The Baltimore Ravens saw their winning streak snapped at four games after they dropped a tight game to the Jacksonville Jaguars, 28-27, on the road in Week 12 of the 2022 NFL season. The Ravens are now 7-4, which is still good enough for first place in the AFC North. Here we'll discuss the four Ravens most to blame for their tight Week 12 loss vs. the Jaguars.
This game went down the wire after a weather delay delayed the start by 25 minutes. However, a two-point conversion by Jacksonville put them ahead for good before Justin Tucker missed a 67-yard field goal.
The offense in Baltimore couldn't get anything going in the first three quarters, managing only four field goals. Over the course of the game, they went 2-for-5 in the red zone. That meant they left 12 points on the board in such a close defeat.
Baltimore's next game is against the Denver Broncos in Week 13 at M&T Bank Stadium. Denver is a 3-8 football team with a struggling offense. However, if the Ravens don't figure out how to be more consistent as a team soon, they might lose that one, too.
“We’re disappointed, but we’re moving on,” John Harbaugh said. “We have to get ready for the next one. We have the Broncos coming in Sunday at our place, and we’re going to get ready for that.”
For now, let us look at the four Ravens most to blame for their Week 12 loss vs. the Jaguars.
Final in Jacksonville. pic.twitter.com/eQKWAInemg
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 27, 2022
4. Ravens Secondary
It was a tough day in the office for the Ravens secondary. They failed to get a stop at the conclusion of the game to secure the victory. They also allowed Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence to complete 29-of-37 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns. Their safeties were erratic.
In particular, Ravens CB Marcus Peters had a rough game because he wasn't playing his best ball. He was targeted eight times and allowed six receptions. In addition, two touchdowns were thrown with him in coverage, including the game-winning touchdown.
3. TE Mark Andrews
Baltimore TE Mark Andrews had four receptions for 50 yards on a team-high seven targets. He had a few catches for 33 yards on Baltimore's first drive and seemed to be in for a huge day. However, his performance decreased drastically after that, with only a 17-yard reception and a two-point conversion for the rest of the game. Andrews also fumbled a ball in the end zone and hasn't scored a touchdown or surpassed 65 yards receiving since Week 6.
2. RB Gus Edwards
Ravens RB Gus Edwards returned to the lineup and rushed for 52 yards on 16 touches with a touchdown. However, he also fumbled late in the fourth quarter. That led to Jacksonville's game-winning field goal. The Ravens need more from him and from the rest of their running corps. As a team, Baltimore ran for 162 yards in total. Lamar Jackson, though, accounted for half of that number.
1. QB Lamar Jackson
Deep passes have been an issue for franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson recently. Yes, he made a really nice connection with DeSean Jackson, and it was a spectacular play. However, he also threw an interception to Demarcus Robinson and has failed to connect deep this season after losing wide receiver Rashod Bateman.
On quarterback sneaks, where he stutters before attempting to chase a gap, it's also unclear what Jackson is doing. It's unclear whether it was planned by the coaching staff or how Jackson intends to slip it to protect himself.
Jackson just plainly struggled for the third straight game. Yes, he was also hampered by drops from Andrews and Kenyan Drake, but this was still Jackson's game to lose. He completed 16-of-32 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown. He had a passer rating of 87.2. He also gained 89 yards on 14 carries and converted multiple third-down opportunities.
Having said that, the aforementioned 62-yard bomb from Jackson to Jackson was indeed a beauty. It was surely one of the game's key plays. It also demonstrated the Ravens' belief in the veteran receiver, who was playing in only his second game since signing with the team.
But the Ravens can't overlook Jackson's misfires as well. He just overshot open receivers on deep passes at least three times. In fact, his completion percentage, which was rated 24th entering the game (63.4), fell to 62.1 percent.
The fact of the matter is that even with Jackson leading the way, the Ravens offense has little room for error without Bateman. This offense is lacking in consistent offensive playmakers, and that isn't going to change this season. Baltimore and Jackson must improve if the offense is to get hot down the stretch.
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