Justice Hill was the lone bright spot in a miserable Baltimore night, and even that came with a giant asterisk.
The Ravens’ Week 9 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars was ugly from the start, and they fell to 4-5 on Thursday night after getting buried in every phase. Baltimore’s offense showed a pulse on its first two drives, but Jacksonville eventually shut that down, and Trevor Lawrence had no real resistance from the other side.
Hill at least gave the Ravens one explosive play to hang their hat on. He finished with 9 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first Jacksonville opponent in 24 consecutive games to top 75 rushing yards against a defense that had led the league in rushing yards allowed per game. The headline run was a 65-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, a play where Hill bounced outside, kept fighting through traffic, found daylight and outran everyone to the end zone.
Take that burst away, though, and the day looks much less impressive. Without it, Hill averaged just 2.5 yards per carry. Still, it was the only real chunk play Baltimore managed on offense.
Everything around him was a mess.
The offensive line never settled in, even with Vega Ioane back in the lineup. Joe Fagnano was under pressure all night, the run game had to scrap for every inch, and the Jaguars seemed to live in Baltimore’s backfield.
The Ravens needed that group to hold up for Fagnano and Derrick Henry, especially with the game plan pointing so clearly toward the ground attack. Instead, the interior got overwhelmed, and the tackles and tight ends didn’t create enough room outside.
It was a broken unit from top to bottom.
The pass rush wasn’t any better. Baltimore finished with 0 sacks and just 1 QB hit, and Trevor Lawrence barely had to worry about his jersey.
Mike Green never made an impact as a rusher and often stayed blocked once he was engaged. Trey Hendrickson was invisible, even while dealing with a hand injury again.
Nnamdi Madubuike recorded the lone hit, and even that came on a dive at Lawrence’s ankles. Blitzes from Jesse Minter didn’t change much, with Roquan Smith and Kyle Hamilton both coming up empty when they tried to get home.
Fagnano also had a rough night in what may have been his only real chance to show what he could do. The circumstances were hardly ideal - short week, ankle injury, and an offensive line that didn’t help him at all - but he still missed on the chances he got.
He threw two bad interceptions, both deep in Baltimore territory, and didn’t do much with the few opportunities he had to push the ball downfield. With Jacoby Brissett coming in, Fagnano is back to fighting for his football life.
Mark Andrews also had another quiet outing, which has become far too familiar. After signing a three-year, $39.3 million deal last December, he finished with 2 catches for 19 yards.
He did come up with one important first-down grab, but that was about it. He was also flagged for a false start that killed momentum, and he went 0-for-3 on the Tush Push.
One of those sneaks ended with a fumble, another reminder that the ball security issues just keep showing up.
In Other News...
Ravens Secondary Nightmare Just Got Worse With Kyle Hamilton
Baltimores secondary took another hit on Thursday night when Kyle Hamilton went down with a hip injury against the Jaguars and was ruled out for the rest of the game. The Ravens were already trying to navigate a battered defensive backfield, and now they have one of their most important pieces leaving in the middle of a game they were already chasing.
Hamilton entered the night carrying a knee issue that had limited him in the lead-up, so his availability for next weeks matchup with the Chargers is suddenly in question. For a defense already stretched thin in the back end, the timing could hardly be worse, especially with the Ravens trailing and the injury list continuing to grow at a spot where they can least afford another setback. [Read more 🡒]
Derrick Henry Carries Extra Weight In A Huge Week For Baltimore
Derrick Henry is carrying plenty of the load for Baltimore already, and this week adds another layer to his role. He has eight rushing touchdowns this season and is tied with Marshall Faulk at 136 career rushing scores, a mark that already puts him in rare company among running backs.
The Ravens also enter the Jacksonville game in a far different spot at quarterback, with the offense turning to a rookie under center after the latest injury moves. In a week when Baltimore needs stability wherever it can find it, Henry has a chance to keep doing what he has done all season and add another milestone to a resume that keeps climbing. [Read more 🡒]
Jesse Minter Sounds Off As Ravens Collapse Keeps Getting Worse
The Ravens slide deepened in Jacksonville, where a 33-10 loss pushed the teams losing streak to four games and left the offense searching for any kind of stability. Undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano got the start at quarterback because of injuries, and the afternoon quickly turned into a difficult one as Baltimore struggled to sustain drives and keep the game from slipping away.
Head coach Jesse Minter did not hide his frustration afterward, pointing specifically to the second half as the part of the performance that fell short. He acknowledged the challenge of the current situation, but the bigger concern now is how quickly the Ravens can steady themselves before the seasons problems keep compounding. [Read more 🡒]