By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer
BALTIMORE (AP) — With their top two quarterbacks injured, the Baltimore Ravens were prepared to use any trick necessary in their attempt to keep the game competitive against Jacksonville. That included snapping the ball directly to Derrick Henry on quite a few occasions.
The Jaguars were ready.
“We practiced Wildcat a ton,” Jacksonville coach Liam Coen said.
Trevor Lawrence threw for 242 yards and a touchdown, and the Jaguars had little trouble with Joe Fagnano and the Ravens in a 33-10 victory. Normally, a Thursday night game presents a preparation challenge for the visiting team, but it was Baltimore that looked like it could have used a longer break with quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley injured.
There was little the Ravens could do but start Fagnano, a 25-year-old rookie who made his debut last weekend against Buffalo. He threw for only 60 yards against the Jags. Baltimore (4-5) has lost four straight.
With their top two quarterbacks on injured reserve — and Fagnano has been dealing with an ankle issue — the Ravens now await Jacoby Brissett’s arrival as they try to prevent their season from falling apart completely.
“Tough situation for our guys. But I just told them, there’s no excuses,” Baltimore coach Jesse Minter said. “There’s no, ‘Whatever, we don’t have this guy, we don’t have that guy.'”
Jacksonville (6-2) did not need to do anything extraordinary to beat a badly weakened Baltimore team. The Jaguars mostly took care of the ball on a rainy night and avoided any extreme risks. The Jags have won five of their last six to take command of the AFC South, where they have a 3 1/2-game lead.
Jacksonville drove 77 yards on the game’s first possession, taking a 7-0 advantage on a 1-yard touchdown run by Bhayshul Tuten.
“That opening drive was huge, just to set the tone,” Lawrence said. “Especially when you get the ball first … that’s something that’s important, is to be able to go and get points right away.”
The Ravens tried to be creative, repeatedly running Wildcat-style plays with Henry. Baltimore managed a field goal on its first drive but nothing more until late in the game.
It was still close near the end of the first half, but Lawrence found Parker Washington for a 50-yard scoring strike with 58 seconds left in the second quarter. That made it 17-3 at the half.
“I just think he was very on when it was really a game,” Coen said of Lawrence. “When it was mattering and things were going and it’s a back-and-forth football game early on, he was extremely sharp, accurate and played, again, a really solid football game for us.”
It was 20-3 when a fumble gave Baltimore the ball at midfield in the third quarter, but the Ravens immediately turned the ball over on downs and the boos came cascading down from the crowd.
“They have every right to boo or do whatever they want to do. Obviously, us in here, we have to stay together, be on one accord, and just keep on relying on each other,” tight end Mark Andrews said. “You’ve got to be there for your brother. And that’s what we’re going to do is keep it in house and continue to fight for one another. And we’ll see how this thing shakes out.”
Fagnano went 10 of 18 with two second-half interceptions. Baltimore also lost a fumble on a kick return, which led to Chris Rodriguez Jr.’s 2-yard touchdown run with 7:26 left in the game that made it 33-3.
Justice Hill broke free for a 65-yard touchdown run 11 seconds later — Baltimore’s first TD after halftime since Week 5. Hill finished with 85 yards on nine carries, snapping Jacksonville’s 24-game streak of not allowing a 75-yard rusher.
Not competitive
It’s the first time in franchise history the Ravens have lost three straight games by at least 20 points. In 2015, Baltimore was routed 35-6 by Seattle and 34-14 by Kansas City in consecutive weeks, but the Ravens won the game after that.
Baltimore lost 35-13 to Cincinnati and 36-10 to Buffalo before Thursday’s game.
Injuries
In addition to their problems at quarterback, the Ravens were without starting cornerback Nate Wiggins, who had been listed with an illness earlier in the week.
Baltimore also lost star safety Kyle Hamilton to a hip injury.
Up next
Jaguars: At Tennessee on Nov. 15.
Ravens: Host the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 16.
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