The Jacksonville Jaguars hold a massive edge over the Baltimore Ravens for tonight’s Thursday Night Kickoff, and they can thank the Arizona Cardinals for the gift.
The Cardinals agreed to send QB Jacoby Brissett to Baltimore after Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley both suffered season-ending injuries, but because the ink hasn’t dried on the paperwork yet, the deal won’t finalize until the weekend.
Cardinals Jacoby Brissett Trade Delay Leaves Ravens Vulnerable vs. the Jaguars
That leaves Baltimore with no options but to throw undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano into the fire against Jacksonville. It’s an absolute nightmare matchup for the Ravens, especially against a Jags squad that nearly routed the Colts last week before walking away with a 42-7 blowout.
The Ravens do know how Fagnano looks on the field for them, as he played late in their matchup against the Bills. He recorded 91 yards, one interception and three sacks. He did get a week’s practice with starting reps, and the Ravens can only hope he got better.
But the timing couldn’t be more brutal for Baltimore because Fagnano will be facing the Jaguars’ defense as a UDFA from UConn.
The Jaguars head into tonight allowing just 15.9 points per game (2nd best in the NFL), while completely shutting down opponents’ ground attacks. Jacksonville is giving up a league-low 77.4 rushing yards per game and a staggering 3.39 yards per carry (ranked #1 in the NFL).
Add in a suffocating +7 turnover differential (tied for 1st in the league) with 12 takeaways forced, and asking an undrafted rookie QB to stay afloat against this front four is practically cruel.
Fagnano’s nightmare gets even worse inside the 20-yard line. Anthony Campanile’s defense is holding opponents to a miserable 40.9% red-zone touchdown rate (4th best in the NFL) and allowing third-down conversions at just a 35% clip.
Ravens Traded for Jacoby Brissett to Avoid This Exact Situation
The irony of the whole situation is insult to injury. The Ravens knew they were in a full-blown emergency the second Jackson and Huntley went down. They tried salvaging the situation with a Brissett trade specifically to avoid launching an inexperienced QB into a prime-time showcase.
But because GM Monti Ossenfort and the Cardinals front office are holding out to finalize the trade paperwork over the weekend, Baltimore gets stuck carrying the bill on Thursday night without the product.
Instead of having a veteran like Brissett who can command the huddle, the Ravens are forced to run a bare-bones game plan built to protect a rookie. For a Jaguars squad hunting a playoff seed, that’s blood in the water.
Stacking another win tonight puts the Jags on a fast track toward securing the division crown and locking up a top playoff seed. The chatter about Jacksonville being a legit Super Bowl threat is growing fast.
Cardinals Do Jaguars Massive Favor by Holding Off on Ravens QB Trade