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The Jacksonville Jaguars delivered a commanding 33-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football in Baltimore, improving their record to 6-2. The team now enjoys a lengthy break before their next road matchup against the Tennessee Titans on November 15.
Offense: C
While the offense earned a C grade, it was a night where a solid, slightly-above-average performance sufficed. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence connected on key deep passes to tight end Nate Boerkircher and wide receiver Parker Washington, helping Jacksonville build a 17-3 halftime lead. Running back Bhayshul Tuten ran with determination despite concerns about his availability, and Ameer Abdullah and Chris Rodriguez contributed to clock control in the second half. Head coach Liam Coen noted after the game that the team left points on the field, and he was correct: the Jaguars settled for Cam Little field goals after reaching the Ravens' 21-, 26-, 27-, and 23-yard lines. Travis Hunter fumbled on his only touch of the game, and rookie offensive guard Emmanuel Pregnon was flagged for three false starts. With 10 days until their next game, there is ample time to address these issues.
Defense: A
Everyone from Baltimore to Duval knew the Ravens' plan with an undrafted free-agent rookie quarterback making his first NFL start: feed Derrick Henry, who had historically feasted against the Jaguars during his time with Tennessee. That was then; this is now. Jacksonville never allowed that strategy to gain traction, holding Henry to just 57 yards on 11 carries, including only 6 yards in the second half. The Jaguars' run defense was stout (aside from Justice Hill's 65-yard run against substitutes in the fourth quarter) in their first game without nose tackle DaVon Hamilton, and they secured interceptions from Jourdan Lewis and Montaric Brown. Notably, Hill's touchdown with 7:15 remaining in the game was the Ravens' first first down of the second half. Baltimore converted only 4 of 14 third downs.
Special Teams: A
Cam Little made four field goals look routine and has now connected on 34 of his last 36 attempts over his past 17 games. Punter Logan Cooke averaged a season-high 52.0 yards on three attempts. Jalen McCleod alertly recovered a fumble by LaJohntay Wester on a kickoff return after Wester was initially ruled down.
Intangibles: A
Coen and the players refused to let this become a trap game despite all signs pointing in that direction. They were coming off a rout of the Colts, playing on the road on a short week against a Ravens team desperate for a win. The game was largely clean, with only four penalties for 24 yards (three on Pregnon), and the defense responded to the offense's lone turnover by forcing a turnover on downs. At 6-2, the Jaguars are one game better than they were through eight games last season and hold a four-game lead in the win column in the AFC South. Their November schedule includes two games against the struggling Titans and a matchup with the New York Giants.
Originally reported by yahoo.