Retour
The Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars have met 24 times, with Jacksonville holding a 13-11 all-time advantage. The teams have alternated victories over their last 10 meetings, with Baltimore claiming the most recent matchup in 2023. The Jaguars enter Thursday night's contest as the favorite, looking to build on their convincing 42-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
The Jaguars will also be without defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton and safety Eric Murray, both of whom were recently placed on injured reserve. Those absences could create opportunities for Baltimore, but the Ravens have significant roster questions of their own.
Joe Fagnano has earned his first NFL start with Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley injured. The latter will join Jackson on Baltimore's injured reserve, putting the undrafted rookie signal-caller in the spotlight.
Make no mistake. All things considered, Baltimore is facing one of its toughest challenges of the season. Here are five bold predictions for Thursday night's matchup, one in front of a national audience.
Trevor Lawrence is completing 65% of his passes this season, as he continues to excel under Liam Coen. The Ravens have struggled to contain opposing passing attacks, making this a potentially difficult matchup for a secondary that has surrendered too many yards through the air. Baltimore did manage to force two turnovers against the Buffalo Bills, and that performance could provide a little momentum.
Jacksonville has made life miserable for opposing running backs. That makes a traditional ground-and-pound approach difficult to envision for Baltimore, especially with Henry coming off an inconsistent stretch. The Ravens will need more than simply handing him the football and hoping he breaks through.
Fagnano faces an enormous challenge in his first NFL start, but there are reasons to believe he can produce a few encouraging moments. Jacksonville has limited preparation time for an unfamiliar quarterback, and the Ravens can use that to their advantage by keeping the game plan manageable and giving Fagnano opportunities to make quick decisions.
Jacksonville has scored at least 30 points in four of its first seven games, and the offense is coming off a 42-point performance against the Indianapolis Colts. Lawrence and Coen have developed a productive partnership, and the Jaguars have enough weapons to challenge a Baltimore defense that hasn't consistently stopped opposing offenses.
Jacksonville enters this matchup with considerably more stability at quarterback and momentum after some impressive (and dominant) performances. Baltimore, meanwhile, looks nothing like the team most thought they'd be this season.
Fagnano is being asked to navigate a difficult matchup in his first NFL start. The Jaguars have enough offensive firepower and defensive playmakers to take advantage of those circumstances.