Another Ravens collapse was inevitable, however few thought it might be to Jacksonville.
Maybe it wouldn’t have left such a bitter style if it got here towards Cincinnati, Kansas City or Buffalo, but it surely was the Jaguars — the 3-7 Jaguars.
Going into the sport, Trevor Lawrence was often known as a quarterback who struggles to learn the complete discipline. He was with out his high operating again, Travis Etienne Jr., for a lot of the recreation after he left within the first quarter with a foot damage.
Up 27-20, this recreation ought to have been put within the win column for the Ravens.
Instead, they misplaced, 28-27, as Lawrence engineered a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard landing go to Marvin Jones Jr. with 14 seconds left. Adding additional insult, Lawrence then accomplished the game-winning 2-point conversion on a go to Zay Jones.
With the addition of center linebacker Roquan Smith, the Ravens’ protection had proven vital progress of their earlier two video games towards New Orleans and Carolina, however Smith doesn’t play security, and he doesn’t play cornerback — which is turning into a legal responsibility for Baltimore. With the unit’s lack of velocity and incapability to cowl, it was solely a matter of time earlier than they have been exploited.
Lawrence regarded like Tom Brady within the last drive. On a fourth-and-5 from the Jaguars’ 30, he threw a 10-yard go to Jones to beat a Ravens blitz.
He additionally had an 8-yard go to Jones, a 17-yarder over the center to Christian Kirk and one other 8-yard go to Jones earlier than the landing. Lawrence completed the sport 29-for-37 for 321 yards and three touchdowns.
The Ravens’ go rush confirmed out towards the Saints and Panthers, however the Jaguars neutralized it on Sunday with an excellent recreation plan that centered on getting the ball out rapidly.
The weak hyperlink within the Ravens’ protection has been found.
“Generally, they completed some big passes on us, so that’s what it boils down to,” mentioned Ravens coach John Harbaugh. “When they had to, they had some chunk passes and got down the field.”
You may see this coming. Opposing groups have zeroed in on veteran cornerback Marcus Peters ever since Week 2 loss to the Miami Dolphins. He’s at all times been the playing sort, which is why he was as soon as one of many higher cornerbacks within the NFL, however he’s being burned by his incapability to get well when taking these possibilities.
Brandon Stephens is a greater security than cornerback, however the Ravens should play him on the surface as a result of rookies Jalyn Armour-Davis and Damarion Williams aren’t prepared. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey had a powerful recreation, however his versatility and tackling capacity are higher suited close to the road of scrimmage than exterior.
Safety Marcus Williams will assist shore up the again finish as soon as he returns from a wrist damage, however he doesn’t play cornerback both. The Ravens are and can stay weak within the secondary, particularly when their go rush fails to get to the quarterback.
“We got lackadaisical out there,” mentioned Ravens exterior linebacker Justin Houston. “There was a scarcity of communication. The little issues — I feel that’s what you’ve bought to do to play a whole recreation. You’ve bought to do it for 4 quarters, not three, and we didn’t do it for 4 quarters.
“You just learn from it. I don’t think you get down. It should be motivation to keep moving forward. That’s all that matters. We get in the dance [playoffs], we’re going to shake something. We’re good. Like I said, it’s growing pains. We’re still learning, we’re still figuring stuff out.”
The offense may have helped the protection out by catching extra passes and scoring touchdowns as an alternative of kicking 4 discipline targets. Quarterback Lamar Jackson would have been an enormous assist, too, if he hadn’t overthrown receivers on two would-be touchdowns, one to tight finish Josh Oliver and one other to wideout Demarcus Robinson.
But this can be a group that has lived on its defensive repute for the previous 20 years. They had the Jaguars in a weak spot and couldn’t ship.
It was inevitable.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com