Ravens-Jaguars: Week 15 Preview, Prediction, Where to Watch
Week 15: Jacksonville Jaguars (1-12) at Baltimore Ravens (8-5)
When
Sunday, Dec. 29, at 1 p.m. at M&T Bank Stadium
Spread
Ravens minus-13
How to Watch/Listen
- Local Television: CBS / WJZ Ch. 13 (Baltimore)
- Stream: Ravens mobile app, Ravens mobile website, and NFL Game Pass
- Local Radio: WBAL (1090 AM/101.5 FM) and 98 Rock (97.9 FM)
Series History
Jacksonville leads the all-time series, 12-9. In Baltimore, the Ravens are 6-5, with the Jaguars winning the last game, 22-20, in 2015 at M&T Bank Stadium. The last time Baltimore and Jacksonville met was during the 2017 season when the Jaguars prevailed, 44-7, in London. Under coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens are 3-3 against Jacksonville.
By the Numbers
36 – Consecutive games the Ravens have rushed for at least 100 yards — the third-longest streak in NFL history — since Lamar Jackson became the Ravens’ starting quarterback in Week 11 of the 2018 season.
Notable
Entering Week 15, the Ravens rank No. 1 in the NFL in forced fumbles and No. 2 in fumble recoveries (11). With three games to play, Baltimore’s 24 forced fumbles rank second in single-season franchise history, just two short of the record (26) set by the 2000 Super-Bowl champion Ravens.
Player Spotlight
— Patrick Queen
The Ravens rookie inside linebacker is the NFL’s only defender with at least 50 tackles, one tackle for a loss, one sack, one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble return, and one touchdown.
Ravens Game Plan
Offense
The Ravens are No. 1 in the NFL with 173.8 yards rushing per game. Quarterback Lamar Jackson led the Ravens to a spirited 47-42 win over Cleveland last week. He carried the ball nine times for 124 yards, which was the most-ever by a quarterback on a Monday night, with a pair of touchdowns. Jackson also completed 11 of 17 pass attempts for 163 yards with a touchdown to Marquise Brown. Overall, the Ravens ran for 231 yards. Baltimore should be able to find yards on the ground against Jacksonville, which is ranked 30th in the NFL, allowing 145.5 yards per game.
Jackson will be able to attack Jacksonville's secondary, which is dealing with some struggles. Tight end Mark Andrews should be able to find space against the Jaguars' linebackers. Brown has struggled with drops throughout the year, and he'll be looking to show improvement over the final three games. Jacksonville allows 273.4 yards passing per game, which is ranked 28th in the NFL.
Defense
Both Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue will be playing against their former team. The Jaguars average 337.6 yards per game, ranked just ahead of the Ravens (341.8). Gardner Minshew will make the start at quarterback. Last week, he replaced Mike Glennon in the third quarter of a 31-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans. It was Minshew’s first appearance since Week 7. Minshew has thrown for 2,033 yards with 14 touchdowns and five interceptions over eight games. Baltimore will look to keep him under pressure. D.J. Clark leads Jacksonville with 591 yards receiving, followed by Keelan Cole (571 yards) and Laviska Shenault (441 yards).
Jacksonville's undrafted rookie running back James Robinson has been solid and has run for 1,035 yards over 13 games, third-best in the league. He is just the fourth undrafted rookie in NFL history to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing and the fastest to accomplish that milestone. Robinson will get plenty of opportunities against the Ravens, who are tied for 13th in the NFL, allowing 113.6 yards per game. Baltimore will try to shut down Robinson and force Minshew to win the game through the air.
Prediction
The Ravens are coming off a spirited win against the Browns, and will likely need to win their final three games to make the playoffs for a third straight year. As a result, Baltimore cannot afford a slip against Jacksonville. The Ravens are playing with more confidence and the offense appears to be clicking at a higher level. The defense has been solid but needs to play better in the fourth quarter. The Jaguars are already looking ahead to 2021.
Final Score: Ravens 44, Jaguars 14
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