Jaguars vs Ravens Thursday Night Football opens Week 9 on Thursday, Nov. 5, with a matchup transformed by injuries in Baltimore’s quarterback room. The Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) visit the Baltimore Ravens (4-4) at M&T Bank Stadium, with kickoff at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video. Al Michaels will call the game, with Kirk Herbstreit as analyst and Kaylee Hartung reporting from the sideline. The game will also air locally on WMAR-TV in Baltimore and WFOX in Jacksonville.
The headline is at quarterback. Undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano will make his first NFL start for Baltimore. He steps in after a brutal sequence for the Ravens in Sunday’s 36-10 loss at Buffalo: two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson injured his right thumb on the first offensive play and needs surgery, and backup Tyler Huntley then suffered a turf toe injury in relief. Jackson is headed to injured reserve, and Huntley is out for the rest of the season, with surgery expected for his toe injury.
Jaguars vs Ravens Thursday Night Football: how to watch
- Date: Thursday, Nov. 5
- Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ET
- Venue: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
- TV/streaming: Prime Video nationally; WMAR-TV in Baltimore and WFOX in Jacksonville locally
- Announcers: Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, Kaylee Hartung
Baltimore also moved Wednesday to add veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett from Arizona, but Fagnano will still start on the short week, with Brissett reportedly expected to take over when Baltimore hosts the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football on Nov. 16. The Ravens have also signed Kedon Slovis from Green Bay’s practice squad for quarterback depth.
Fagnano, an undrafted rookie out of UConn, was thrust into Sunday’s game at Buffalo after Jackson and Huntley went down. He completed 10 of 21 passes for 91 yards with one interception in relief. He is also dealing with an ankle injury from that game, but he practiced fully on Tuesday. Head coach Jesse Minter confirmed Tuesday that Fagnano would start Thursday.
How each team arrives at Thursday night
The form lines point in opposite directions. Jacksonville routed the Indianapolis Colts 42-7 last Sunday in Jacksonville, while Baltimore lost 36-10 at Buffalo and has now lost three straight games. The Ravens sit in last place in the AFC North, while Jacksonville leads the AFC South.
Jacksonville’s recent run has been built on balance and defense. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has thrown 32 touchdown passes against five interceptions in his last 13 regular-season games, according to the Jaguars’ team site. Jacksonville’s defense allows just 15.9 points per game, the second-best scoring defense in the NFL, and leads the league in run defense at 77.4 yards per game.
Baltimore’s clearest path back into contention runs through Derrick Henry. The Ravens average 133.5 rushing yards per game, sixth in the NFL, and Henry’s history against Jacksonville is imposing: 1,584 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns at 5.4 yards per carry in 15 career games against the Jaguars. The catch is that Jacksonville has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in its last 24 games, and the Jaguars’ team site notes that stopping Henry is its defense’s top priority. Jacksonville will have to do that without nose tackle DaVon Hamilton, who is out for the rest of the season with a quadriceps injury.
The injury report adds to Baltimore’s challenge. Safety Jaylinn Hawkins (knee) and Huntley (toe) are out, while running back Adam Randall (neck) and cornerback Nate Wiggins (stinger, illness) are questionable. For Jacksonville, running back Bhayshul Tuten (ankle, foot) and defensive end Travon Walker (rib) are questionable.
The recent series history is close. Jacksonville leads the all-time series 13-11, and the teams have split their last six meetings 3-3. Baltimore won the last meeting, 23-7, on Dec. 17, 2023, in Jacksonville, although Jacksonville has won only once in eight visits to Baltimore.
Analysis and prediction: what will decide this game
This is a preview and analysis piece, not a result: the game has not been played yet. On the verified facts, Jacksonville enters as the clear road favorite, and the analysis leans toward a Jacksonville win. The Jaguars have the better recent form, the stronger defense, and a settled quarterback, while Baltimore is starting an undrafted rookie on a short week against the NFL’s top run defense.
Baltimore’s path to an upset is narrow but real. If the Ravens protect Fagnano, lean on Henry, and turn the game into a low-scoring, field-position contest in front of their home crowd, they can keep it close into the fourth quarter. Thursday night games often reward the simpler, more physical plan, and Baltimore has the running game to try it. But if Jacksonville stops Henry early and forces Fagnano into obvious passing downs, the Jaguars’ pass rush and secondary should take control.
What to watch next: a Jacksonville win would strengthen its hold on the AFC South and extend Baltimore’s losing run to four games, dropping the Ravens below .500 for the first time this season. A Baltimore upset would reset the Ravens’ season and make Fagnano’s first start one of the stories of Week 9, with the Brissett question then becoming the next decision for the coaching staff.
For more NFL coverage, see our report on Lamar Jackson’s thumb surgery and injured-reserve move, and our recap of the Bears’ 34-17 win over the Seahawks on Monday Night Football.
Sources: Ravens Wire / USA TODAY; NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY Network; Florida Times-Union; Baltimore Ravens; Jacksonville Jaguars.
