Jets Country

Studs & Duds From Jets 24-9 Loss to Baltimore Ravens

Here are three studs and two duds from New York's loss to the Baltimore Ravens, including running back Michael Carter and safety Lamarcus Joyner.

Blake Pace

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The dust is starting to settle from the Jets season-opening loss at the hands of Lamar Jackson and Co. and, albeit a shaky performance overall, there were some positives to drive home with.

Several players that stood out in their season debuts and made strong cases for their individual expectations this season. On the flipside, there were those that will take this week’s film tape and bury it in their backyard.

Let’s highlight (and low-light) some of the more captivating Jets performances from Week 1.

Stud No. 1: Cornerback Sauce Gardner

One of the more intriguing storylines heading into Week 1 was just how the New York Jets would utilize their top rookie selection and No. 1 cornerback Ahmad Gardner. The result, spending most of his time on the left side but traveling with All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews in critical pass situations. Trusted in these high-leverage situations, Garden allowed just one catch for eight yards on 34 coverage snaps and a dazzling pass breakup thrown toward the end zone.

It’s a good thing to have a silent day at the cornerback position and Gardner did his part holding the Ravens aerial attack at bay, a continuation of what we’ve seen from his college days in Cincinnati up to his first NFL preseason. There are some great matchups for Gardner on the horizon — facing Amari Cooper, JaMarr Chase and Diontae Johnson and Tyreek Hill over the next month — so hopefully his performance Sunday is a sign of good things to come.

READ: Jets' First-Round Picks Each Had Shining Moment in Season-Opening Loss

Dud No. 1: Lamarcus Joyner

Viewed as one of the two weak spots of its defense heading into the year, the free safety position for the Jets was abysmal in its week one showing.

While it was the blown coverage by nine-year veteran Lamarcus Joyner on the 55-yard touchdown throw to Rashod Bateman late in the third quarter that has him under fire, his day was filled with poor angles, missed tackles and abandoned assignments.

He finished the week with the third-worst safety grade by Pro Football Focus, and one of the two individuals below him played less than half his snaps. There isn’t the greatest depth behind him, but you can certainly start to wonder how long of a leash Joyner has defending the backend of the defense for Robert Saleh.

Stud No. 2: Running Back Michael Carter

After the Jets drafted running back Breece Hall in the early portion of the second round in the 2022 NFL Draft most presumed second-year player Michael Carter would fall back to the No. 2 spot on the depth. That day may still come down the road, but Carter showed early and often against the Ravens that he deserves to be the top ball-carrier for the Jets during the early part of this regular season.

Carter finished his season debut with 100 yards from scrimmage, gaining 60 of them on the ground in 10 attempts and the other 40 coming from his seven receptions. A staple from his game last season, Carter continues to be a bowling ball on the football field and refuses to get stuffed on first contact.

The former Tar Heel’s play, combined with Hall’s struggles and costly fumble on a well-developing drive, should keep him atop the depth chart into Week 2 and a focal point for this shaky Jets offense.

Dud No. 2: Guard Laken Tomlinson

One of the Jets several prize free agent signings this past offseason had a lousy debut Sunday, as guard Laken Tomlinson struggled mightily against the interior parts of the Ravens strong defensive line.

Tomlinson graded out as the league’s second-worst guard in terms of run blocking in Week 1 and, while his pass-blocking was slightly better and only fifteenth-worst among guards, the two averaged out as the fifth-worst overall for a guard.

The $40 million man was credited with allowing eight of the Ravens 11 quarterback hits, and third-year defensive tackle Justin Madubuike ate his lunch in pass protection. This Jets offensive line was looked at as a strength of the team after this offseason, but thanks to injuries to their tackles and limited reps in the preseason there was zero continuity or familiarity heading into Sunday. With Tomlinson struggling individually, there’s far more worry about this unit than what was initially anticipated.

Stud No. 3: Defensive Tackle Quinnen Williams

It’s nice to always highlight more positive than negative, so we’ll finish off with one final stud of the week. You could list several members of the Jets front line, but none stood out more than hopeful defensive cornerstone and ascending star Quinnen Williams.

Yes, the Ravens were without their top two running backs and a few offensive linemen, but Williams consistently brought pressure up the middle and was immovable in the run game. His play earned him a 92.1 overall grade by PFF — third best among defensive tackles — and was the second-best at getting to the quarterback from the interior.

There were high expectations for the former No. 3 overall pick heading into this season, as the excuses of depleted talent around him no longer rang true. With a stout and deep defensive line around him, Williams showed exactly why he was highly touted coming out of college and could be primed for a breakout campaign.

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Blake Pace
BLAKE PACE

Covering the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated, Blake Pace is an Upstate New York native and a James Madison University alumnus. He previously served as the Sports Editor for JMU’s student-run paper The Breeze, and is a former contributor to SB Nation’s Stampede Blue. 

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