season. They’re also coming off a short week with a bevy of injuries to their starters. It’ll be tough to stop the red-hot Ravens.
Best defense Darnold has faced since Patriots
Sam Darnold hasn’t been good against top defenses this season. The Ravens will be the best defense the Jets offense has faced since the Patriots in Week 7 when they failed to score a single point and only put up 154 yards of offense. Darnold was especially horrid and had his worst career game, completing 11 of his 32 passes for 84 yards with four interceptions and a fumble.
The Ravens defense isn’t as good statistically as the Patriots, but they’re still fourth in total DVOA and third in pass DVOA. They’ve only allowed more than 20 points twice all season – and teams like the Patriots, Texans, Rams, and 49ers scored a combined 50 points. The Jets don’t have nearly as good an offense as those teams and Adam Gase should be worried going against a defense that blitzes a league-high 53.9 percent on dropbacks.
Robby Anderson is on a hot-streak
If there’s one shining spot in the Jets offense, it’s the re-emergence of wide receiver Robby Anderson. The fourth-year player is entering a pivotal stretch before he hits unrestricted free agency and he’s making the most of it. He’s tallied back-to-back games of seven catches for more than 100 yards, and he’s totaled 18 receptions for 303 yards and two touchdowns over the past three games.
The Jets need Anderson to build on his recent success, but it won’t be easy against a fantastic Ravens secondary led by safety Earl Thomas and corners Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters and Brandon Carr. Baltimore hasn’t allowed a 100-yard receiver since the Browns’ Jarvis Landry in Week 4 and they’ve allowed the ninth-fewest passing yards per game in the league (219.0).
Injuries keep coming
Week after week, injuries have decimated the Jets. This time is no different, with four starters already ruled out and another four questionable to play Thursday night. If Jamal Adams (ankle), Quinenn Williams (neck) and Arthur Maulet (calf) miss the game, the Jets will be down to a bare-bones defense against arguably the best offense in the league right now.
Coaching creativity won’t save the Jets in this one. Their best hope is for no more injuries to come Thursday night and for the Ravens to be merciful on offense.
