Thursday night was supposed to give us one of the best AFC showdowns of Week 9. Instead, injuries have turned Jaguars-Ravens into a very different kind of game.
Baltimore is heading into the matchup at 4-4 and on a three-game skid, and the biggest blow is Lamar Jackson’s thumb injury. Jackson is set to go on injured reserve after getting hurt on the first play of the loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 8. Tyler Huntley also left that game in the first half, which leaves the Ravens in real trouble at quarterback and could force third-stringer Joe Fagnano into the start.
That’s a brutal setup against a Jacksonville team that just keeps rolling. The Jaguars are 5-2 after hammering the Indianapolis Colts 42-0 coming out of the bye, bouncing back from their Week 6 loss to Houston and taking a three-game lead in the AFC South. They’re also firmly in the mix for the top spot in the AFC.
Trevor Lawrence is right in the middle of that surge. The former No. 1 overall pick completed 10 of 14 passes for 210 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against the Colts, pushing his season totals to 17 passing touchdowns, four interceptions and 1,690 passing yards. He remains in the MVP conversation for the 2026 season, and this matchup gives him another chance to make a statement.
The numbers back up Jacksonville’s edge. The Jaguars are a top-five team in EPA/Play on both offense and defense, and their offense has been one of the five best in the league in EPA/Play this season. That’s a nasty combination for a Ravens team that has struggled without Jackson and turned the ball over repeatedly in the Week 8 loss to Buffalo.
Baltimore’s issues go beyond the quarterback spot. Zay Flowers finished Sunday without a catch, and the offense simply hasn’t found a rhythm over the last few weeks. The Ravens are 7-13 in games Jackson hasn’t started, and this short week only makes things harder.
No matter who lines up under center for Baltimore, it’s a steep drop from Jackson. And with the Jaguars coming off a dominant win over an undermanned Colts team, this looks like a spot where Jacksonville can keep building on its strong start.
There’s no way bettors should trust the Ravens on a short week after all the injuries they’re dealing with.
In Other News...
Jaguars Are Rolling At Home But One New Concern Just Loomed
The Jaguars kept their home dominance rolling against the Colts, and the latest win only added to what has become a striking pattern in Jacksonville. It was their seventh straight home victory by 17 or more points, a run that ties for the third-longest in NFL history, and they have topped 30 points in all three home games this season.
But the bigger concern coming out of Sunday was the injury list. Eric Murray, Ezra Cleveland and DaVon Hamilton all got hurt during the game, and Hamiltons knee issue looked especially troubling as the Jaguars head into a short week. Jacksonville now has to turn around quickly for Thursday nights matchup with the Ravens, a test made even more complicated by Baltimores own quarterback injury situation. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Crushed The Colts But Left Fans With One Big Worry
The Jaguars had just about everything working in their 42-7 rout of the Colts, from a dominant ground game to another emphatic home win in the AFC South rivalry. Rookie Nate Boerkircher scored his first touchdown, and Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez powered the offense with a combined 217 total yards and three scores, giving Jacksonville a lopsided result that fit the tone of the afternoon.
But the victory came with a cost that could linger beyond Week 8. Davon Hamilton, Eric Murray, Ezra Cleveland and Travon Walker all went down with injuries during the game, leaving the Jaguars with a postgame concern that could matter far more than the final score if those absences stretch into the coming weeks. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Get A Needed WR Boost Before A Huge Colts Test
The Jaguars got a welcome bit of clarity before a pivotal AFC South matchup, with the Week 8 inactive list showing Jakobi Meyers available against the Colts despite the earlier injury concern. His presence gives Jacksonville another option in the passing game alongside Parker Washington, and it comes at a time when the offense could use as many dependable targets as possible heading into a divisional test.
Several other players are on the inactive list, so the roster picture is not entirely clean, but the biggest takeaway for Jacksonville is that Meyers is in uniform for a game that carries real weight in the standings. Trevor Lawrence has already voiced confidence in what this group can be, and now the Jaguars get a chance to back that up with a healthier receiving setup in front of a key home stretch. [Read more 🡒]