The Ravens (10-3) enter Week 15 as the AFC’s No. 1 seed, and the team is in Jacksonville to face the Jaguars (8-5) on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.”
Baltimore can clinch a playoff spot with a win, providing more momentum toward a potential first-round bye and home-field advantage in the postseason.
Jacksonville will look to rebound after suffering their second loss in six days, as quarterback Trevor Lawrence finished 28 of 50 for 257 yards and three interceptions.
With final preparation underway for both teams, here are four keys for the Ravens defense against the Jaguars offense on Sunday night.
Pressure Trevor Lawrence into mistakes
Baltimore leads the league in sacks (49.0), and Lawrence is prone to mistakes when rushed or pushed off his square.
In last week’s loss to Cleveland. Lawrence was pressured into three interceptions while still nursing a sprained ankle.
Don't forget last season
In Week 12 last year, Baltimore suffered a 28-27 defeat to Jacksonville after Trevor Lawrence’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Jones Jr. and his two-point conversion throw to Zay Jones with 14 seconds remaining.
The Ravens blew a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter and were up by a touchdown in the final minutes as Lawrence threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns.
The Jaguars used the momentum of that comeback victory to win seven of their next eight games, including a first-round playoff win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Baltimore is 3-7 all-time at Jacksonville and has lost three of the past four.
Contain Evan Engram
Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton practiced all week despite sustaining a knee injury in last week’s game, and he’s listed as questionable before kickoff.
He’ll be needed against Jaguars tight end Evan Engram. Since Christian Kirk exited the lineup, Engram has 20 catches on 21 targets for 177 yards and three touchdowns.
Hamilton’s availability will be critical to a Baltimore victory.
Slow down Calvin Ridley
Evan Engram can cause more damage, but a Calvin Ridley explosion would prove costly for Baltimore.
Ridley has logged 55 catches this season for a team-high 742 (57.1 yards per game on 97 targets and five touchdowns.
Make Jacksonville beat you by passing in red zone
Jacksonville ranks 11th in the NFL with 3,158 passing yards (242.9 per game) and ninth in passing yards per attempt (6.8).
With 312 points this year (ninth in the NFL), the Jaguars can shock and awe opposing defenses.
Jacksonville ranks 11th in the NFL in pass rate, throwing the ball 35.8 times per contest, but they shrink in the red zone with just 44 passing attempts (10th-fewest in the league).
Baltimore will look to tighten up in the red zone, taking away Travis Etienne while forcing Trevor Lawrence to make big-time throws.
