Baltimore Ravens vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 5 Questions Ahead of Sunday Night Football
The Baltimore Ravens are set to square off against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a critical AFC matchup just weeks away from the start of the playoffs.
To learn more about the Ravens' opponent, we spoke with Jaguar Report publisher John Shipley.
1. Trevor Lawrence has had quite the rollercoaster for the past two weeks. He was injured against the Bengals and struggled against the Browns. How does he look now and do you think he can get past this against the Ravens this week?
Lawrence's injury seems like yesterday's news for the Jaguars. He maybe isn't 100% in terms of soreness, but he didn't seem to have many mobility issues against the Browns. Lawrence and the coaching staff have said this week that they thought he moved around well on the field last Sunday, and Lawrence has been a full participant in practice this week.
How will this impact him vs. the Ravens? The big thing I think of is fewer designed runs from Jaguars OC Press Taylor. The Jaguars have used Lawrence's athleticism in the run game frequently in the past, but I wouldn't expect it this week.
2. The Jaguars defense has also struggled in the last two weeks, giving up 30+ points to the Bengals with Jake Browning and the Browns with Joe Flacco. How can they adjust against Lamar Jackson?
That is the story of the week. The Jaguars gave up three wide-open touchdowns last week, in large part due to miscommunication in the back seven. Their linebackers have struggled in coverage in recent weeks, the pass-rush hasn't gotten home, their blitz packages have shot them in the foot, and their injuries in the secondary have led to some blown coverages.
The Jaguars can fix this against the Ravens simply by communicating better. You can chalk up most of their allowed explosive plays in recent weeks on communication issues all over the field, which is entirely in the Jaguars' own control.
Lamar Jackson
© Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
3. What’s the Jaguars’ ceiling this season?
Second-round of the playoffs? The Jaguars entered this season with Super Bowl aspirations. After an 8-3 start and a decisive victory over the Texans a few weeks ago, it even seemed in reach. But injuries all over the team in recent weeks -- namely to Tyson Campbell, Andre Cisco, Christian Kirk, and Cam Robinson -- have severely handicapped this team. The defense has fallen off a cliff and the offense hasn't been able to play consistently. I can see them winning a Wild Card game, but I don't see much beyond that.
4. If the Jaguars win Sunday’s game, what’s the reason why?
Their defense reverted back to early-season form. The Jaguars had one of the NFL's best defenses before the bye week, with their defense being the primary reason for their 6-2 start to the season. But since the bye week, the Jaguars have given up 30+ points on three different occasions. If the defense can get it's stuff together this weekend like they have before, then they have a prayer.
5. What's your prediction for Sunday's game?
I don't think the Ravens will have much trouble with the Jaguars. The 49ers' proved that the Jaguars can't block elite front 7's, while the injuries on both sides of the ball are just too much.
Ravens 30, Jaguars 10.
