While there is still plenty of noise regarding Lamar Jackson’s contract, the NFL season is edging ever closer with each day passing.
Teams around the league have already been forced to make the cuts in order to register their 53-man roster for the upcoming season, while organizations will be hoping they have a better idea of where they are at ahead of the opening weekend following the conclusion of a three-week preseason.
Indeed, the Baltimore Ravens are one of those teams that will be counting down the days to their season opener against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on September 11.
And, it would be for good reason…
Ravens Have a Strong Record Against the Jets
While the two franchises do not meet all that often, the Ravens appear to be able to get a win on the board the vast majority of the time that these two teams compete against each other.
In fact, the record currently stands at 9-2 in favor of the Maryland franchise, with Lamar Jackson leading the line on one of those occasions.
The quarterback was in position for the last meeting between these two teams, back in December 2019 and managed to lead his team to a 42-21 victory in front of a home crowd.
According to the stats by
Stat Muse for that game, he managed 15-for-23 (65.2%) and throw for 212 yards as he recorded 5 touchdowns on the night. Moreover, he had a passer rating of 134.4 and was sacked just once without recording an interception.
Indeed, he almost had a perfect night out in the middle of the field.
Lamar Jackson's Top 5 Plays
Of course, when it comes down to trying to pick out the best plays of the game from the player looking to try and get his contract situation sorted out as soon as possible as he enters the final year of his rookie deal, many will instantly name the five TD’s that he managed to throw for.
Clearly, it would be very difficult to name any other plays considering that the aim of the game is to score as many points as possible and beat your opponent, and with touchdowns the best way, it is clear he had far too much for the Jets on the day.
Jackson recorded his first touchdown in the first quarter when he completed a 5-yard pass to Miles Boykin, before completing a 1-yard pass to Mark Andrews in the second quarter.
He added a further two to his name in the third by completing a 24-yard pass to Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and then a 33-yard pass to Seth Roberts before throwing a 10-yard pass to Mark Ingram in the final quarter of the game.
Some will argue that while he managed to find a different target for each of the scores, the 33-yard and 24-yard passes are particular highlights, and many will be hoping they see something similar when the two teams take to the field once again.
Ravens vs Jets Week 1 Preview
Naturally, with the 2022 NFL season about to get underway, many will be looking to try and predict what will happen, with some in Maryland even likely to place bets on the game.
Indeed, with sports betting now possible in the state, punters are now able to access the
BetMGM Maryland odds for the Ravens’ first matchup against the Jets on September 11 and use these to try and predict what might happen in the game between the two sides on Week 1.
Some may be thinking about points totals and whether it is worth going over or under the target set, considering the two teams put 63 points on the board in 2019, while others may be looking at prop bets involving Jackson and other stars on the team.
However, are the Ravens sure-fire favorites to win against the Jets?
Many will assume that they are given the New Yorkers' problems over the last few years, but there are signs that this game could be difficult for the Ravens.
Gang Green has been able to add quality to their roster in the offseason via free agency and the 2022 NFL draft. They also had a difficult cut period because of the depth that they had available to them on the chart.
Furthermore, the team had managed to go 3-0 in the preseason, with the team coming from behind in each game to obtain victories.
Ravens Will Feel Confident About Their Chances
There is no doubt, however, that Jim Harbaugh’s franchise will be full of confidence come September 11 that they will be able to start their 2022 NFL season in the best way possible and with a win on the board.
As previously highlighted, the head-to-head between the two football sides favor Baltimore ultimately, while the organization also had a 3-0 preseason campaign.
The Ravens also have many of the
sport’s biggest stars that they missed last season and are a team that many know can dominate the field whenever they take to it because of their star power in each position.
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Of course, American football can be a difficult sport to predict at times because it is not won on paper and is won out on the gridiron, and if a team’s players are not able to execute the game plan in the desired way, then there is every chance that they can get beat.
However, with Harbaugh at the helm and Jackson playing in a year that arguably matters more to him than anything else in the world given the contract situation, you should be able to expect to see the Ravens come out victorious, even if the Jets are a lot better than what they once were.
