Jaguars hoping for better offensive efficiency against another elite defence in the Ravens
The Associated Press
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t fared very well against the NFL’s elite defenses this season.
They’re 0-3 against Cleveland (ranked first), San Francisco (seventh) and Kansas City (sixth), and they’ve failed to top 300 yards against any of them. It’s a hurdle the Jaguars (8-5) need to overcome against Baltimore on Sunday night if they’re going to avoid a three-game skid and stay in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs.
“If you want to get to the end of the season where we’re all trying to get, you’re going to play teams with great defenses,” Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said. “That’s what gets you there. That’s a big part of why teams are good. … Baltimore is a top team in the AFC right now. Defensively, they’re playing lights out.”
“We want it bad,” linebacker Patrick Queen said. “If we don’t get it, we make the playoffs, we’re still in there. We still can dance, and I think that’s the biggest thing. As long as we have our spot in there, then everything else will take care of itself.”
Jacksonville is trying to avoid a third consecutive loss to the AFC North. Coach Doug Pederson’s team struggled to stop the run against Cincinnati and then gave up way too many big plays against Cleveland.
Fixing those defensive lapses is high on the team’s to-do list, right up there with finding ways to generate more offense against another top-10 defense.
The Jaguars turned the ball over four times and finished with 293 yards in a 31-27 loss at Cleveland last week. They trailed 28-14 before scoring two touchdowns in the final 4 minutes.
In Week 10 against San Francisco, Jacksonville managed a season-low 221 yards in a 34-3 debacle against San Francisco. In Week 2 against Kansas City, the Jags also failed to score a touchdown and totaled 271 yards.
The common thread in all three losses: The Jaguars were outmatched with their offense on the field.
“It’s adversity. It’s what life is about; it’s what this league is about,” tight end Evan Engram said. “We’ve got the guys in here to figure it out and respond and turn this thing around. We’re sitting here at 8-5 and we know we can be better. We’re definitely going to go out and try to respond and get back in the win column.”
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