- Just in case you didn’t know, these Jags are legit. Making their prime-time season debut on Thursday night, the Jaguars took care of business and reminded viewers — or perhaps notified them for the first time — that they are a very legitimate championship contender. Whether that’s simply to retain their AFC South crown — which seems like almost a chip shot at this point — or to make some very real noise in the postseason will remain to be seen. This rainy evening was hardly some beautiful exhibition of football glory, but aside from a few snafus, the Jaguars did what they’ve been doing all season by blowing out another opponent. Coming off a 42-7 savaging of the Colts that stands as the largest win in the league so far, Jacksonville had three wins in 2026 by 24-plus points. No other team owns more than one, and the Jaguars came one point short of another Thursday night. One can argue this wasn’t a fair fight. The Ravens started a rookie undrafted free agent at quarterback, after all. But eight games into the season, we can’t dock a team for simply taking care of business, we need to laud them. In the any-given-Sunday atmosphere of the NFL, it’s impressive when a good team does what it’s supposed to. Jacksonville had its stumble in Week 6 with its loss to a disappointing Texans squad, but Thursday served as a microcosm of the Jaguars’ year so far. Trevor Lawrence is playing MVP-caliber ball, using an assortment of talented skill position options to aplomb, all while the defense and special teams play terrifically, as well. Pomp and circumstance have hardly been prevalent, but lopsided wins have. Thursday night showed these Jaguars are ready for prime time and long overdue for recognition as an NFL heavyweight.
- Ravens are reeling. It’s pouring down in Baltimore. The rain, the boos, the losses, they were all coming down on Thursday night as Baltimore lost its fourth in a row. It was no doubt an uphill climb trying to topple one of the AFC’s best with an undrafted free agent quarterback, Joe Fagnanounder center. It’s just not that simple, though. Baltimore had five accepted penalties for 31 yards in the first half to set a horrible tone. The offensive game plan was clearly to milk the clock, get creative and use smoke and mirrors to help Fagnano find his way. Derrick Henry took some snaps at quarterback, attempted a pass and there was plenty of trickery in the backfield. But it played out like a plan to lose by a slimmer margin rather than trying to go out swinging looking for a win. Fagnano attempted one pass all night of more than 10 yards. As the offense drew boos and gained little, Baltimore’s defense — rookie head coach Jesse Minter’s calling card — hardly stood up to the occasion, continuing a campaign in which it’s been a massive letdown. Baltimore allowed seven scoring drives. The injuries to Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley are overwhelming. The offensive line has been ravaged by injuries, as well. Heck, kicker Tyler Loop is on injured reserve, too. Veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett is reportedly joining the fray in the coming days, but more than the QB position needs saving here. Though Brissett should open up the playbook more than it was on Thursday, he hasn’t started a game for a team that made the playoffs since his 2016 rookie season with the Patriots. Minter was tasked with leading a Super Bowl contender to turn the corner, and those best aspirations are getting washed away in a hurry.
- Jaguars’ D tears up Ravens. The No. 2 defense in points allowed heading into Week 9, the Jaguars shut down the Ravens’ offense, allowing three points on Baltimore’s first drive and nothing for the next nine possessions until Justice Hill broke loose for a 65-yard touchdown run. Baltimore had just 227 yards of offense, 10 first downs and was 4 of 14 on third down. The basic stats and arithmetic were ugly. Jacksonville racked up three takeaways: an interception by Montaric Brown, another pick by Jourdan Lewis and a fumble recovery on a kickoff return. Despite losing defensive tackle Da Von Hamilton for the season earlier in the week, the No. 1 rushing defense held the line against Derrick Henry, confining him to 57 yards on 17 carries. The pass rush has been problematic for the Jags and it wasn’t great on Thursday (generating a 30% pressure rate), but it really made no matter. Jacksonville has now won four games in which it’s held an opponent to 10 points or less.
- Trevor just keeps getting it done. With time winding down, chants of “Trev-er Lore-ence” broke out at M&T Bank Stadium. Jaguars fans had taken over with disgruntled Ravens fans leaving for drier and less frustrating ground. Lawrence finished the evening completing 16 of 26 passes for 242 yards and a 50-yard touchdown to Parker Washington. It’s anything but a flashy stat line, but this was an ugly night weather-wise and the Ravens did their best to slow-play things. Lawrence’s MVP candidacy remains alive. He’s hardly the front-runner, but he’s the face and symbol of an ascending AFC power. There isn’t all that much sizzle, but there’s plenty of substance. This wasn’t a game for big, fantasy-pleasing numbers. Just results that really matter. Lawrence, who hasn’t thrown an interception in 10 quarters, completed throws to eight pass catchers and finished with a 105.0 passer rating. His QB rating sits at a league-high 111.7 after Thursday, just ahead of Joe Burrow (111.6). Lawrence is getting it done in splendid, if not spectacular fashion, and the Jags are following his lead, which is currently a very healthy advantage in the AFC South.
- Life without Lamar. It’s never easy playing without your starting quarterback, much less when it’s Lamar Jackson, a transcendent talent and two-time AP NFL Most Valuable Player. Unfortunately, it’s not been an uncommon occurrence. Having returned from an ankle sprain last week only to be lost — likely for the season — with a thumb injurythe Ravens have to soldier forward without him — and backup Tyler Huntley, who is out for the season. Thursday dropped Baltimore’s record to 7-14 without Jackson since he took over the starting reins for the club in 2018. Now with Jackson on injured reserve and his season all but officially over, his future with the franchise has become a prevailing topic and it won’t cease being a discussion point anytime soon. The Ravens and Jackson couldn’t work out an extension this offseason and the final year of his current contract is 2027 — his age-30 season and one in which his contract poses an $84.34 million cap hit. Before any of that is resolved, the Ravens still have another nine games in the regular season. Over the last four — in which Jackson played one snap total — Derrick Henry has rushed for less than 60 yards in each game. There is a domino effect unsurprisingly without Jackson. The future beyond this year is unclear and the rest of this one is increasingly murky.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Jaguars-Ravens (via NFL Pro): Ravens QB Joe Fagnano was 0 for 1 on downfield passes (10-plus air yards). Trevor Lawrence completed eight of his 10 downfield attempts for 193 yards and a touchdown against the Ravens, his most downfield passing yards in a game and second-highest downfield completion rate (80%) of the season.
NFL Research: Derrick Henry was held to 57 yards on Thursday, but he improved to 13,707 in his career, surpassing Hall of Famers Jerome Bettis (13,662 yards; ninth place all time) and LaDainian Tomlinson (13,684; eighth) to move into seventh place on all time in rushing yards.
Source: www.nfl.com
