4 players who led the Ravens to victory in Week 1
By Kristen Wong
How about that for a Week 1 result? The Baltimore Ravens thumped the New York Jets 24-9 in the 2022 season opener, and a handful of players deserve kudos for their impressive performances.
Baltimore entered this game as the clear-cut favorites despite missing several key players like Ronnie Stanley, J.K. Dobbins, and Marcus Peters. Admittedly, the Ravens didn’t open on a strong note and struggled to generate offensive rhythm early on; New York, however, suffered all game from poor quarterback play from former Ravens faithful Joe Flacco and couldn’t quite penetrate Baltimore’s stiff run-defense and even better third-down defense.
The Ravens ended up running away with this game in the third quarter, and they can thank these four players for turning the tides.
Here are four players who led Baltimore to a resolute Week 1 victory.
Ravens player No. 4: Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson didn’t get a contract deal done in time and enters the 2022 season knowing full well that an injury could ruin his career.
Still, Jackson proved why the Ravens should empty their piggy bank to pay the franchise quarterback. Jackson is just that good.
In Week 1, Jackson recorded 213 passing yards and logged three touchdowns against one interception, and though he made some mistakes, he looked much improved from his 2021 form.
Jackson expertly read plays and weaved his way in and out of the Jets defenders, often times making something out of nothing and getting crucial downs.
Jackson’s favorite target has long been tight end Mark Andrews, but this game, he found Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay for some nice scores, which is a promising outlook for the Ravens’ passing attack.
As a dark horse for league MVP, Jackson played the most sizeable role in the Ravens’ win against the Jets, and he should only get better week after week.