Jaguars vs. Ravens: 5 Players to Watch

A true clash of the titans. 

It hurt me to write that six-letter word, but in this case it is fitting. The Ravens enter Sunday as the best team in the AFC, boasting an impressive 10-3 record. The Jaguars remain the leader in the AFC South, despite losing their past two contests. Now the Jaguars enter the Ravens contest in desperate need of a win to keep a tight grip on the division and to start gaining momentum into the playoffs..

Here are five Jaguars who need to step up in order to take down the AFC’s best.

Trevor Lawrence

Time and time again, Trevor Lawrence has proven he was made for the biggest of stages. Now the Jaguars need their franchise quarterback to step up once again. Likely the biggest game of the Jaguars’ regular season lineup, they’ll need Lawrence to be THAT guy to outscore the Lamar Jackson-led Ravens.

While Lawrence no doubt struggled last week, as the entire team did, he played exceptionally well the previous three weeks before suffering his ankle injury against the Bengals. It certainly won’t help that Kirk will likely miss the remainder of the year, thus Lawrence will look to Evan Engram, Calvin Ridley, and rookie Parker Washington to carry the load. Lawrence has always shown up when the lights are brightest; I expect no less from him this weekend.

Calvin Ridley

Ridley’s rollercoaster season continues as the star receiver struggles to find any sort of consistency this season. He put on a clinic against the Texans and Titans, catching 12 balls for 192 yards and three touchdowns against the two division rivals. It was almost the polar opposite, however, when facing the AFC North’s Bengals and Browns.

Kirk’s absence has already been felt. His adeptness in the slot and ability to create separation made him Lawrence’s most productive receiver. Now Lawrence will need Ridley to be that guy for him. The Ravens’ defense and secondary are as tough as they come; it’s Ridley’s chance to prove he deserves a place in the team’s plans for the future.

Evan Engram

Evan Engram is having an all-time great season for a Jaguars’ tight end, breaking his previously held 73 receptions record. He could even threaten Jimmy Smith’s single-season record of 116 catches if he can continue his recent tear. In the last two weeks, Engram has amassed 20 catches, 177 yards and three scores.

As mentioned in Ridley’s blurb above, Kirk’s absence could have a large impact on the Jaguars’ use of Engram moving forward. It was evident last week as Engram tied his career high in receptions (11). Engram’s had an excellent season, nonetheless, the Jaguars’ will need his last four games to be even better and it starts against Baltimore.

Josh Allen

Speaking of breaking records, Josh Allen is having a career year of his own and is on the brink of breaking Calais Casmpbell’s single-season sacks record. He very recently moved to third all-time for sacks among Jaguars. Just a sack and a half shy of the record, Allen could very well pass Campbell Sunday.

The Jaguars will likely require that level of play from Allen as well in order to beat the former MVP, Lamar Jackson. Allen has 68 pressures on the year and the highest win rate among edge rushers on true pass-sets, which excludes screens, play-action plays and RPOs. I think this is the game where we see Allen surpass Campbell’s record 14.5 sacks.

Darious Williams

With Tyson Campbell and Andre Cisco set to miss Sunday Night’s thriller, the Jaguars’ secondary will be especially thin. Montaric Brown, Antonio Johnson, and Andrew Wingard all likely see increased playing time, but it’s the Jaguars’ tried and true Darious Williams who I expect to see another big game from. Williams started the year out red-hot, nabbing three interceptions within the team’s first six games.

A dry spell hit and we didn’t see another Williams interception until this past weekend when Williams retook the team lead with his fourth of the season. Williams is among the NFL’s best in 2023. His 15 pass-breakups is second among cornerbacks and boasts an impressive 71.3 NFL rating in coverage. The Jacksonville roster remains broken and bruised with numerous players facing injuries. Thus I expect the team’s best players to rise to the occasion and propel the Jaguars to their 9th win of the season, besting the AFC’s finest.