Three Keys: How Jacksonville Can Capitalize on Primetime
Week 9 of the NFL season places the Jacksonville Jaguars under the brightest lights thus far with a slim turnaround window.
The Jaguars (5-2) will be in Baltimore to face the Ravens (4-4) on Thursday Night Football at M&T Bank Stadium. Thursday marks the clubs’ first matchup in Baltimore since 2020 when Jacksonville was topped 40-14. Neither team has won back-to-back meetings in the last 10, and the Ravens took the most recent, 23-7 on Dec. 17, 2023.
Now, the Jaguars gear up for their first of three primetime games this season and face the injury-riddled Ravens who are riding a three-game losing skid.
Here are three keys for Jacksonville to notch its first win in Baltimore since 2015.
Take Advantage of Banged Up Quarterbacks
This contest was circled for a multitude of reasons when the NFL schedule was released in May. A Trevor Lawrence vs. Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson matchup was on the radar of many and the back-and-forth nature of the AFC duel made for an interesting contest. Now nearly six months later, the hype has cooled.
Jackson, the two-time MVP, has dealt with injuries for much of the season, but made his return from a high ankle sprain last week. After throwing his first pass of the day against the Buffalo Bills, his hand collided with Greg Rousseau’s, and Jackson was ruled out for the remainder of the game and in need of thumb surgery.
With Jackson sidelined, backup quarterback Tyler Huntley came in, but the injury bug continued to plague the Ravens. Huntley played just three full drives and completed two passes before being sacked and suffering a turf toe injury. He was ruled out in the second quarter and third-string slinger Joe Fagnano took over the rest of the way.
Fagnano, a 25-year-old rookie, was named the starter for Thursday’s contest on Wednesday. He signed with the Ravens after going undrafted, having spent four seasons with Maine and three with UConn, posting 10,718 yards, 93 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in his collegiate career.
“He’s got some baller in him,” Jacksonville coach Liam Coen said. “He’s got great anticipation and he’s accurate. Obviously, was thrust into a difficult situation this past Sunday, but with a week of preparation, I would fully anticipate him to come out and be able to play a little bit more confident than maybe this situation he was put in on Sunday.”
The Ravens played competitive football when Jackson was out, but Thursday is another challenge. The Huntley-led squad beat Atlanta in Week 5, but dropped the next three games, and averaged just 11 points per game in the stretch.
Now with the inexperienced Fagnano at the helm, Jacksonville should expect Baltimore offensive coordinator Declan Doyle to be conservative in his play calling. Fagnano completed 10 of his 21 passes, threw a pick and was sacked three times against Buffalo. Jacksonville’s relentless front five and stout secondary have the opportunity to feast on Fagnano’s impending mistakes.
Keep Derrick Henry on a Short Leash
Like Jacksonville’s matchup last week, it must prepare to face one of the most productive running backs in the NFL. The Jaguars are no stranger to Derrick Henry, who has dominated them in the past.
Henry has yet to face the Jags as a Raven, but he spent the first nine years of his career with the Tennessee Titans and has played them 15 times. He has averaged 104.3 yards per game and a touchdown against the Jags. Henry’s second-best career rushing performance came against Jacksonville in 2018 when he added 238 yards and four touchdowns in the Titans’ victory.
The 32-year-old Henry remains atop the NFL. He has been the league’s No. 2 rusher every season since 2022 and has posted more than 1,500 rushing yards in back-to-back seasons.
“He looks really good,” Jags defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said. “He’s one of the greatest running backs of all time, in my opinion. A guy that big, that fast, that elusive finishes runs at an elite level his entire career. And I would say he’s still in that range.”
Jacksonville’s run defense has allowed a league-best 77.4 yards per game and has not seen a 75-yard rusher in 24 consecutive games. Henry has surpassed that mark three times this season, but has been held to under 60 in the last three contests.
“You have to over-prepare for everything,” Campanile said. “It’s a challenge on a short week. It’s been a lot of work and not too much sleep.”
Trevor Lawrence Needs to Keep Rolling
Jacksonville’s star quarterback is just 310 yards from reaching the 2,000-yard mark.
Lawrence is on pace to throw for 4,104 yards this season, which is just 10 yards shy of setting a career high. Lawrence’s 17 touchdowns through seven games is also the league’s third-best, just behind Joe Burrow and Kirk Cousins.
Lawrence has posted more than 200 yards in all but two outings this year, including two 300-yard performances.
“His ability to show up and do those boring things, the simple things or things that maybe other people think are boring at a high level and exceptional level every single day is rare,” offensive coordinator Grant Udinski said. “That contributes in a large part to his consistency that you see on Sunday.”
The Ravens’ secondary sits at No. 21 in the NFL, allowing 228.3 passing yards per game. Despite being composed of defensive cornerstones like Kyle Hamilton, Marlon Humphrey and Malakai Starks, Baltimore has just four interceptions. Just one pick has been from a defensive back (Hamilton).
Lawrence has done well at taking care of the football this season, and has not appeared flustered when the pocket breaks down. He has converted turnover-worthy plays into highlight ones, and will have the opportunity to capitalize once more on primetime.
Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video with coverage on WRUF 98.1 FM/850 AM.
Category: Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL
