Ravens vs. Jaguars Game Breakdown

With an AFC Wild Card berth at stake, the Ravens are set to play the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium (4:15pm ET).

Offering a look at Baltimore’s Week 17 opponent.

Rankings

Total Offense - 19 (324.1) Total Defense - 12 (324.3)
Rush Offense - 18 (110.4) Rush Defense - 14 (105.5)
Pass Offense - 13 (213.7) Pass Defense - 19 (218.8)
Points Per Game - 24 (19.7) Points Per Game - 20 (22.7)

Sizing Them Up

Even though they’ve had a rough season following a playoff campaign in 2007, the 5-10 Jacksonville Jaguars still have the weapons to hang with some of the league’s best.

Just take a look at last week’s heart-breaking 31-24 loss to the surging Indianapolis Colts. In that game, the Jaguars held a lead into the fourth quarter before Indianapolis engineered 17 points in the final period.

Jacksonville’s strength lies with their defense. Up front, massive defensive tackle John Henderson, a two-time Pro Bowler, is a big reason why the Jaguars are able to stuff the run, while a trio of talented defensive ends get after the quarterback.

The Jaguars spent their first two draft picks on young pass-rushers Quentin Groves and Derrick Harvey, and free agent veteran Paul Spicer and sack-leader Reggie Hayward round out the rotation.

In the secondary, Jacksonville features cornerback Brian Williams, a NC State alumnus, and safety Gerald Sensabaugh, a product of the University of North Carolina. The duo boasts six interceptions between them.

On offense, quarterback David Garrard leads the show. A typically mistake-free signal-caller, Garrard has thrown 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this year. In four of Jacksonville’s five wins in 2008, Garrard has posted a plus-100 passer rating.

The Jaguars also get it done on the ground with the diminutive - but explosive - Maurice Jones-Drew and stalwart veteran Fred Taylor. The running backs have combined for 1,302 rushing yards, while Jones-Drew has tallied 1,507 total yards from scrimmage.

What’s Up?

My counterpart with the Jaguars, Vic Ketchman, thinks the Ravens are churning out the wins because of their offensive line.

“The reason the Ravens are playing for the playoffs and the Jaguars aren’t, in this reporter’s opinion, is the result of the young, promising offensive line the Ravens have very quietly assembled.”

Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union writes that Garrard is hoping to put his mistakes in Indy behind him.

“He'd like to wipe out the impression he made against the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth quarter after playing well for the first three quarters.”

The Times-Union’s Michael C. Wright reports that Jones-Drew should be able to play this Sunday despite sustaining a knee injury.

“Drew practiced for the first time all week Friday and was listed as probable on the team's injury report.”

Awards

Offensive - Jones-Drew is the guy that moves the chains for Jacksonville. Not only is he a dynamic rusher, he also owns a career-high 61 receptions and needs only five to become the first player in franchise history to lead the team in rushing and receiving yards during a season. He is tied for sixth in the NFL and third in the AFC with 14 touchdowns, including nine in the last eight games.

Defensive - Harvey provides the most teeth to the Jaguars’ pass rush. The eighth-overall pick - which was originally the Ravens’ before Jacksonville traded their spot at 18 to select the Florida product - leads the team with 29 quarterback pressures. He also has 28 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one interception. Harvey has eight starts this year, which are the most by a Jaguars rookie defensive end in team history.

Emerging Star

Sensabaugh paces Jacksonville with four interceptions, but his mark is also made in other areas. The former Tar Heel and 2005 fifth-round draft pick has also blocked a field goal this year and is fifth on the team with 78 tackles.

Key Matchups

Ravens LB Ray Lewis vs. Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew

Lewis is the Ravens’ tackling machine, and he’ll be the primary person chasing Jones-Drew, who can really rack up the yardage. The Ravens haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in an NFL-best 34 contests, but did give up 90 yards to Tashard Choice last week in Dallas.

Ravens WR Derrick Mason vs. Jaguars CB Brian Williams

Mason, the mouthpiece of Baltimore’s offense, will probably play even though he’s battling a painful shoulder injury that held him out of practice last week. Williams will likely draw the assignment of the Ravens’ top receiver. He leads Jacksonville’s secondary with 86 tackles and six passes defensed.

Quotable

Coach Jack Del-Rio on the Jaguars not living up to their high expectations coming into this season:

“It’s been a tough year. We’ve got one more opportunity left, and I expect us to compete with the kind of energy that we brought the last few times out. The guys have been hungry for a win. We got one in Green Bay, we were close against Indy [and] didn’t quite get it, and we want to finish strong. So, we’re looking forward to getting up to Baltimore and having a good showing.”

Garrard on if he can put a finger on the Jaguars’ woes:

“Not really. We did have a number of injuries this year. We had a number of injuries early, and that definitely slowed us quite a bit. But we’ve got to be able to battle through that. We’ve got to be able to have guys step up and fill those guys’ places. It has just really been a number of things. We haven’t had a whole lot go our way this year, but those are all just excuses; we just didn’t play up to our ability.”

Our Take

Despite owning the league’s second-best rushing offense, the Ravens could have success throwing the ball against the Jaguars, who are vulnerable to an aerial attack. Jacksonville has given up 25 passing touchdowns this year and have notched only 13 interceptions through 15 games.

Quarterback Joe Flacco has been very poised in the face of some of the top pass rushes in the NFL in recent weeks, so he could have a breakout if he has time Sunday.

Defensively, the Ravens should focus on Jones-Drew, who is as dynamic a playmaker as anyone in the league. Jones-Drew, who is a Ray Rice-like 5-foot-7, has the ability to turn any touch, whether that is a run, catch, or return, into a long touchdown.

The key for Baltimore’s defense isn’t about what Haloti Ngata and Justin Bannan can do up front, however. The Ravens will have to take advantage of their speed at linebacker to corral the running back.