The Ravens have a Thursday night game coming off another bad loss in Buffalo. They are once again without Lamar Jackson with the rest of their season shrouded in uncertainty. For now, Baltimore is trying to stay afloat after laying the groundwork to acquire Jacoby Brissett from the Cardinals. But first, preseason standout Joe Fagnano will start his first NFL game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Can the Ravens somehow stay above .500 with the undrafted rookie at the helm? If they have any chance,
they’ll have to follow these three keys:
Get the ball out quick
An offensive line is clearly in bad shape when they let three quarterbacks get injured while dropping back to pass in the same game. Even after Jackson and Tyler Huntley went down in Buffalo, the Ravens struggled to make protection adjustments and did not prioritize getting the ball out quickly. Right guard Vega Ioane is returning to from a one-game absence, so for just the second time in nine games, the Ravens’ desired starting five offensive linemen will be on the field. The first time was against the Bengals two weeks ago, but that lasted less than a quarter before Ioane’s injury
Upgrading the weakest link at right guard should lead to improvements for the unit. That may not be saying much considering the rock-bottom showing in Buffalo, but this group can be at least average, if not gel into something greater than its parts. But until they do, Declan Doyle needs to help Fagnano in his first start. Minimize his processing with quick reads and designed touches that minimize the chance for costly sacks and turnovers. If the line holds, Doyle can consider mixing him some longer-developing route concepts that could give Fagnano a chance to push the ball downfield, like he did in the preseason.
Lean on Henry
The Ravens’ run game might be helped even more by a health O-line. Ioane’s big, physical presence will be next to zone-specialist center Cam Jurgens for a full game (hopefully) for the first time. Derrick Henry had a solid start to the year behind a more consistent line , scoring seven touchdowns with 374 yards in the first four games. He had another 100-yard performance in the first game without Lamar Jackson in Atlanta, but since then, it’s been three straight games under 60 yards. He looked better in the Buffalo game, scoring his first touchdown since Week 4 and averaging 4.8 yards per carry, but he only got 11 carries.
Now the Ravens have a short week, a rookie undrafted quarterback making his first career, a finally-healthy offensive line, and an opponent that Henry has terrorized during his time in Tennessee. In 15 matchups against Jacksonville, he has averaged over 100 yards per game at 5.4 yards per attempt. It’s time to continue that trend and get The King rolling again.
Get pressure on Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence’s path has been anything but linear, but the former No. 1 overall pick is finally looking like the true-blue franchise quarterback the Jaguars thought they drafted in 2021. Something clicked for Lawrence under new head coach Liam Coen in 2025, and Jacksonville turned into a wagon of a team. That has continued into 2026,. I won’t be shy in saying that Lawrence has firmly been among the league’s top-t0 passers since partway of last year. Jacksonville has been one of the top AFC teams since then and might be the conference’s best right now. Now the Ravens have the challenge of trying to slow Lawrence and the Jags offense down to keep their season hopes alive.
So far this season, there’s been only one true way to slow down Lawrence. He is shredding zone coverage this year, averaging 0.32 EPA/play with a 53.29% success rate and a 74.63% completion rate, per Sumer Sports. He’s been slightly worse against man with 0.07 EPA/play, a 49.21% success rate, and a 52.94% completion rate. Even when he’s blitzed, Lawrence manages to stay positive with 0.08 EPA per play, a 42.86% success rate, and a 58.46% completion rate. His worst numbers come under pressure: an awful -0.44 EPA per play, with a 32.47% success rate and a 47.46% completion rate. Every quarterback is typically at their worst with the pass rush in their face, but Lawrence’s numbers are near the bottom of the entire NFL. The Ravens have got to find a way to get into Lawrence’s grill all night, ideally without blitzing. If they have to send the rush, they should pair it with man coverage.
