But that was more than enough to allow a revamped Jacksonville defense to make a prime-time statement. The Ravens didn't manage a single first down before halftime, gaining a mere 16 yards on 25 plays or about two feet per snap.
"They basically beat us with their defense," said Ravens coach John Harbaugh .
The Jaguars spent heavily on the previously porous unit after the lockout, committing tens of millions to import linebackers Paul Posluszny and Clint Session , defensive end Matt Roth and safety Dawan Landry , a former Raven. They helped pay major dividends Monday, ceding just 146 yards while constantly punishing Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco and sacking him three times.
But the Ravens, who logged their initial first down with five minutes left in the third quarter, also spent plenty of time undermining themselves.
Linebacker and special teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo was ejected for throwing a punch at Jaguars tackle All-Pro kicker Billy Cundiff missed a 52-yard field-goal attempt.
Paul Kruger incurred a 5-yard penalty for running into punter Nick Harris in the second period, enough to set up a 54-yard field goal for Jacksonville's Josh Scobee he drilled one three-pointer in each quarter and tied a record by converting three from beyond 50 yards on the ensuing play.
And Flacco was off target most of the game, completing 21 of 38 passes for 137 yards while frequently under siege behind an offensive line that did little to protect him.
"It's about as bad as you can play on offense," said Harbaugh. "The good news is, it's one loss."
The final nail came when Jaguars rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert took his own lumps, enduring four sacks, but didn't make any major mistakes on the way to notching his first NFL victory in his fifth start. His 93-passing-yard, turnover-free performance proved just enough, coupled with running back Maurice Jones-Drew , who methodically churned out 105 yards on 30 carries against the league's No. 3 rushing defense. Jacksonville won the time-of-possession battle, holding the ball for more than 36 minutes.
"I want to congratulate Blaine on his first win I guess he's just a prime-time player," Jones-Drew said while lamenting, tongue-in-cheek, that he couldn't celebrate very long on a short week.
After showing signs of being the class of the AFC, the Ravens (4-2) are suddenly tied with the Cincinnati Bengals in what's shaping up as a three-team divisional race, a half-game back of the Pittsburgh Steelers .
"If we don't get consistency going on offense, we're not going anywhere," Harbaugh said of his team's long-term outlook.
NOTES:Jones-Drew had 104 yards from scrimmage; Rice finished with 63. The teams were a collective 4-for-28 on third downs and combined for 16 punts and 16 penalties. After requesting a 24-hour extension, the Jaguars sold enough tickets to avoid a local blackout of the game.
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