Jaguars Rout Ravens 33-10 in Rainy Thursday Blowout

The Jacksonville Jaguars turned a rain-soaked Thursday night in Baltimore into a statement win, routing the Ravens 33-10 at M&T Bank Stadium to open Week 9 of the NFL season. Trevor Lawrence threw for 242 yards and a touchdown, Cam Little kicked four field goals, and a Jacksonville defence that forced three turnovers held Baltimore to 227 total yards.

The victory lifted the Jaguars to 6-2 and left the Ravens at 4-5, losers of four straight games and below .500 for the first time this season after starting 4-1.

Lawrence in control from the start

Lawrence completed 16 of 26 passes without an interception and finished with a 105.0 passer rating. He set the tone on the opening drive with a 52-yard completion to tight end Nate Boerkircher, and his best throw of the night came just before half-time, when Parker Washington took a slant 50 yards for a touchdown to make it 17-3 with 58 seconds left in the half.

Lawrence had already thrown for 197 yards on nine completions by the break, with six of those completions going for at least 15 yards. Bhayshul Tuten opened the scoring with a one-yard touchdown run, and the Jaguars never trailed. Chris Rodriguez Jr. added a two-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to stretch the lead to 33-3 before Baltimore’s only touchdown of the night.

Defence and the kicking game did the rest

Little’s four field goals kept the scoreboard moving while the defence shut Baltimore down. Montaric Brown and Jourdan Lewis each intercepted a pass, and Jalen McLeod recovered a fumble as Jacksonville outgained the Ravens 319 yards to 227.

NBC Sports reported that the win was Jacksonville’s eighth by 20 or more points since the start of last season, the most in the league over that span, and a fifth win in six games for a side that is now firmly in the AFC play-off picture.

A brutal first start for Fagnano

Fagnano’s first start had been confirmed on Tuesday, as NationWire reported in its Thursday night preview, after injuries emptied Baltimore’s quarterback room. Two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson is out with a right thumb injury that needs surgery, while back-up Tyler Huntley is out for the rest of the season with a toe injury.

The undrafted rookie from UConn completed 10 of 18 passes for 60 yards, with two interceptions and a 22.7 passer rating. Baltimore’s official recap described a rain-soaked night in which the Ravens could not get much going on offence, and the numbers backed that up: the hosts managed only 227 total yards and were outgained 224-101 in the first half alone.

Justice Hill’s 65-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was Baltimore’s only touchdown, and Jake Moody’s 53-yard field goal accounted for the rest of the Ravens’ points. Hill finished with 92 total yards, the one bright spot on a bleak night for the home side.

A historic slide for Baltimore

The defeat carried an unwanted piece of history for the Ravens. ESPN’s Jamison Hensley noted it is the first time in the franchise’s 31-year history that Baltimore has lost three straight games by 20 or more points. The Ravens have also been outscored 84-10 in the second half during their four-game slide.

Baltimore started the season 4-1 and now sits last in the AFC North, with the season threatening to slip away before the midway point. The schedule offers no relief either: the Ravens’ next game is a Monday night trip to the Los Angeles Chargers, where veteran Jacoby Brissett, signed from Arizona this week, is expected to take over at quarterback.

What it means for the AFC race

The Jaguars strengthened their hold on the AFC South and now sit tied with Pittsburgh and Denver at 6-2, behind only Buffalo at 6-1 in the AFC. It is a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for a Jacksonville side that has won five of its last six games and is playing with the confidence of a genuine contender.

Baltimore’s problems, meanwhile, go beyond the quarterback position. The Ravens could not protect Fagnano, could not run the ball consistently, and could not keep Jacksonville’s receivers in check on a night when the weather alone should have favoured the home side.

Elsewhere this week, Cleveland is also turning to a back-up quarterback, with Shedeur Sanders in line for his first start of the season against New Orleans after Deshaun Watson entered the concussion protocol. And on the basketball court, Victor Wembanyama scored a career-high 52 points as San Antonio edged Dallas 112-111. For the Jaguars, though, the message from Thursday night was simple: in the rain, on the road, against a desperate opponent, they were the better team in every phase.