Connections

Edition #218

Good morning!

Last night we saw some actual football that meant something, we’re also just a couple of days away from the Jets kicking off their 2022 season. Football is officially back and the Bills look like a hell of a team to beat.

I’ve been busy previewing the game all week, so if you missed any editions you can find a preview of the Baltimore Offense, Baltimore Defense, and an information breakdown on the Baltimore Rookies.

I also previewed the game and discussed Zach’s injury with Andres on the Jets UK Podcast, if you’re not already subscribed you can find us on Apple, Google, Spotify, and pretty much everywhere else, links are all HERE.

• Mike LaFleur met with the media yesterday and he called Micheal Carter the “heartbeat of our offense”, with the 2nd year man set to play a pivotal role alongside rookie Breece Hall. There is no RB1 in this system right now, the Jets are looking at those two guys as a double-headed monster capable of wearing down defenses.

• He also said that he studied 1,100 Michigan plays to get a feel for new Ravens defensive coordinator Michael Macdonald. McDonald spent considerable time with Baltimore before heading up Michigan’s defense in 2021, he’s known for his creativity and simplicity of system for the players.

• Duane Brown did not practice for a 2nd straight day and he is now having his shoulder evaluated, this is very bad news for the Jets. I wrote an article yesterday for Jets X-Factor detailing what I’d do if he can’t play on Sunday.

• If Brown is out for a significant period, I’d certainly be calling the agent of former Buffalo Bills tackle Daryl Williams who is still a free agent, but we also can’t just keep spending cap $$’s on tackles, at some point we’re going to hit a point where the rookie will need to play. Williams wasn’t overly good in 2021 with the Bills but for comparison, he was better statistically than Morgan Moses, so that’s a good reference point.

• Former Jet Jamison Crowder made his debut for the Bills last night playing 18 snaps and receiving 4 targets, he caught 3 of those for 28 yards. A nice solid start for Jamison in a loaded offense.

🚨 Injury Report

Let’s start with the Ravens. Nick Boyle being added to the injury report was due to a “rest day” and he’s set to play on Sunday, but Travis Jones and Ronnie Stanley both not practicing again is bad news for the Ravens. Stanley is working his way back from a long injury and the expectation is that the Ravens won’t push him. If Stanley can’t play then James will be the starting left tackle.

In terms of the Jets, Duane Brown is seeing a specialist on his shoulder, and chances are he won’t be playing on Sunday considering the lack of practice time. Justin Hardee being a full go is a great sign and he’ll be leading the special teams unit. George Fant is expected to play but there is some uncertainty on the availability of McDermott and Reed.

GAME INFORMATION

🏟️ Where: MetLife Stadium
⏰ When: Sunday 11th September, 6:00PM EST
❓Who: Baltimore Ravens @ New York Jets
👊 Head to Head: 11 games please, 2 wins, 9 losses.
🔙 Last Meeting: 12th December 2019, New York Jets 19-16 Baltimore Ravens
☁️ Sunday’s Forecast:

Connections

Last year I did a quick feature which people seemed to enjoy on the connections between our upcoming opponent and the Jets. So I’m bringing that back this year and we’re starting with the Ravens:

Joe Douglas - Our current GM started his career as a scout with the Ravens back in 2000, he worked for them up until 2015 when he bolted for Chicago. A lot of what Joe Douglas learned was under current Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome.

C.J. Mosley - Drafted by the Ravens out of Alabama back in 2014, he played with Baltimore up until 2019 when he signed for the Jets. He won four pro-bowls with the Ravens and was named 2nd team All-Pro on four occasions.

Joe Flacco - Drafted by the Ravens out of Delaware in 2008, Flacco was the face of the franchise for over a decade before leaving for Denver in 2019. He won and was named the MVP of Super Bowl XLVII and will be facing his former team for the first time on Sunday.

Greg Senat - Currently listed on the non-football injury list for the Jets, Senat started his career as a 6th-round pick of the Ravens out of Wagner. He spent his first year with the Ravens on injured reserve and then found himself looking for new employment the year after, he joined the Chiefs, Browns, Cowboys, Browns, and Colts before finding the Jets in 2021.

Chris Streveler - Everyone’s favorite new QB was actually a member of the Baltimore Ravens practice squad back in 2021 before signing with the Dolphins and then the Jets. Streveler never saw action with Baltimore but he saw plenty of Lamar Jackson, a player he is imitating for the sake of preparation this week.

Morgan Moses - The new Baltimore right tackle started 16 games for the Jets last season and despite being a welcome upgrade over the backups we had, he actually allowed a very high number of pressures. Michael Nania perfectly outlines this in his recent article.

Del’Shawn Phillips - An undrafted linebacker out of Illinois, Phillips first found his way to Atlanta before heading to New York via Buffalo. Phillips was a good special teams player for the Jets but with the signing of Kwon Alexander and the development of Jamien Sherwood, he was cut on August 30th before being claimed by Baltimore.

D'Anton Lynn - Currently serving as the Baltimore safeties coach, Lynn actually began his career with the Jets as an undrafted defensive back out of Penn State in 2012. however, despite his father being on the coaching staff (Anthony Lynn - Jets RB Coach at the time), he was released before the season. Lynn then joined the Jets scouting department in 2013 before serving as a seasonal intern in 2014.

Mike Devlin - Currently serving as the Raven’s assistant offensive line coach, Devlin was the Jets’ Tight Ends coach from 2006-2012 before moving to offensive line coach between 2013-2014, he left the Jets to coach under Bill O’Brien in Houston before joining the Ravens coaching staff this season.