Ravens 23, Jaguars 7: Jacksonville Fails to Play Complimentary Football ... Again

The Jaguars' defense showed up on Sunday. The offense and special teams, however, did not.

While all the results may not have been to the liking of the Duval Devout, the past two games to take place at EverBank Stadium were both in prime time. Unfortunately, they were also losses as the Jacksonville Jaguars (8-6) finish 1-3 against the AFC North with the Baltimore Ravens (11-3) winning tonight, 23-7.

The common thread continues to raise itself, but with the twist of special teams added to the struggles along with the typical unforced errors on offense. 3^rd down conversion and penalties were an issue once more. On top of that, quarterback Trevor Lawrence had a baffling fumble running the ball for a first-half turnover.

Normally, kicker Brandon McManus would be there to at least boot in three points from a distant field goal to provide some comfort. However, McManus missed 50 and 55-yard kicks on a windy night so the Jags went into the locker room down 10-0 at the half.

That’s right . . . the Jaguars defense held the Ravens quarterback Lamar Demetrius Jackson and their offense to only 10 points in the first half. For all the video graphics on the NBC broadcast and armchair analysts commenting on Jackson getting upwards of seven seconds to throw on certain plays, Rayshawn Jenkins snagged a pick and forced an intentional grounding in the first half.

Moreover, at the opening of the second half, Jenkins bagged Jackson for a sack which forced a stop that prevented the Ravens from jumping to a three-score lead. That’s when Lawrence found Jamal Agnew for the 65-yard score for Jacksonville’s only points for the night.

Beyond that, the Jags' offense was mostly dormant for the rest of the contest – including a red zone turnover with 7:30 left in the game with the score 20-7. The defense managed to hold it to a Justin Tucker chip shot field goal for the Ravens as the final points on the scoreboard.

The defense held Baltimore to two-of-five in the red zone while sacking Jackson three times with less than 200 yards passing is a series of high points. That being said, it will be a memory erased by the big runs allowed, Lawrence, entering concussion protocol, and Zay Jones’ hamstring injury in this crucial loss.