5 Reasons Why the New York Jets Must Beat the Baltimore Ravens

For most teams, a 2-1 start would be something to be pleased about. But for the New York Jets, who have Super Bowl aspirations, their Week 3 loss to the Oakland Raiders is raising serious concern. The Jets' normally stout defense let Darren McFadden and the Raiders run all over them and several costly penalties and mental mistakes cost them a potential win and 3-0 start.

Now the Jets must regroup as they travel to Baltimore to face the 2-1 Ravens. Baltimore has blown out the Steelers and Rams this season sandwiched between a surprising loss to the Titans. Nevertheless, the Ravens are one of the most feared teams in the league and the Jets will have their hands full on Sunday night.

Although it's only Week 4, this game is a must win for the Jets if they expect to be playing in February this season. Let's examine five reasons why.

5. Rex Ryan's Ego

Rex Ryan believes that the Jets are the best team in football, and he has no problem with saying it to whoever will listen to him. 

A loss to Baltimore, making two consecutive losses would make Ryan eat his words and leave serious question marks about if the Jets are really all Ryan makes them out to be.

Let's not forget also, that Ryan is facing his former team in Baltimore where he won a Super Bowl as an assistant. Although the Ravens players still respect Ryan, they will want nothing more then too put a whooping on Ryan and the Jets. Ryan has already lost once against his former team in the Jets opening game last season and another loss would be a huge hit to his ego.

4. Momentum

After winning their first two games of the season against the Cowboys and Jags, many Jets fans believed that a 3-0 start would be easy to come by as they traveled west to take on the Raiders.

However, Oakland had other plans and dominated the Jets in the second half before winning it 34-24. Now if the Jets fall this week to Baltimore, they fall even further into the pack at 2-2 which is the last thing a team in New York with Super Bowl hype wants to hear. 

It is well recognized that the New York media is one of the toughest in the nation, and two straight losses would send the critics into attack mode. Although this team has shown the ability to deal with adversity in the past, for Mark Sanchez particularly—negative criticism is the last thing he needs, already having fragile confidence. If the Jets lose, and play badly in the process, Jets haters will make themselves heard and the Jets will be headed in the wrong direction a quarter of the way through their season. 

3. Respect

Before the season, whether or not the Jets were serious Super Bowl contenders was hotly contested.

While many believed the Jets still had one of the league's best defenses, and an improving offense that put them among the AFC's elite, others believed that the Jets lost too much in the offseason and didn't do enough to improve their pass rush to contend with the Steelers, Ravens and Patriots. 

The Jets are 1-1 so far this season against serious playoff contenders (sorry, Jags fans) but they had to pull a win out of their hat against the Cowboys at home just to get that one. Now as they face the Ravens, likely their toughest opponent yet, it is time for the Jets to put up or shut up against a serious Super Bowl contender. 

If the Jets don't come out of Baltimore with a victory then whether or not they are serious contenders for the Super Bowl this season will again be highly in question. 

2. The Schedule

For the Jets, it does not get any easier this season. After they face the Ravens in Baltimore Sunday night the next five games for New York are at New England, vs. Miami, vs. San Diego, at Buffalo, vs. New England. In a word, yikes. 

Other then the Dolphins game, it is legitimately possible that the Jets will be underdogs in each of the other four games. Buffalo, San Diego, New England as well as Baltimore are serious playoff contenders. If the Jets are 2-2 heading into that five-game stretch they will be facing an uphill battle all season long.

However, if they are 3-1, then they are right in the mix and can afford a 3-2 result in those five games before the home stretch of their schedule. 

1. The Division

The Jets expected the Patriots to be good this season. What they didn't expect? A third team in the AFC East from upstate New York to be a legit threat at a playoff spot.

Don't look now, but the Buffalo Bills are 3-0 and they just beat those Patriots in dramatic fashion, not to mention a win over the Raiders—the team that just made the Jets defense look average.

Tom Brady and the Pats aren't exactly going anywhere either. Brady put up historic numbers over the first two games and after throwing four INT's last week he will be playing with a chip on his shoulder for the rest of the season.

The Jets now will have to avoid getting lost in the shuffle. Although it's possible, conventional wisdom says that three teams from the same division will not make the postseason, so somebody is going to be left out. If the Jets fall two games behind Buffalo (who play the lowly Bengals next week) after Week 4, it could very well be them.