The Baltimore Ravens were missing several key starters in their season opener against the New York Jets, but they ultimately took home the dub. Here’s the pivotal turning point from the game.
It was a messy Week 1 showing from the Ravens, who struggled to get their offense going in the first half. Lamar Jackson made a few impressive plays on his feet yet didn’t generate his usual sparkling chemistry with Mark Andrews and looked rusty early on in the game.
Jackson did find Rashod Bateman on an absolute bomb of a throw in the third quarter, but Bateman wasn’t necessarily the man of the hour.
Instead, a very underrated wideout stole the show: Devin Duvernay.
The third-year receiver recorded two touchdowns, the second of which arguably changed the tide of the game.
https://twitter.com/PFF_Ravens/status/1569040170225205251
Devin Duvernay provided an unexpected spark to Ravens’ offense in Week 1
Duvernay served the Ravens well as a reliable special teams stud for the last two years and has been touted to enjoy a productive Year 3 as the expected No. 2 wideout for the team.
Already in Week 1, Duvernay has scored as many touchdowns as he did all of 2021, and he was able to carry the Ravens’ receiving load for much of the game.
Duvernay finished with a stat line of four catches for 54 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 13.5 yards per catch.
Baltimore eventually found its passing groove after the first half, but there were definitely times when it looked like the Jets could get back into the game. A stalwart Ravens third-down defense stopped the Jets from sustaining drives, and all the team needed was a bit of improved quarterback play from Lamar Jackson on the offensive side of the ball.
Jackson found Duvernay in the red zone with a sniper pass roughly halfway through the third quarter, extending the Ravens’ lead to 17-3. That score changed the momentum of the game and gave the Ravens a hefty advantage heading into the last stretch of the game.
Overall, a solid showing from the Ravens in their first game of the 2022 season. Devin Duvernay significantly upped his stock and will be one of the most coveted fantasy wide receivers in the coming weeks…