New York Jets vs Baltimore Ravens
The Kings of the North (again). A 15.5 spread in favor of the Ravens entering the game, that proved true as ever. Just as expected, the Ravens annihilated the Jets 42-21. There was a slight glimpse of the Jets making it competitive early on, but the game unraveled quickly, and MVP front-runner Lamar Jackson led the charge from his very first drive of the night, and Baltimore was able to clinch the AFC North in primetime.
New York Jets
Quarterback
- Sam Darnold: 18/32, 218 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 1 Fumble (lost), 1 sack | 1 carry, 11 yards
Sam Darnold started off the night strong. Under distress multiple times – a common theme this season – but made the necessary, improvised throws to keep the chain moving. Some dropped passes didn’t help his cause, but that’s not to make any excuses. Darnold threw an avoidable interception before halftime, and lost a fumble early in the 3rd. Turnovers haven’t been an issue in recent weeks, though they have been a problem for Darnold since his days at USC. You may not have caught it live (I didn’t), but Darnold looked frustrated with head coach Adam Gase late in the 4th quarter on the sideline. Frustration is clearly kicking in late in the season. That being said, Darnold’s days as a fantasy streamer this season are over heading into Championship week.
Running Backs
- Le’Veon Bell: 21 carries, 87 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 1 yard
- Ty Montgomery: 2 carries, 5 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards
Le’Veon Bell reached a season-high 87 yards on the ground against the Ravens. Yes, I said season-high. Not hitting the 100 yard mark once this season is a major cause for concern; chalk it up to weekly offensive line play, or Gase’s inability to game plan for him. It’s surely a mix of both, especially Bell’s involvement in the pass game, or lack thereof. He was only targeted twice in this game, which is inexcusable. Good for only 10.8 points in full-PPR leagues, Bell enters Week 16 with another tough matchup at home against the Steelers. Ty Montgomery was a non-factor on offense once again, but he did contribute with some nice kickoff returns on special teams.
Wide Receivers/Tight End
- Jamison Crowder: 11 targets, 6 receptions, 90 yards, 2 TD
- Robby Anderson: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 66 yards, 2-pt conversion
- Vyncint Smith: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 40 yards
- Jeff Smith: 2 targets, 1 reception, 12 yards
- Daniel Brown: 2 targets, 1 reception, 4 yards
Throw the milk carton away. Jamison Crowder was found in this game, seeing a team-high 11 targets, catching six of them for two scores. He’s very fortunate he caught a tight sideline grab for his first score, seeing as the very play prior, he dropped the easiest pass you’ll ever see. Still, Gase seemed to shy away from him to kickoff the second half, which is its own issue in itself. When the Jets offense is moving, Crowder is usually involved. He doesn’t have a favorable matchup next week against Pittsburgh, though the Steelers notoriously have trouble against slot receivers. Robby Anderson had four catches of his own, his longest going for 41 yards; that was Crowder’s longest too. Anderson has posted double-digit points in four straight weeks, and could be in play as a FLEX for Championship Week 16. Vyncint Smith and Jeff Smith are not fantasy relevant. The same can be said for Daniel Brown, who will be the tight end the rest of the season as Ryan Griffin was placed on IR on Thursday with an ankle injury.
Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback
- Lamar Jackson: 15/23, 212 yards, 5 TD, 1 sack | 8 carries, 86 yards
- Robert Griffin III: 0/1, 0 yards | 4 carries, 6 yards
What more is there to say about Jackson? Firstly, he broke Michael Vick’s single-season rushing record by a QB (now 1,040 yards and counting) on Baltimore’s first drive of the game. He missed only eight pass attempts on the night, and five of his 15 went for touchdowns. He was simply incredible, and the MVP award appears to be a lock come seasons end. So much for a quad injury. With the Browns on tap for Week 16 and the North clinched, as long as Action suits up, he’ll aid a lot of fantasy players in winning their ‘ship.
Robert Griffin III came in to spell Jackson, but that was late in the game. If for whatever reason he doesn’t play next week, I certainly am not comfortable streaming RG3.
Running Backs
- Mark Ingram II: 13 carries, 76 yards, 2 TD | 2 targets, 1 reception, 10 yards
- Gus Edwards: 5 carries, 35 yards
- Justice Hill: 4 carries, 15 yards
So much for the positive of the Jets run defense. Entering the game, the Jets held the league’s lowest YPC against, but Mark Ingram II had no problem finding success on the ground. He was strong early on, and was able to find the end zone twice (one rush and one through the air); he could have had a third, but was denied on the goal-line. He’ll be a confident RB2 next week against Cleveland. Gus Edwards had his typical involvement, but will enter Week 16 as the handcuff he has been all season. Justice Hill, who over the summer many believed would have a more prominent role this season, was not a factor. Perhaps in 2020 he will.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
- Marquise Brown: 4 targets, 4 receptions, 45 yards, 1 TD
- Mark Andrews: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 52 yards, 1 TD
- Willie Snead IV: 1 target, 1 reception, 15 yards
- Miles Boykin: 1 targets, 1 reception, 5 yards, 1 TD
- Hayden Hurst: 2 targets, 1 reception, 19 yards
- Seth Roberts: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 66 yards, 1 TD
Plenty to praise here on the Ravens offense. With five touchdowns to cover, let’s begin with the wide receivers. Seth Roberts had the most yards, hauling in all three of his targets for 66 yards and a score. Marquise Brown was next, catching all four of his targets for 45 yards and a toe-draw touchdown in the back of the end zone. Miles Boykin and Willie Snead IV each had one target and one reception, though Boykin ended up scoring on his. The only WR worth starting if you need to next week will be Hollywood.
Onto the tight ends. All week Mark Andrews had an injury tag to his knee earlier in the week, and many believed he may have actually missed this game due to the short week from Sunday. Well, he suited up and saw a team-high seven targets on the night. One his four receptions was a second attempt touchdown; he originally scored, the play was called back on a late penalty, and four plays later his score counted for real. Hayden Hurst had just one catch on the night, a 19 yard grab on the opening drive. Andrews is the only tight end worth starting as long as he is active.
(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)