Ravens-Jets preview: Week 1 NFL guide, analysis, prediction

The first full Sunday of the 2022 NFL season features a season opener AFC matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Jets in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

FOX Sports’ staff of NFL writers has assembled a guide to every Week 1 contest. Be sure to check back throughout the coming season for weekly matchup analysis and game predictions.

Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Jets (1 p.m. ET, CBS)

Overview: The Jets are trying to prove they’re not losers anymore. The Ravens are trying to prove they remain Super Bowl contenders. Jets quarterback Joe Flacco, who will start in place of an injured Zach Wilson, might have a revenge game in mind, but that won’t be enough to overcome the talent gap between these two teams.

New York is still rebuilding. Baltimore has continuity under John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson. Those two will make for a tough opponent for every NFL team.

Matchup to watch: Ravens WR Rashod Bateman vs. Jets CB Sauce Gardner

There might not be a more fun matchup between young playmakers around the NFL. Bateman had a quiet rookie season while dealing with an injury, but it is clear the Ravens expect a major breakout in year two, partly because their wide-receiver room is devoid of top talent aside from him. Gardner, the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft, gets a chance to show why the Jets believed in him.

Key stat: Jackson will be making his 50th regular-season start. He is 37-12 (.755) in 49 career regular-season starts and can become just the sixth QB in NFL history to win at least 38 of his first 50 regular-season starts.

Prediction: Baltimore doesn’t have to be one of the AFC’s elite to take care of New York in Week 1. The Jets are constructed in a way where they might need time to find their footing. The Ravens, meanwhile, are built completely around Jackson and I have zero doubt that, with his contract situation still unsettled, he will go off against this spotty defense. Ravens 31, Jets 13 — Henry McKenna