In Week 12 of the NFL season, the New York Jets take a short trip south to meet the Baltimore Ravens. The Jets are coming off a primetime loss last Thursday to their division rivals, the New England Patriots. There’s usually not much intrigue surrounding a now 2-8 team this time of year, but the Jets did just make a huge change. The Jets are changing quarterbacks as Tyrod Taylor will get the nod this week over Justin Fields. This won’t overwhelmingly improve the offense, but Taylor is a much more effective passer than Fields. This will give the Jets a better chance to evaluate their offensive talent for 2026.
As for their opponents, the Baltimore Ravens are red hot right now. After losing four straight from Week 3 to Week 6, they have now won their last four games after their bye week. This surge of victories has gotten them back to .500 and in the hunt for the AFC North title. At the forefront of their recent success has been the return of Lamar Jackson. He adds a lot to both their run game and passing game. Since his return, the Ravens have had 486 yards rushing, which is good for 162 a game. Their defense has also vastly improved since the acquisition of Chargers safety Alohi Gilman. From Weeks 1-5, the Ravens defense was allowing 35.4 points per game. Since they acquired Gilman in Week 6, they are allowing a mere 14.8 points per game.
New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens: Key Matchups to Watch
Jets Running Game vs Ravens’ Improved Defense
As already alluded, the Ravens’ defense has vastly improved since the acquisition of Gilman. What this has allowed Baltimore to do specifically is play their elite safety, Kyle Hamilton, closer to the ball. As a result, the Ravens have only allowed 96.6 rushing yards per game since Week 6. However, this will probably be their toughest matchup yet.
The Jets are a top rushing offense in the league right now. They are averaging 141.6 rushing yards per game, which is fifth in the NFL. The Jets struggled last week against the Patriots’ elite rushing defense. However, if the Ravens offense overwhelms the Jets early enough, they may have to scrap the run game altogether. If the game script stays neutral, this matchup will be one to watch.
Zay Flowers vs Jarvis Brownlee Jr.
Jarvis Brownlee Jr. is a young, promising player on an otherwise disappointing Jets defense. At least, that was the consensus a few weeks ago. Perception has unfortunately shifted pretty quickly, though. Brownlee has had two very bad games over the last two weeks. Over the Jets’ last two contests, Brownlee has allowed 10 catches on 13 targets for a total of 125 yards and one touchdown. He’s also had six total penalties called on him in these two games, despite not having any penalties in his previous games for the Jets.
He has another tough matchup this week in the slot with 2024 Pro Bowler Zay Flowers. He leads the Ravens by a landslide in targets, catches, and yards from the slot with 31, 25, and 303, respectively. This is a major matchup that the Jets will have to win in order to take home a victory on Sunday.
Adonai Mitchell vs Nate Wiggins and Chidobe Awuzie
One of the stories of the Jets game against New England last week was the struggles of Adonai Mitchell. He had three drops in that contest, which made for a very disappointing debut. However, his route running against premier cornerback Christian Gonzalez looked excellent. This matchup is intriguing because it depends on how Tanner Engstrand deploys him this week.
The Ravens’ cornerback duo does not travel with opposing wide receivers. Nate Wiggins predominantly mans the left side, while Chidobe Awuzie mans the right side. Last week, Mitchell lined up out wide on each side nearly an equal amount of times (11 left, 12 right). If the Jets deploy him on the left, he’ll draw the more favorable matchup of Wiggins. The second-year cornerback has allowed 318 yards in coverage through 10 games, which is 33rd out of cornerbacks with at least 238 coverage snaps. On the other side, Awuzie has only allowed 178 yards in his 8 games played. On top of all of this, Mitchell will have a new quarterback throwing him the ball this week. Adonai Mitchell’s second appearance in green and white will be fascinating to watch unfold.
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