Baltimore Ravens Vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 5 Bold Predictions For Week 3 Of 2016 NFL Season


The co-leaders of the AFC North, Baltimore Ravens, will travel to the Sunshine State to take on the AFC South bottom-dwellers, the Jacksonville Jaguars, during Week 3 of the 2016 NFL Season. The Ravens enter this game with a 2-0 record following victories over the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns while the Jaguars will be looking to post their first victory of 2016 after losses to the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers.

Last week, the Ravens fell behind the Cleveland Browns, 20-2, in the first quarter, but didn’t allow another point for the rest of the game as they came storming back to grab the 25-20 victory. Joe Flacco threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns, both to Mike Wallace, while tight end Dennis Pitta grabbed nine catches for 102 yards.

Meanwhile, the Jaguars are coming off of a 38-14 shellacking at the hands of the Chargers as the team fell behind 35-0 before scoring two meaningless fourth-quarter touchdowns. The defense was torched by Philip Rivers, who completed 17-of-24 passes for 220 yards and four touchdowns, and Melvin Gordon, who rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Quarterback Blake Bortles also turned the ball over three times in an ugly showing.

Let’s get to some bold predictions for this AFC matchup.

1. Jaguars Will Hold Joe Flacco Without A Touchdown Pass

This is the very definition of a bold prediction as the Jaguars have allowed six touchdown passes through two games, but it’s not necessarily all the defense’s fault. Jacksonville has the No. 11 defense in the NFL in terms of total yards allowed, and the No. 8 pass defense. A lot of their struggles have been due to their offense putting them in bad spots. Watch out for a great performance from this much-maligned defense in Week 3.

2. Jaguars Will Rush For 100 Yards

The Jaguars have the No. 30 rush offense in the NFL as they are averaging a paltry 58.5 yards rushing per game. The good news is that there’s a decent chance that Chris Ivory will make his debut with the team this Sunday after missing the first two games of the season due to an unspecified medical situation. Look for Jacksonville to try and establish the run early and often to protect Bortles and keep the defense off the field.

3. Allen Robinson Will Have 100 Yards And Two Scores

Prior to Josh McCown injuring his shoulder last week, the Browns were torching the Ravens’ secondary. Rookie receiver Corey Coleman ended up hauling in five passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns, most of which came during the first-half prior to McCown’s injury. Through two games, Robinson only has nine catches and 126 yards to his name, but he’s been targeted 20 times by Bortles. Look for those two to hook up a lot during Week 3.

4. Elvis Dumervil Will Record Multiple Sacks

Dumervil is expected to return from a foot injury this Sunday, which should provide a boost to the Ravens’ pass rush. Despite only recording six sacks last season, Dumervil is only two seasons removed from registering 17 sacks and should be a problem for the Jaguars’ offensive line.

5. Jacksonville Wins A Close One

Calling a game in Week 3 of any NFL season a must-win is a bit of a stretch, but this week’s game against the Ravens is as close to a must-win as it can get for the Jaguars. Expectations are higher in 2016 and starting out 0-3 would put Gus Bradley on the hottest seat in the NFL. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Jacksonville fire its head coach with another disappointing showing on Sunday. That’s why I believe the Jacksonville Jaguars will play their best game of 2016 and escape with a 27-21 victory.

[Featured Image by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images]

Share this article: Baltimore Ravens Vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 5 Bold Predictions For Week 3 Of 2016 NFL Season
More from Inquisitr