Jaguars receiver Zay Jones catches a pass over the outstretched arm of Baltimore defensive back Brandon Stephens late in the second quarter of a Sunday Night Football game. The Jaguars hosted the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
Published on December 17, 2023 at 11:40 pm
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If the Jaguars’ Sunday Night Football matchup with the Baltimore Ravens was a playoff audition, the Jaguars will have to wait for a callback.
Playing on Sunday night for the first time in 15 years, the Jaguars fell to the Ravens 23-7 in their third straight loss, and it left QB Trevor Lawrence being monitored for a possible concussion.
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There were a few good moments for the home team — most of them by the Jaguars’ defense — but the highlights were largely provided by Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson, who dodged, dashed, darted, and dismayed the Jaguars’ pass rush for most of the night.
The story of the first half was missed chances by the Jaguars. Two missed field goals (though they were long kicks of 50 and 55 yards by Brandon McManus) and a dropped pass by Parker Washington preceded a Lawrence scramble and fumble. These were just a sample of the self-inflicted wounds by the Jaguars. Without those mistakes, it could have been 13 points for Jacksonville. Instead, they had none.
Meanwhile, the Ravens took advantage of the Jaguars’ mistakes. After the Lawrence fumble, Baltimore drove downfield on a methodical 13-play, 60-yard touchdown drive to take a 10-0 advantage into the halftime locker room.
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The Jaguars had a chance to score before halftime. After a 36-yard catch by Zay Jones had the Jaguars at the 5-yard line, the Jaguars opted to run a play instead of spiking the ball. Lawrence threw to Washington, who was tackled in bounds at the 2-yard line. With no timeouts, the Jaguars couldn’t stop the clock.
The Jaguars’ offense came to life with 7:15 to play in the third quarter, when Trevor Lawrence connected with a wide-open Jamal Agnew on a 65-yard touchdown. After that drive, though, the Jaguars’ offense returned to form. Bad form.
With three games remaining in the regular season, the Jaguars are 8-6 and tied with the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts for the best record in the AFC South. The Jaguars hold a tiebreaker over both the Texans and Colts and would win the division and earn a playoff spot, should they finish the year tied atop the division.
The Jaguars’ dreams of earning the top seed in the AFC playoffs are all but dead, with Baltimore, now 11-3, leading the way in the conference.
With three games remaining in the season, the Jaguars control their destiny in the division race. Wins over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, and Tennessee Titans would clinch the division. While none of the Jaguars’ remaining opponents have a winning record (the Bucs are 7-7), it is hard to imagine them doing any damage in the playoffs even if they make it to the postseason.
Injuries, poor play, and self-inflicted wounds have unraveled a once-promising season, and the same issues the Jaguars have struggled with most of the year remain.
Jacksonville Today‘s Will Brown contributed to this report.
Cole Pepper has covered sports in Jacksonville since 1996, most recently for News4Jax. He is currently broadcast director for Sporting Club Jacksonville and has called play-by-play for a number of teams, including the Suns, Tomcats, Jacksonville University, Sharks and The Bolles School football. He also served as the studio host for the Jaguars Radio Network.
