The Baltimore Ravens are used to getting bad news about roster injuries, but in 2022, fate may have sprinkled a little something fortuitous their way.
The Ravens will face the New York Jets in Week 1 of the 2022 season, a very intriguing matchup that carries pros and cons for both teams.
Baltimore could benefit from the triumphant returns of several starters like Ronnie Stanley, Marcus Peters, and J.K. Dobbins, yet a few previously injured players may not recover to full health in time.
Now, a recent development has tipped the scales dramatically in the Ravens’ favor: New York Jets’ offensive tackle Mekhi Becton suffered a serious knee injury in training camp and will potentially miss the entire season.
That means Baltimore’s defensive line will likely play against an unreliable backup right tackle like Jets’ Conor McDermott or Chuma Edoga, and based on how the Jets’ offense has struggled so far in camp, this marks a quiet victory for the Ravens.
With Jets OT Mekhi Becton expected to be out for the season, the Jets' tackle situation is not good. Ravens face the Jets in Week 1. Baltimore's much-questioned pass rush had a chance to start hot. https://t.co/j2MMuuRRlO
— Ryan Mink (@ryanmink) August 9, 2022
Ravens’ pass-rush gets a golden opportunity to impress in Week 1 against the Jets
It’s generally poor sportsmanship to cheer after a player gets injured, and Becton’s crippling injury is devastating no matter what NFL team you support.
The Becton news nonetheless drops a golden opportunity into Baltimore’s lap, and the team would be foolish not to capitalize on it. Can the Ravens’ pass-rush take care of business against an injury-ridden Jets’ O-line?
One of the more deflating stories of the Ravens’ offseason was losing out on Za’Darius Smith in free agency. Baltimore’s recent acquisition, Vince Biegel, suffered a season-ending injury himself, leaving the current pass-rushing corps dreadfully bare at the moment.
The projected starters for 2022 are Tyus Bowser and Odafe Oweh, with returning vet Justin Houston also serving as a crucial starting-caliber piece. Behind those three, however, only young and unproven outside linebackers remain: Daelin Hayes, Jeremiah Moon, and Chuck Wiley, to name a few.
As for the team’s defensive line, Calais Campbell or Justin Madubuike could feasibly record a few quarterback pressures, but the Ravens may need to add at least one more weapon to their pass-rushing arsenal.
A shaky offensive line and inconsistent young quarterback could spell chaos for New York come Week 1, and Baltimore will have its best chance of drubbing the down-bad Jets in the trenches.
Lamar Jackson and a revamped passing attack could also turn the tides, yet the Mekhi Becton news should motivate the Ravens’ defense to storm ahead into the 2022 season with no mercy.