The Ravens were on their third QB and had a predictably ugly performance in a blowout loss to the Jaguars.
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, left, tackles Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Fagnano (12). (AP Photo/Stéphanie Scarbrough)
(AP Photo/Stéphanie Scarbrough)
It was sad watching the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night.
It wasn’t that long ago that the Ravens were Super Bowl contenders. Many thought they could bounce back from a bad year and be a top team again this season. That’s one reason they were scheduled to play a prime-time game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9. But Lamar Jackson was injured early in the season, then again last Sunday, and Tyler Huntley was injured as well.
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That left the Ravens to face undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano, their third quarterback, on Thursday night. He played with an injured ankle and faced a rainstorm most of the night. He was the only option the Ravens had left, and the results were predictable. The Jaguars caught the Ravens at just the right time and had an easy night in a 33-10 victory. The Ravens finished with 57 passing yards.
The Ravens (4-5) have some decisions to make before the trade deadline. They are reportedly close to trading for Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett, and while that will make for a functional offense, Brissett is unlikely to save the season. Jackson could return from a right thumb injury, but that’s no guarantee, and the Ravens could be well out of the running by the time he’s healed anyway.
Thursday night was a bad, non-competitive game. The Jaguars (6-2) are clearly one of the best teams in the NFL this season, but virtually any team would have beaten Baltimore on Thursday night. There was nothing the Ravens or Fagnano could do no matter how many tricks they had in their game plan. It was an unwinnable situation, which could also be the case for the rest of the season.
Crows try to be delicate
The Ravens started in a wildcat formation with Derrick Henry getting the first snap of the game at quarterback. There were more wild plays, extra linemen and every other trick the Ravens could imagine. Henry even completed a pass on the first drive.
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No amount of trickery could save the Ravens. The Jaguars are a good team with a solid defense and Baltimore couldn’t move the ball. The rain didn’t help. Baltimore had 27 passing yards in the first half. His longest run was 7 yards and his longest play was 9 yards in the first two quarters.
Baltimore was trying to stay in the game until Jacksonville made a big play late in the half. Against a blitz, Trevor Lawrence found Parker Washington downfield and he was in the clear to run for a 50-yard touchdown. Lawrence totaled 197 passing yards in the first half, more than six times what his counterpart Fagnano had at halftime.
Washington’s touchdown made the score 17-3. It’s hard to count an NFL team out with one half remaining, but it was hard to believe Baltimore would score 14 more points, let alone trail Jacksonville by 14.
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The Jaguars are moving away
Coming out of halftime, Ravens head coach Jesse Minter optimistically told Amazon Prime Video that he wanted to see his offensive score on the first drive and see what happened after that. The Ravens threw an interception on the first drive.
The Ravens led 20-3 when they got a break, as Travis Hunter fumbled and Baltimore recovered near midfield. But the Ravens failed to get a first down, and on fourth-inch tight end Mark Andrews, lined up for what looked like a push, missed the snap. It looked like he was going to turn around and put it back, but it didn’t matter because he couldn’t hold on to the ball.
It was that kind of evening. The Jaguars also caused some of these problems. Their defense is very good and the offense is capable of scoring a lot of points if there is no pouring rain. They have a good chance of making a deep playoff run.
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The same could have been said about the Ravens before Jackson’s latest injury. Brissett will be an improvement over what we saw against the Jaguars, but there was a reason he was demoted to third overall by Arizona this week and was then available in a trade. The Ravens season is probably going nowhere. Things could look even worse in Baltimore between now and Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Jack Baer
Jack Baer
Jack Baer
According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, this is the first time in the Ravens’ 31-year history that they have lost three straight games by at least 20 points. They at least get a long rest before “Monday Night Football” against the Los Angeles Chargers next week, at which point trade acquisition Jacoby Brissett should be ready to go.
Jack Baer
Somehow the game wasn’t as close as the score made it seem. The Jaguars are coming off a loss to a Ravens team starting its last resort at quarterback.
Trevor Lawrence had a few moments of genius, and that was all Jacksonville needed to make this game one-sided from the start.
Jack Baer
Joe Fagnano isn’t thriving, but he’s not stopping either. He scrambles and makes a guy miss to convert a 3rd and 9.
Jack Baer
This 3-yard run brings Justice Hill to 77 on the night. He had 65 on one score, but that’s still enough to break a 24-game streak of the Jaguars defense not allowing a 75-yard rusher, assuming he doesn’t lose any of those yards.
One Raven somehow broke that streak in this game, and it wasn’t Derrick Henry.
Jack Baer
And now a 3-and-out for the Jaguars, who throw it all the way to the Ravens 13-yard line.
Jack Baer
Jack Baer
Judge Hill regains some dignity with a 65-yard touchdown. It at least brightened up what was left of the crowd.
Jack Baer
Jack Baer
Chris Rodriguez Jr. hits him from two meters on a direct snap. 7:26 remaining in a classic “sim to complete” game.
Jack Baer
Jack Baer
The Ravens’ final three drives resulted in turnovers while gaining nine total yards. This is incredibly awful football.
Jack Baer
Looks like the Ravens are about to lose a fumble on the kickoff return. The Jaguars’ challenge after LeJohntay Wester was overturned by contact and the replay makes it look like they’re going to win it.
Jack Baer
Cam Little is good from 33 yards.
The Jaguars have gained 50 total yards since halftime. That’s all they needed to put this game out of reach with 11:52 left.
Jack Baer
Jack Baer
Jourdan Lewis picks off Joe Fagnano at the Baltimore 23 and the Jaguars are probably about to score again.
Fagnano is 9 of 17 for 46 yards, 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Expectations were low tonight and, well, the offense acted accordingly.
Jack Baer
Cam Little is good from 47 after stalling the drive. Continue.
Jack Baer
The good news for the Ravens is that Kyle Hamilton is on the sidelines and doesn’t appear to be in distress. So it could just be a “why would we take that risk” type of exclusion.
Jack Baer
One way or another, things are getting worse for the Ravens.
Gn sports
