JACKSONVILLE – Stifling defense, ball control, veteran poise and a few timely field goals — a formula that has brought the Baltimore Ravens plenty of success over the years.
Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 105 yards in the Jaguars' win over the Ravens, his second 100-yard performance of the season.
By Matt Stamey, US Presswire
Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 105 yards in the Jaguars' win over the Ravens, his second 100-yard performance of the season.
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By Matt Stamey, US Presswire
Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for 105 yards in the Jaguars' win over the Ravens, his second 100-yard performance of the season.
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It was used against them Monday night in a stunning role reversal.
In what qualifies as the biggest upset to date of the 2011 NFL season, the Jacksonville Jaguars clipped the Ravens 12-7, knocking them out of first place in the AFC North.
BOX SCORE: Jaguars 12, Ravens 7
PHOTOS: Best images from NFL Week 7
VIDEO: Highlights from the Jaguars' big win
"I'm really proud of our guys," said embattled Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio.
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"They played with a lot of grit and determination. We knew this was an opportunity to kind of right things and gain a little respect against a really good football team."
The Jaguars (2-5), who'd lost five in a row since an opening-day victory and entered the game with the fewest offensive yards in the league and fewest points in the AFC, hardly blistered the vaunted Baltimore defense, finishing with just 205 yards and nary a touchdown.
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.
Ray Rice fumbled for the first time since 2009, a streak spanning 520 offensive touches.
Linebacker and special teams ace Brendon Ayanbadejo was ejected for throwing a punch at Jaguars tackle Guy Whimper in the third quarter.
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 Drew Coleman picked off Flacco with 1:25 left to seal the win.
"We probably had a three-minute span where we played alright," said Flacco.
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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