Back-to-back losses for the Jacksonville Jaguars have ignited a sense of urgency for this group as they will play host to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football.
Recap
Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars are coming off consecutive losses to AFC North opponents in the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns as they aim to get back on track this week. After suffering a high ankle sprain against the Browns, Lawrence was able to rehab throughout the week and get back on the field versus Cleveland although it came in a losing effort.
Lawrence had one of his worst performances of the season, although it felt like he played well enough to win the game. Trevor completed 28-of-50 passes for 257 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. It was far from a perfect game so he will have to play and take much better care of the ball if the Jags want to have any chance versus the number one seed in the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens.
Baltimore comes into this matchup as one of the hottest teams in the NFL as they’ve won seven out of their last eight games. Despite Lamar Jackson playing at an MVP level and being one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, this Ravens team leans heavily on their defense.
Second-year defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald has this defense humming and playing at an elite level this season. Baltimore’s defense ranks second in points per game (16.8), second in yards per game (284.4), fourth in passing yards per game (180.2), and they’re the best at taking down the quarterback as they rank first in the NFL in total sacks with 49 on the season. Second-year safety Kyle Hamilton has emerged as one of the premier safeties in the league and he is listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup after suffering an MCL sprain in his left knee the previous week.
Lamar Jackson and Todd Monken have found a great rhythm and balance in this Ravens offense in their first year together. Lamar, who has always been an explosive athlete, appears to have found a great connection with his wideouts and the play calling this season. Jackson has 3,578 total yards, 21 total touchdowns, and is graded as the 8th-best quarterback this season according to PFF. A group of skill position players that feature Mark Andrews, Odell Beckham Jr, Zay Flowers, and Rashod Bateman has helped make this the fourth-best scoring offense in the NFL.
Jacksonville’s offense will be without Christian Kirk again and that means both Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones will have to step up in his absence. Last week, both wideouts had a combined 27 targets and were only able to haul in nine of those passes. That’s not to say every play was on them, but they have to do better, especially versus a stout defense. Ridley, who has struggled with drops this season (6), will have a big test versus a top corner in Marlon Humphrey. Zay Jones will be looking to reciprocate his best game of his Jaguars tenure which came in a big-time win over the Ravens last season as he hauled in 11 receptions for 145 yards and had the game-winning two-point conversion.
Mike Caldwell and his Jaguars defense have a tall task versus one of the best quarterbacks and offenses in the game of football. The last two weeks they have allowed both Jake Browning and Joe Flacco to carve up their defense and will have to make a statement against a big-time opponent. Jacksonville’s front seven has been stout all season long as Foyesade Oluokun is number two in the NFL in tackles and their unit ranks fourth against the run. On the flip side, Jacksonville’s secondary ranks second worst in terms of passing yards allowed per game.
With major playoff implications on the line and potentially a late-season run at the number one seed in the conference, there is a lot for Jacksonville to fight for. The Jaguars have won only two games this season in front of their fans and will be looking to get a big one on primetime.