The Baltimore Ravens started their 2022 season off strong with a 24-9 win over the New York Jets in Week 1. They were able to hit on multiple big passing plays while putting pressure on the New York offense all day long.
Despite the win, Baltimore wasn’t able to do a few things that would have likely made the first part of the game easier for them. When listing off one change that each NFL team must make moving forward in 2022, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report named his choice for the Ravens as getting off to faster starts, mentioning the slow start that the team had in Week 1 against New York.
“Despite outscoring New York 10-3, Baltimore was outgained 172 yards to 92 in the first half. While the Jets managed 10 first downs, the Ravens had only five. Against a better team, the Ravens could easily have found themselves in a big halftime hole…Baltimore will have to figure out a way to start faster against the Miami Dolphins and beyond. That could mean getting more out of the ground game, which produced a mere 63 yards last Sunday—and getting J.K. Dobbins back in practice this week after he missed last year with a knee injury is a tremendous first step…It could mean making an earlier deep connection between Lamar Jackson and wideout wideout Rashod Bateman. While Bateman had just one catch for four yards in the first half, he burned the Jets defense with a 55-yard touchdown reception in the second…It could mean more designed runs for Jackson, who only rushed six times against New York.”
There were a few key factors in Baltimore’s slow start against the Jets, including weather, the lack of a run game and some of the starters knocking rust off. It will be important for them to start fast moving forward and establish a lead in games against other high-powered offenses, as it can swing the flow of the contest in their favor.