The Jets have tough matchup against the Baltimore Ravens and their MVP candidate in Lamar Jackson on a short work week, as the two team faceoff on Thursday Night Football in Week 15.
Jackson, the final quarterback taken in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft, where Jets QB Sam Darnold was selected third overall, poses a challenge for any defense because of his dynamic playmaking skills.
But Jets head coach Adam Gase knows it's just as important to keep up with an opposing offense sometimes as it is to shut them down. That's the case with the Ravens and Jackson, the coach said on Monday.
"We have to play well as an offense. We can't be going three-and-out and giving them more opportunities than they're already going to get," Gase said. "That's the hardest thing about calling plays, you feel like every play is valuable, there's no throwaway plays."
A lot of the Ravens' potential successes will have Jackson involved. Gase is seeing what many others are seeing in the dual-threat QB.
"(Jackson) runs their offense very well. Obviously how they're running the football now is as good as you've ever seen," Gase said.
"He's making all the throws... they're being creative," the coach added.
A lot of the Jets' potential successes will have to do with Darnold, and against his former 2018 draftee, he knows it.
"We have to do our job, it doesn't matter who's on the other side," Darnold said.
"Lamar is a great dude," Darnold added. "He's always bringing up everyone around him. I can't say enough good things about him."
While the Ravens offense is the unit that garners the most credit, and deservedly so as the second-best offense in the NFL in terms of yards per game (408.2 average), their defense, sitting at No. 6 (314.6 average), isn't far behind and will be a test for the Jets as well.