Lamar Jackson, the Ravens and their three-game trip home is finally over. How can the Ravens, who narrowly avoided the Browns last week in Cleveland, avoid losing to an opponent that is a double-digit favorite?
Lamar Jackson, the Ravens and their three-game trip home is finally over. How can the Ravens, who narrowly avoided the Browns last week in Cleveland, avoid losing to an opponent that is a double-digit favorite?
We can be honest. Lamar Jackson’s performance has been lacking since his return. The only thing that stands out is his performance in the second half against Miami. This can be attributed to a number of factors, including poor play by the O-line and questionable play calls. Jackson hasn’t been at his best either. This doesn’t mean that he is no longer the NFL’s best quarterback. He’s just in a rut and needs to get back on track. You couldn’t have asked for a more perfect match. Jackson is playing at home for the first time since Week 3 of September. They are also facing a defense which has allowed 27 points or more in seven out of ten games.
Lamar Jackson’s biggest advantage is the way that the Jets blitz. Over the last three seasons, with Todd Monken at the helm of the Jets’ offense, Jackson has become arguably the best quarterback in the league against blitz. He is the best according to the numbers. This year, the Jets blitz at a rate that is among the top 10 in NFL. Sharp Football Analysis says that when the Jets blitz they cover man over 60% of time. The Jets’ poor record indicates that they’re not very good at man blitzing either. Think back to the Miami match mentioned above. This was another team that tried to man-blitz a lot but failed. Jackson should lock in now. Jackson must be at his best to counter this poor offensive line if the Ravens want to make a splash in January.
This issue is well known. It’s not necessary to keep bringing it up. It’s only important to know if they can fix it. Yes, the Ravens do have Lamar Jackson. It’s not a mistake if it seems simple. That’s the way he is at his best. What can the Ravens fix in the interim?
First, stop driving Henry in shotgun up the middle. I would stop Henry from running up the middle, but that’s not enough. If the Ravens want to run Henry up the middle, they should do it from the center with Patrick Ricard as the fullback. Aside from that, I would like to see Ravens spread out. The Ravens seem to tighten up their formations and then run Henry or that sprint-out. This play used to be a staple, but now teams know it and don’t want to risk leaving their positions to try to tackle Lamar Jackson. You’ll need to find another solution if the Ravens don’t want to use Jackson’s legs as a way to fix their red zone problems (they shouldn’t do that until January).
Preach it! Use players like Andrews, Likely and Bateman who have been successful red zone targets throughout their careers. Keaton Mitchell should be moved laterally. Use more screens near the 10-yard-line area. Incorporate more motion. Use trickery. Maybe not as extreme as hurricane tricks, but the point still stands. Break the patterns and try a different route.
The aggressiveness of Taylor was a major factor in Aaron Glenn’s decision to switch from Justin Fields. Glenn has been criticizing Fields’ conservative passing game for many weeks and wanting to shoot down the field. Glenn has even said that he is happy with a specific interception Fields made against Cleveland, because Fields was trying to be aggressive and pushed the ball. Glenn still wants more from his offense so he chose Taylor this week over Fields.
You can bet Glenn and Jets worked on shot plays all week, now that Taylor is in the game. Even when their defense started off poorly, the Ravens were able to limit deep shots. Early in the season they may have been to their detriment, refusing to change from two-deep shells and limit shot plays by having Kyle Hamilton and Malaki starks both deep. Now that Alohi Gillman has joined the team, they have moved Hamilton to the front. Recently, they have been intercepting opponent deep shots. The Jets will have multiple play plans and the Ravens must be prepared to exploit Taylor’s potential to force the ball downfield, if it is still not open. The Ravens can also use pre-snap glances to lure some of these throws.
The easiest way to have a good defense is to be aware of what’s going to happen. Breece hall and Justin Fields have helped the Jets to be among the top five teams in terms of rushing yards and yards per carry. According to Sumer Sports, they rank in the bottom 10 of teams for rushing EPA. The team is a team who will run the ball no matter what. This could be more of a sign of Fields’ confidence than anything else, but they will still run the ball.
In 2025 the Ravens struggled to be a good run defense, but they have had recent success in forcing opponents out of running situations. Travis Jones, John Jenkins and Brent Urban rotated heavily at the defensive line, as did C.J. Okoye and Taven Bryan have helped to keep the bodies fresh while focusing on creating negative runs for opposing offensives. The Ravens should be able to have great success if they can force Taylor and the Jets’ offense into clear-cut passing situations. Taylor is an experienced quarterback, but during this streak the Ravens put quarterbacks such as Matthew Stafford and Caleb Williams below the average game statistics. Taylor shouldn’t be any more difficult than those quarterbacks.