All 48 of the pundits we looked at are picking the Ravens to defeat the Jaguars. The majority who predicted the score have Baltimore winning by 14-plus points.
"Lamar Jackson and his teammates have fought hard to get back in the playoff race, and they're not going to blow their chance against a 1-12 opponent," The Baltimore Sun's Childs Walker wrote.
Despite their record, the Jaguars have been competitive in several games against playoff-caliber teams. They beat the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1. The Jags lost to the Tennessee Titans by three points, Green Bay Packers by four, and Browns by two.
Cult hero Gardner Minshew returns as Jacksonville's starting quarterback. He started the first seven games of the season before being benched.
Here's a sample of what the pundits are saying about the game:
The Ravens will roll on the strength of their running game.
CBS Sports' Will Brinson: "How Lamar Jackson, J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards (plus Mark Ingram?) don't run for 250 yards here is beyond me. They can do whatever they want on offense, assuming they're willing to just lean on the ground game and get out of Dodge with a win."
CBS Sports' Pete Prisco: "The Ravens have won two straight, while the running game is going wild lately. The Jaguars can't stop the run, which will be a major problem. Gardner Minshew is back in at quarterback for the Jaguars, but it won't matter. This will be ugly."
Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer: "The Ravens are coming off two strong offensive performances with Lamar Jackson and the running game partying like it was 2019. … Jacksonville has zero answers for Baltimore on the ground."
It could be a good day for the Ravens' passing attack, too.
Sports Illustrated's Todd Karpovich: "Jackson will be able to attack Jacksonville's secondary, which is dealing with some struggles. Tight end Mark Andrews should be able to find space against the Jaguars' linebackers. … Jacksonville allows 273.4 yards passing per game, which is ranked 28th in the NFL."
Jaguars RB James Robinson is a significant factor in the passing game and could be a matchup problem.
Penn Live's Aaron Kasinitz: "Partly in an effort to avoid throwing at Ravens All-Pro cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters, some opposing offenses have tried to attack Baltimore's defense by spreading out and challenging linebackers in coverage. The Jaguars have the option of doing just that with Robinson, an undrafted rookie out of Illinois State who's been by far their most productive offensive player this season. Fourteen of Robinson's catches this year have gained first downs, which shows that he's made important plays as a receiver instead of simply amassing numbers through checkdowns. … Ravens inside linebackers Patrick Queen, L.J. Fort, Chris Board and Malik Harrison might all find themselves covering Robinson at some point Sunday. It'll be a good sign if they can stick with him."
The Jaguars' underrated receiving corps also could present a challenge.
The Baltimore Sun's C.J. Doon: "Lamar Jackson, J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards should be able to gift-wrap a victory, but the defense could be tested by unheralded receivers D.J. Chark and Keelan Cole and rookie standouts Laviska Shenault Jr. and Collin Johnson, all of whom grade as above-average at their position."
Can Marquise "Hollywood" Brown build off Monday night's game-tying touchdown catch if he's active? (Brown is on the Reserve/COVID-19 list as a "high-risk" close contact.)
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio: "I just wonder how much confidence Marquise Brown is going to carry away from the touchdown catch and run that got the game tied up late. It was the key play of the game when Lamar Jackson returned from the locker room. Will that help the connection between the two, as that passing game needs to improve if the Ravens are going to have any hope of advancing in the postseason."
December 18, 2020 at 09:51PM
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Late for Work 12/18: Ravens Are Unanimous Choice to Defeat Jaguars - BaltimoreRavens.com
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