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Ravens coach John Harbaugh got 18 questions from reporters Wednesday. His coordinators got a combined 20 questions Thursday.

In the middle of preparations for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets, the coaches heard just three questions about the Jets. But really, even those questions were kind of about the Ravens. All three focused on former Ravens quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who was formally named the Jets’ starting quarterback Wednesday.

With the Ravens’ offense fluctuating, their defense rising and quarterback Lamar Jackson’s ankle ailing, interest has been elsewhere this week in Owings Mills. The rebuilding Jets (2-8) and their 36-year-old QB1 feel like an afterthought.

“Obviously, he can still play — you can see that on film — so we have to be ready for him,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said Thursday.

The Ravens (5-5) can’t afford to look ahead to their Thanksgiving night game against the Cincinnati Bengals. A fifth straight win would push them above .500 for the first time this season. A loss, meanwhile, would be maybe the Ravens’ biggest upset since Jackson’s arrival in 2018.

Here’s what to watch in their Week 12 game at M&T Bank Stadium. All stats are courtesy of Sports Info Solutions and the NFL’s Next Gen Stats unless otherwise noted.

1. Jackson was sacked 23 times all of last season. He’s already been sacked 23 times this season. That was news to him Thursday.

“Damn,” he said, before half-joking: “I got to talk to the offensive line about that.”

Sunday’s game will feature four quarterbacks intimately familiar with the displeasure of being sacked. Of the 46 quarterbacks who’ve attempted at least 30 passes this season, Jackson and backup Tyler Huntley rank second (13%) and fourth (11%), respectively, in sack rate. Not far behind are Jets quarterbacks Justin Fields (10.4%) and Taylor (9.9%), who are sixth and seventh.

With Fields benched, Taylor will be making his second start of the season. In three appearances for the Jets, he’s 43-for-69 (62.3%) for 379 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s also taken nine sacks and rushed 14 times for 80 yards.

“We have to be ready for everything,” outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy said Wednesday. “Tyrod, obviously, was named the starter, but they can always have a package for Fields, so we’re going to be ready for everything. Tyrod, he’s done a good job everywhere he’s gone. It seems like he’s always had something go against him, somehow, someway in his career, but he still finds a way. [I] respect him and all that he’s put into this game. He’s a seasoned vet, and he’s going to be ready to come out and show what he can do.”

2. The Ravens were desperate for takeaways during their 1-5 start. The Jets’ turnover drought has been even worse, and far longer.

The Jets have gone 10 straight games without an interception, tying the longest such streak in NFL history, according to ESPN. They have just one takeaway overall, by far the fewest over the first 10 games of a season in the Super Bowl era. The Jets’ defense has suffered mightily without those big plays, allowing 46.3% of opponents’ drives to end in a score, the NFL’s fourth-worst rate.

“To have one takeaway at this point in the season, it’s tough to even imagine that, because you have tipped balls, you have things like that, that you usually get interceptions on,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn told local reporters last Friday. “I don’t know if it’s bad luck.”

Maybe the Jets are due. But Jackson probably won’t help their cause much. Despite his up-and-down play since returning from a hamstring injury in Week 9, his turnover-worthy-play rate (2.1%) in that span is the seventh best among qualifying quarterbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.

If the Ravens can take care of the ball and take advantage of a turgid Jets offense, they could put the game away early for once. The Ravens haven’t entered halftime this season with a lead of more than eight points. The Jets, meanwhile, have entered halftime with the lead just once.

3. The Jets dealt star cornerback Sauce Gardner before the trade deadline in early November, leaving a familiar face as the team’s top corner: Brandon Stephens.

A former third-round pick of the Ravens who played in 65 games from 2021 to 2024, starting 48, Stephens signed a three-year, $36 million deal with the Jets in March after a disappointing final season in Baltimore. While the Jets’ defense has been one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments this year — it ranks 30th in DVOA, according to FTN — Stephens hasn’t been a weak link.

After allowing a career-worst 53 catches for 778 yards and four touchdowns last season, Stephens has given up just 22 catches for 282 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games this year. His 0.83 yards allowed per coverage snap, a measure of play-to-play efficiency, are just behind those of Ravens cornerbacks Nate Wiggins (0.77) and Chidobe Awuzie (0.71) and well ahead of Marlon Humphrey’s (1.25).

Stephens’ resistance to big plays has powered his turnaround. Last year, he was often picked on downfield, giving up an NFL-worst 10 catches for 278 yards on passes of at least 20 air yards. This year, he’s given up just two deep completions for 68 yards. Stephens told local reporters Wednesday that he was “forever grateful” for the lessons he learned in Baltimore.

“The game’s simple,” he said. “You just have to play your technique, play the call, and just let your feet and eyes take care of everything else. But they’ve got good players all around. We’re excited for it.”

4. The Ravens have turned into one of the NFL’s most flag-averse teams this season. But at this point last year, they couldn’t avoid penalty trouble.

In a Week 11 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, they were flagged 12 times for 80 yards. A week later, in a win over the Los Angeles Chargers, they drew nine penalties for 102 yards. The Ravens entered December leading the NFL in flags per game (8.4). They finished the season tied for the second-most penalties overall.

After an offseason focused on addressing those struggles, especially with the offense’s presnap operation, the team is now tied for sixth in the NFL in fewest penalties per game (5.8). The Ravens were called for just four flags Sunday in their win over the Cleveland Browns, their fewest since Week 3.

“We’re unbelievable in terms of offensive penalties,” offensive coordinator Todd Monken said Thursday. “We haven’t had procedural [penalties], and we’re not holding. But you know what matters? Is that we don’t have penalties this week, that we’re great on third down, that we’re able to run it this week, that we’re able to throw it this week. Just like anything, right? If you go 0-for-4 in baseball the day before, you know what matters now? Fricking today — that’s what matters right now.”

5. For the first time since a forgettable opening month, the Ravens are expected to end Week 12 atop the AFC North.

The Ravens are 13.5-point favorites over the Jets. The Steelers (6-4), meanwhile, are 2.5-point road underdogs against the Bears. Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers was a limited participant in practice Thursday, and he could have to play Chicago with a brace on his fractured left (non-throwing) wrist, which he injured in a win Sunday over the Bengals.

With a win over the Jets, the Ravens’ odds of winning the AFC North would improve only slightly, from about 81% to 83%, according to The New York Times’ playoff simulator. With a loss, they’d fall to 69%.

If the Ravens win and the Steelers lose, Baltimore’s division title odds would rise to 87%. With a Ravens loss and a Pittsburgh win, however, they’d drop to 60%.