Ravens expecting Lamar Jackson vs. Joe Flacco showdown in Week 1
By Kristen Wong
Less than a week ago, it was speculated that Joe Flacco could face his former team, the Baltimore Ravens, in Week 1 of 2022. Now, those rumors carry much more weight.
In the preseason opener, New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson suffered a knee injury that required surgery, and the latest reports claim Wilson could be out for anywhere between 2-6 weeks.
While the Jets no doubt hope he recovers as soon as possible, New York will also want to treat their potential franchise quarterback with extra precaution.
A source out of Jets camp recently disclosed that Jets’ backup quarterback Joe Flacco is “all but assured” to be the starter for Week 1, which means Jackson and the Ravens could face a very, very familiar face at the beginning of the season.
“Joe Flacco is all but assured to be the Week 1 starter,” says one #Jets’ team source. NY hosts Lamar Jackson and the #Ravens at MetLife.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 16, 2022
If it’s Joe Flacco vs. the Ravens …
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) August 16, 2022
Flacco would become the 2nd QB in NFL history to start a season opener against a team they previously won a Super Bowl with as the starter, per @EliasSports.
The only other time this occurred was in 2014, when Peyton Manning faced the Colts
Get ready for a Lamar Jackson/Joe Flacco face-off when the Ravens play the Jets in Week 1
With less than a month to go until Week 1, the news confirmed what has already been highly speculated. The former Ravens legend is set to square off against the new face of the franchise in what should be a highly entertaining matchup for a host of reasons.
As ESPN’s Jamison Hensley notes, Flacco would be only the second quarterback in league history to play a season opener against his former team (and one he won a Super Bowl with), putting him in an exclusive group with former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
The showdown between two very different quarterbacks poses as a must-watch battle in Week 1: in the aging Flacco, the Jets still have an accurate and quick passer with a few surprises up his sleeve.
In Lamar Jackson, the Ravens have a unique dual-threat weapon who, despite some analysts’ opinions, hasn’t yet been figured out by the league.
Flacco’s 11 seasons in Baltimore may give him an edge against his former team, yet we’d expect head coach John Harbaugh, who coached Flacco for all those years, to come prepared with an air-tight defensive plan.
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Get out your popcorn for this sizzling season-opening matchup. It’ll be a memorable one.