NFL Predictions: Week 3 Picks and Hot Takes
By Joe Wedra
Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, CBS
What happened to Jacksonville? In a year in which the mighty Gus Bradley group was supposed to take the next step forward into the playoffs, they’re in very real danger of starting 0-3 to begin their “breakout campaign”. Panic button – pressed.
It’s unfair to pin the blame on Blake Bortles, especially when you consider the performance of Bradley’s defensive unit against San Diego last week. They crumbled and played some very concerning football in comparison to the offseason buildup that took place around Jacksonville before the season. Improvement and optimism were themes; now, “merely hanging on for dear life” seems to have replaced the glass-half-full thoughts. If they want to win on Sunday, it’s up to the secondary to stifle a much-improved Baltimore passing attack.
Joe Flacco is Joe Flacco – we know his ceiling, we certainly are aware of his floor. As his performance goes, the rest of this matchup should follow. If Marc Trestman dials up schemes to expose the Jacksonville secondary, akin to San Diego’s game plan last week, this has the potential to get very ugly. Mike Wallace leads a band of concerning, sturdy Ravens playmakers that consist of newly-healthy additions in Dennis Pitta and Steve Smith Sr. Throw in Breshad Perriman’s deep threat and Trestman owns a bit more than the Jaguars might be able to handle.
The Jaguars aren’t a bad football team, and it wouldn’t have been a shock to see them start the season 1-2. But after the debacle in San Diego, one has to wonder if these Jags are truly built to win now, if ever, with the current makeup of the roster.
Ravens fire on all cylinders, Flacco’s big day leads to defeat of Jaguars, 28-21.