Baltimore Ravens vs Jacksonville Jaguars: Game Preview
It’s games like these that fans tend to overlook. Regardless of what their record is, the Jacksonville Jaguars will always be known as a team that has been in the basement of the NFL for some time now, and they are remaining there. At 2-11, this statement is true, but they are still a NFL team and they have gained two victories this season.
The Baltimore Ravens should not be scared of this Jaguars team. What they should be afraid of is preparing for them in the wrong way. No NFL team can ever be overlooked, and the best example of this came on a Monday Night Football game between these very two teams.
The Ravens should be careful to remember a 2010 upset loss to the Jags on a Monday night.
It was in 2010, a year in which the Ravens ended the regular season with a record of 12-4. One of those four losses, however, came to this Jaguars team who won a total of three games that year. They overlooked the doormat of the NFL, and they paid the price. They just have to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.
Quarterback Blake Bortles has not found much success here in his rookie season. The third-overall draft pick has thrown for just 2,466 yards and ten touchdowns this season. He also holds a completion percentage of 61.2 and has thrown 16 interceptions on the year.
Despite the below-average numbers, I still think that Bortles has the potential to be a good NFL quarterback one day. At 6-foot-5, 232 pounds, he has the build of a Ben Roethlisberger. He also has a cannon of an arm, one that very few quarterbacks in the league possess.
Perhaps Bortles could inflict some damage upon the Ravens’ 31st-ranked passing defense, but that should be the only concern for Baltimore. The Ravens should be fine offensively going up against this sluggish Jaguars defense. And the pass-rush should find plenty of ways to get to Bortles.
The Ravens should and probably will win this game, but no NFL team should ever be overlooked. If they are, you will pay the price, and that’s a guarantee.