Welcome to the 5 Questions edition, a collaboration between SB Nation and other sites to preview the Ravens upcoming matches. MacGregor Wells, of Gang Green Nation, is here to answer Baltimore Beatdown’s questions for Week 12. This week the Ravens will be playing the New York Jets.

1. Since 2009, the Jets have fielded a strong defense. This is because they hired former Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to be their head coach. The team’s last head coach hires suggest that they still have a defensive-first approach, but what does this mean after trading away two of the best defenders in their roster?

Aaron Glenn, the Jets’ new head coach, is both a former defensive coordinator and defensive back in the NFL. I don’t think we can assume that the Jets are a defensive-first team. Glenn appears to have a more offensive-oriented approach than previous defensive coordinators who were hired as Jets head coaches. He seems to be more focused on the offense at this time. In 2025, the Jets used their first two and three of their four top picks to select offensive players under their new regime. In the off-season, they also extended contracts for two of their top players. Only Wilson remains on the offensive side. Both Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner, cornerbacks, got new contracts. The Jets will see what happens with the next two drafts. I am pretty confident that some of their five first-round picks over the next couple years will go to a quarterback or receiver. I do not believe that the Aaron Glenn administration is primarily focused on rebuilding the Jets’ defense. I believe the current focus is on rebuilding offense.

2. How do Jets fans feel about the trade of Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner? Are fans more upset with one player than another, or about the idea of trading away talented, beloved players in premium positions as a whole?

Jets fans have mixed feelings about the Williams-Gardner trade. These were two of the best players in the team. Some Jets fans feel that the Jets will not be competitive before 2027, if they aren’t stripped to the studs. Some Jets fans may miss Williams and Gardner but believe that this was the best way to get the draft assets needed for the Jets’ total rebuild, which they have always seemed to need but have never committed to.

3. Tyrod Taylor, a former Ravens backup quarterback who was known to Ravens fans for his work as a passer and runner, will start the Jets’ game on Sunday. Justin Fields is the better passer and runner in both traditional and advanced statistics. Why Taylor? Fields has been dropped by the Jets.

Taylor replaces Fields, who has appeared completely lost in far too many games during this season. He’s had some excellent games, and many unbelievably horrible games. He seems unable to run an NFL traditional offense. The Jets decided to switch to Taylor because Fields’ performance isn’t improving and the playoffs seem out of reach. Taylor will not give you Fields’ best moments, but he won’t show you his incompetence. The Jets believe that Taylor is the best option to give young receivers the chance to grow and be evaluated properly. Taylor is not going to be a dynamo. The Jets want to avoid Fields’ 60 yard passing games.

Has the Jets given in to Fields? They say they haven’t, but I believe that they have. Fields could start more games in this season, as Taylor always seems to get injured sooner or later. Fields will not be starting next season for the Jets, and I don’t think he’ll even be on the roster.

4. What about another old friend. Brandon Stephens was a frustration to Baltimore fans because he couldn’t turn or find the ball. But he is playing better in New York. Has he made any progress on this weakness? Is he a good deal for his $12 million APY-contract?

Stephens began the season with a poor performance and a lack of confidence in his own abilities. After four or five matches, Stephens started to improve (including his mind), and he’s been playing quite well lately. If Stephens continues to play at the same level, his $12 million APY deal, which initially looked awful, could end up being a bargain. Stephens’s career has been on the rise, although it is too early to draw any conclusions.

5. How grateful are the Jets to the Ravens for developing a starter quarterback, a cornerback and a defensive culture that has lasted for many years? Just kidding. There have been many ex-Ravens coaches, players and executives who moved to New York in the past 15 years. Ryan was one of them. Why?

This is not a great mystery. For decades, the Ravens have been among the best NFL franchises. The Jets were one of the worst. It was only natural that the Jets would look at the Ravens as a model for their makeover. The Jets’ attempt to emulate the Ravens, who were a very successful team in 2009 and 2010 after Rex Ryan took over, has not worked out well. This is due to a variety of reasons, which are mainly attributable to Woody Johnson being an inept and impulsive moron.