Why Jets face insurmountable challenge against Ravens in Week 1

For the Jets, veteran Joe Flacco will start at quarterback instead of Wilson, who may not play until Week 4 because of a right knee injury.  Exploiting the Ravens' secondary will be more difficult with Flacco, who is 2-11 in games he has started since 2019. 

The Jets probably won't be able to rely on their run game to pick up the slack versus the Ravens, whose rush defense ranked first in the NFL last season in yards allowed (84.5 ypg).

Defensively, the Jets should be strong against the pass this season, especially with the addition of first-round cornerback "Sauce" Gardner, who wasn't targeted in the preseason. But the Ravens' strength on offense is the running game, which ranked third in the league last season.

The Jets have several talented interior linemen, notably Quinnen Williams, but their middling linebackers were a major reason why the defense ranked 29th against the run in 2021.

When the Ravens pass, they often turn to star tight end Mark Andrews, who finished last season with 1,361 yards and nine touchdowns. The Jets don't have a good cover linebacker or safety to defend against the big-bodied Andrews. 

In 2021, New York was fourth worst in the NFL at covering tight ends, allowing them 65.5 yards per game.

Without Wilson, the Jets could find themselves in deep trouble from the get-go.