The Ravens’ latest loss followed a familiar and ugly script, and Jesse Minter didn’t try to soften it.
Baltimore was thumped 33-10 by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football, a defeat that pushed the Ravens to four straight losses. With the quarterback room battered, undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano got the start, but the night quickly turned into another long one for Baltimore after the game got out of hand.
Minter said the Ravens’ problems in the second half were self-inflicted.
“In the second half, we just got in our own way. We're turning the ball over a couple times in a row.
The defense was out there, it felt like the whole half. I thought they battled and fought, and did a decent job in the second half.
But obviously, the results are not acceptable for us and what we're after,” Minter said.
The turning point came right after halftime. Fagnano threw an interception on the opening drive of the third quarter, and Jacksonville cashed it in with a field goal. Then, as the fourth quarter began, Baltimore coughed it up again with back-to-back turnovers - another interception and a fumble - and the Jaguars took full advantage to put the game away.
What’s making this stretch so damaging for Baltimore is that the breakdowns aren’t isolated. The Ravens have now watched second-half collapses pile up during this four-game skid, which began with consecutive meltdowns against the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals with Tyler Huntley at quarterback.
Lamar Jackson’s absence has clearly mattered, but the issues go beyond who’s under center. Minter is now dealing with a team that keeps losing control late, and the standard he wants simply isn’t showing up for four quarters.
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