Jacksonville has lost five games in row and its outlook isn’t promissory, considering that Baltimore has won seven of the last eight head-to-head confrontations.
The EverBank Field will hold Monday Night Football twice this season, with the first primetime showdown scheduled for October 24, when the Jacksonville Jaguars receive the Baltimore Ravens to complete week 7. While the Jaguars will be looking to end with their five-game lost streak, the Ravens will try to improve their 4-1 record to continue on top of the AFC North. It will be the first time they face each other since December 2008, when the Ravens won the game at home by 27-7 Link Rajabandot.
In their last eight confrontations the Jaguars have been owned by the Ravens that have defeated them seven occasions. But things were not always like that: from the origins of their rivalry in 1996 through 1998 Jacksonville went 8-0 against Baltimore, until the Ravens began to tilt things on their side during their Super Bowl winning season in 2000, and ever since have dominated the series.
This season the Jaguars experience against AFC North teams hasn’t been positive at all, with defeats to the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Week 5 and 6 respectively. Considering that the Ravens not only lead that division, but have also averaged 29.6 points per game against 12 PPG from the Jaguars, no one would be stunned if Jacksonville’s losing streak is increased on Monday night.
Times are not good for the Jaguars that would be sunk on the bottom of the AFC South if it wasn’t because, believe it or not, there is a team that is doing worst than them in their division: the 0-6 Indianapolis Colts. Neither is the support from their fans that have reported poor home attendance.
Jacksonville’s bad results aren’t the only thing that is keeping the fans from supporting their team, but also their bad calls. Especially now that former QB David Garrand’s agent, Al Irby, claims that the Jaguars cut his client loose because they knew that he had to go through surgery for a herniated-disk injury.
With Garrand’s exit head coach Jack Del Rio chose rookie Blaine Gabbert as the starting QB of one of the league’s youngest rosters. The rookie can expect a real tough game on Monday night, considering that its rival has only allowed an average of 7.4 points to opposing QBs this season. And Gabbert has thrown for 717 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions so far in 2011.
A win from Baltimore will put them one game closer to a playoff berth, which could mark their fourth consecutive postseason appearance.
One of the biggest concerns this season for Baltimore is QB Joe Flaco’s protection, something that the offensive line needs to improve on, since he has been hit multiple times so far in the season. Head coach John Harbaugh was very clear about it after the 29-14 victory over the Houston Texans, when he said that “we don’t need Joe getting hit like that.” Despite the shots taken against on Sunday, Flaco will be starting against the Jaguars.
