Baltimore Ravens 19, Jacksonville Jaguars 17
Here are the highest-graded players and biggest storylines from the Ravens' 19-17 road win over the Jaguars.
Quarterback grade: Joe Flacco, 78.4
This was a game where Joe Flacco played much better in the first half than he did in the second, until what wound up being the game-winning drive, but it was also a game where we saw Flacco do a solid job taking advantage of what the Jaguars were giving him, rather than trying to force the issue downfield. He attempted four passes traveling 20 yards or more downfield, with none resulting in a reception, but completed 83.3 percent of the passes he attempted traveling between 0 and 19 yards downfield.
Top offensive grades:
WR Steve Smith, 81.5
RT Ricky Wagner, 75.7
RB Terrance West, 73.2
LG Alex Lewis, 72.0
RG Marshal Yanda, 71.7
West makes his claim for a bigger role
The Ravens' backfield is a crowded one, with players' roles clouding over the summer, but Terrance West made a strong claim to see more playing time in this game. Out-grading Justin Forsett, who finished the game with a grade of just 51.5, West averaged 2.0 yards after contact compared with just 0.7 from Forsett. The team will expect an impact from rookie Kenneth Dixon when he returns to the lineup healthy, but for today, West looked like a more-than-capable starter.
Top defensive grades
S Eric Weddle, 85.1
DE Timmy Jernigan, 84.6
LB C.J. Mosley, 84.3
NT Brandon Williams, 81.3
LB Terrell Suggs, 80.2
Timmy Jernigan continues strong start to 2016
Many expected last season to be a breakout season for defensive lineman Timmy Jernigan, but based on the past two games, that prediction just might have been a year early. Jernigan was active as a pass rusher, registering a sack and two hurries on 32 pass-rushing attempts. That wasn't all he did, though, with the former Florida State star also batting two passes, including one that was intercepted by cornerback Tavon Young.
Quarterback grade: Blake Bortles, 50.9
In a game where the Ravens didn't let Bortles get comfortable, he really struggled under pressure, something which was ultimately telling in a close game. On plays where the Ravens didn't manage to get pressure, he completed 72.0 percent of his passes and had an NFL QB rating of 93.4. When the Ravens' defensive front did get there, that dropped to just 50.0 percent and a QB rating of just 28.6. The Jaguars need to do a better job of protecting their QB, but he needs to perform better under pressure, too.
Top offensive grades
WR Allen Robinson, 80.4
LT Luke Joeckel, 68.8
WR Marquise Lee, 67.5
HB T.J. Yeldon, 59.3
RT Jeremy Parnell, 53.7
Offensive line fails to create any running room
The Ravens' defensive front controlled the line of scrimmage in this one, and that was obvious from watching the game unfold. The numbers put it in even more stark contrast, however, with the Jaguars running backs and quarterback Blake Bortles totaling 48 yards rushing—and having 48 yards after contact. That means that the Jaguars' offensive line was able to give them an average of 0.0 yards of room to work with on each run.
Top defensive grades
LB Paul Posluszny, 89.0
CB Jalen Ramsey, 87.0
LB Telvin Smith, 84.6
DT Malik Jackson, 80.2
DE Yannick Ngakoue, 79.3
Rookie Jalen Ramsey proves his worth
The Jaguars used the No. 5 overall selection in this spring's NFL draft, and he showed exactly why they were willing to make that pick with his play against the Ravens. Targeted six times in coverage, he allowed four receptions, but they combined to go for just 13 yards, with Ramsey finishing the game with three tackles resulting in a defensive stop. He also tipped the pass that was ultimately intercepted by safety Tashaun Gipson, highlighting a big day for the rookie.
PFF Game-Ball Winner: Jaguars LB Paul Posluszny
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