By Jeff Zrebiec, Zack Rosenblatt and Devon Henderson
Despite a relatively quiet offensive showing, the Baltimore Ravens extended their win streak to five, outlasting the New York Jets 23-10 on Sunday in Baltimore. The Ravens move to 6-5 on the year, while the Jets drop to 2-9.
Through just over a quarter of play, the Jets and Ravens had already combined for five punts and only five first downs. A 13-yard receiving touchdown by Jets receiver John Metchie III opened the scoring at 6:29 in the second quarter — and simultaneously doomed New York. This game became the 10th straight matchup in which the Jets scored first — and lost. It’s the second-longest such streak of all time.
Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor started the game over the benched Justin Fields. Taylor managed 222 yards on 17-of-28 passing, with one touchdown pass. On the flip side, two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson of the Ravens accumulated 164 total yards (153 passing and 11 rushing) and zero touchdowns.
Ravens running back Derrick Henry found success on the ground, tallying two touchdowns and 64 yards. His performance moved him past Hall of Famers Marcus Allen, Edgerrin James and Marshall Faulk on the all-time rushing list, where Henry now sits at 12th with 12,294 career rushing yards. If he rushes for more than 18 yards in his next game, Henry will pass Jim Brown, who is currently No. 11 with 12,312 yards.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense aren’t right
Jackson has been downplaying questions about his health for weeks, but on Sunday it appeared obvious that injuries are holding him and the Ravens’ offense back. Jackson, who has missed practice time in each of the past two weeks with knee and ankle injuries, seems reluctant to run. Even when he does run, he lacks the speed and elusiveness that he’s been known for throughout his career. Jackson’s timing as a passer has also been off in recent weeks.
The Ravens’ offensive struggles don’t end at quarterback. Baltimore’s offensive line also appears to be struggling on a weekly basis, and the team isn’t running the ball as successfully as they have in the past. To Jackson’s credit, he’s doing enough to keep the Ravens on the winning side and he’s avoiding back-breaking mistakes. But if they are going to make something of this season, the Ravens need Jackson and the offense to be better. — Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens beat writer
Jets’ defense runs out of fuel
An outmatched Jets defense had a stellar first half and shut down the Ravens’ offense, but eventually the group ran out of steam. In the first half, the Jets held Baltimore to 72 total yards and were pressuring Jackson more or less consistently. Some unfortunate mistakes in the second half — like a third down defensive pass interference penalty from Tony Adams in the third quarter — helped to make things easier on the Ravens’ offense.
By the end of the afternoon, the loss felt like a clear deficit of talent more than a Jets team that out-and-out lost to a Baltimore team with designs on the playoffs. The Jets are in the moral victory stage of the season, and so being within a touchdown in the fourth quarter and leading in the first half are small glimmers of promise in a lost season — especially if the defense can continue to show signs of life over the Jets’ final six games. — Zack Rosenblatt, Jets beat writer
Costly Hall fumble kills Jets’ comeback attempt
There was a moment in the fourth quarter where it felt like the Jets offense was going to mount a comeback effort by riding Breece Hall in the passing game (finally). Hall followed a 40-yard reception with a 14-yard catch, and then at the end of an 11-yard run near the goal line he fumbled it away. The turnover pretty much ended any hope the Jets had of staying in the game, though it was at least encouraging that offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand finally got Hall more involved in the passing game. — Rosenblatt
Jets find new weapon
On another positive note: The Jets appear to have found a potential asset at wide receiver in Metchie, who was acquired in a trade deadline deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. For the second straight week, Metchie was the Jets’ best and most consistent pass catcher, and it’s clear that he and quarterback Taylor — who had an up and down day but clearly provided an upgrade over Fields in the passing game — have chemistry. Metchie scored the Jets’ lone offensive touchdown and finished with six catches on seven targets for 65 yards. He’ll be a restricted free agent this offseason, and he has already played well enough to think that the Jets will want him to return in 2026. — Rosenblatt
The Ravens’ playoff fate will be largely decided over the next three weeks
With five straight wins, the Ravens have steadied the ship and are over .500 for the first time this season. However, for all the work that they’ve done to dig themselves out of their 1-5 hole, the Ravens’ regular season will be ultimately defined by what happens in the next three games. They face the Cincinnati Bengals on Thanksgiving. Then, they host the Pittsburgh Steelers. And then they head to Cincinnati for Week 14.
The Ravens have a chance to take firm control of the AFC North during this stretch. They also could see their playoff hopes go up in flames. They’ve done their part to put themselves in this position, but they’re still struggling to put a full game together. They’ll need success on both sides of the ball to get out of this three-game stretch on top of the AFC North. — Zrebiec