Welcome back to another edition of 5 Questions, a weekly collaboration with other SB Nation sites to preview the Ravens’ upcoming matchups. This week, the Ravens are playing the New York Jets so MacGregor
Wells of Gang Green Nation is on hand to answer Baltimore Beatdown’s questions about Week 12.
1. Since 2009, when the Jets hired ex-Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan as their head coach, they have generally fielded strong defenses. It seems like the team still has a defense-first philosophy based on their last few head coach hires, but how does that comport with trading away two of their best defenders?
I’m not sure we can assume the Jets have a defense first philosophy because new head coach Aaron Glenn is a former defensive back and former defensive coordinator in the NFL. Glenn seems more inclined to focus on the offense than prior defensive coordinators hired to be head coaches for the Jets. My impression is he is more focused right now on getting the offense right. The Jets spent their first two picks and three of their top four picks under the new regime on offensive players in 2025. They also signed two top players to big new contract extensions in the offseason. Cornerback Sauce Gardner and receiver Garrett Wilson got extensions; only the offensive player, Wilson, remains. We’ll see what happens in the next two drafts, but I’m pretty sure some of the five first round picks the Jets have over the next two years will be spent on a quarterback and a receiver. In short, I don’t think the Aaron Glenn regime is focused primarily on rebuilding the Jets defense. I think the current focus is much more on rebuilding the offense.
2. Speaking of the Jets’ massive moves at the deadline, how do fans feel about trading away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams? Is there more frustration about one player or the other, or are fans upset about the general idea of trading away beloved, talented players at premium positions?
I think Jets fans are mixed in their feelings about the Williams and Gardner trades. Those were arguably the two best players on the team. Some Jets fans are upset the Jets are being stripped down to the studs, so to speak, and do not appear likely to be competitive until 2027 at the earliest. Others may miss Williams and Gardner, but they believe this was likely the best way to gain the draft assets necessary for the total rebuild the Jets have often seemed to need but rarely have committed to.
3. The Jets will be starting Tyrod Taylor on Sunday, who will be familiar to Ravens fans as one of Joe Flacco’s former backups. Justin Fields has better numbers as a passer and a runner for both traditional and advanced stats. Why is Taylor getting the nod? Have the Jets given up on Fields?
Taylor is replacing Fields because Fields has looked completely lost in too many games this season. He has had a few excellent games and many unimaginably horrific games. He appears unable to run a traditional NFL offense. Since the playoffs are out of reach and Fields is not improving, the Jets felt it was time to make the switch to Taylor. Taylor won’t give you the highs of Fields at his best, but he also won’t give you the level of incompetence of Fields displayed all too often. With the focus now on evaluating young players for 2026 and developing young receivers, the Jets feel that Taylor provides the best shot at giving the receivers a chance to develop and be properly evaluated. I don’t think there is any illusion that Taylor will come out and light it up. The Jets are just looking to avoid the 60 yards passing type of games Fields was providing on a regular basis.
Have the Jets given up on Fields? They say no, but I think they really have given up. Fields might start more games this season as Taylor seems to always get injured before too long. But I do not believe Fields has any chance of starting for the Jets next year, and he probably won’t be on the team.
4. How about another old friend? Fans in Baltimore were frustrated with Brandon Stephens’ inability to turn and find the ball, but he seems to be playing better in New York. Has he improved on that weakness, and has he turned out to be a good value on his $12 million APY contract?
Stephens started out the season playing poorly and not getting his head turned around. However, after four or five games he started to turn things around (including his head), and lately he has played quite well. If he continues his recent level of play, that $12 million APY contract, which looked pretty terrible earlier, could ultimately turn out to be a bargain. It’s too early to make that conclusion yet, but things have been moving in the right direction for Stephens.
5. How thankful are the Jets that the Ravens developed a starting quarterback, a starting cornerback, and a long-running defensive culture for them? Just kidding. However, there have been a number of ex-Ravens players, coaches, and executives that made their way to New York over the last 15 years, starting with Ryan and continuing through this offseason. Why is that?
I don’t think there’s any great mystery about this. The Ravens have been one of the NFL’s best franchises for decades. The Jets have been one of the worst. In trying to change the direction of the franchise it was only natural for the Jets to look to emulate a team like the Ravens to provide a blueprint and the ingredients for a successful makeover. It hasn’t worked out too well after the early success of Rex Ryan in 2009 and 2010, for various reasons that mainly go back to the Jets owner, Woody Johnson, being an impulsive and inept moron, but it certainly was worth a try to copy a successful franchise like the Ravens.
