The Baltimore Ravens came out with a 24-9 win over the New York Jets in Week 1 of the 2022 season. It was a game that started off slowly for Baltimore, but they were able to put together a dominant second half performance that included long touchdown throws, suffocating defense and more.
There was a lot to be learned from Sunday’s game, with plenty of takeaways as well. It seemed like a lot of Baltimore’s starters needed to knock some rust off, as many didn’t play during the course of the 2022 preseason.
Below we look at five takeaways from the Ravens’ Week 1 win against the Jets.
QB Lamar Jackson has a connection with young WRs
Jackson showed a connection with his young wide receivers on Sunday, hitting Rashod Bateman deep down the field for a 55-yard score while also throwing two touchdowns to Devin Duvernay. Baltimore took a risk in trading away Marquise Brown and deciding not to replace him until bringing Demarcus Robinson in, but so far so good for the group of pass catchers.
The Baltimore run game must improve
For a team that dominated on the ground in 2019 and 2020, the Ravens’ run game struggled in 2021. A big reason for that were the injuries the team suffered in running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards as well as offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, and with none of those players back for Week 1 of 2022 the ground game struggled again to the tune of 3.0 yards per carry. Baltimore must have balance on offense, so hopefully they can find a spark in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins
Ravens' DL has potential to be best in NFL
Baltimore defensive lineman Broderick Washington said before the 2022 season began that the team could have the best defensive line in the NFL. After strong performances by Justin Madubuike, Michael Pierce, Calais Campbell and even Washington himself in Week 1, the unit certainly can achieve what the third-year defensive tackle was speaking of, especially as they look to hopefully get rookie Travis Jones back sooner rather than later.
S Marcus Williams is worth his big contract
Baltimore made a big free agent splash during the 2022 offseason, signing safety Marcus Williams to a five-year, $70 million contract. He provides a back-end presence that the team hasn’t had since Earl Thomas III on the field in 2019. He showed up in a big way in his Ravens debut, leading the team in tackles with 12 while also intercepting Jets quarterback Joe Flacco. He added an extra element to Baltimore’s defense, which should help over the course of the year.
Baltimore needed to shake some rust off
The first half of the Ravens’ Week 1 victory wasn’t pretty. The offense went through many sloppy moments, but were able to put things together as the contest went on. A majority of Baltimore’s starters didn’t suit up in the preseason, as as things began to look more and more sharp in many areas, it was evident that they just needed to get into the groove of things.
