The Jacksonville Jaguars are an 8.5-point road favorite against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football, mostly because third-stringer Joe Fagnano will be starting behind center for the NFC North foe. However, the Jags cannot uncork the champagne just yet.
Sure, Trevor Lawrence is on fire, and the defense is among the best in the NFL. That said, Jacksonville just lost defensive tackle Davon Hamilton and safety Eric Murray for the year. On top of that, there's a chance running back Bhaysul Tuten won't play, as he's dealing with an ankle injury he sustained in the win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8.
If that wasn't enough, the weather could have an impact of this Thursday Night showdown.
It could rain when the Jaguars play the Ravens on Thursday Night
NFLWeather reports the chance of precipitation Thursday is 69 percent, better than a coin flip. The temperature will be 68 to 66 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the game, and there will be winds of around 12 MPH.
Granted, there was also a chance it could rain when Jacksonville played the Colts, and it didn't, or at least not enough to be a factor. But that doesn't mean it won't Thursday. The silver lining is that the weather would end up affecting both teams, which isn't great news for a team that will be starting an undrafted rookie at quarterback who's dealing with injuries.
For context, Baltimore placed Lamar Jackson on Injured Reserve after he suffered a hand injury in the loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 8. Backup Tyler Huntley also left the game with a toe injury and is unavailable for the foreseeable future, leaving Joe Fagnano as the only healthy quarterback on the Ravens depth chart.
That led the Ravens to sign Austin Reed, who spent training camp with them and played in the UFL last year. There was a chance Reed could start because Fagnano was also dealing with ailments, but head coach Jesse Menter ultimately gave the nod to Fagnano.
You may also like: 4 best DaVon Hamilton replacement the Jags must target
How could the weather affect the Jaguars' game plan?
The Ravens will try to lean on Derrick Henry and control the clock regardless of the weather. But if it rains, the Jaguars will unleash the backfield duo of Chris Rodriguez and Ameer Abdullah. Keep in mind that Bhayshul Tuten hasn't practiced ahead of the game, and it wouldn't make sense to rush him back onto the field in a short week if he isn't truly healthy.
With Tuten possibly sitting this one out, Abdullah and Rodriguez would be the top options in the Jacksonville backfield. Although they haven't had nearly as many opportunities as Tuten, they've done the most with their chances this season, amassing a combined 61 carries for 267 yards with three touchdowns. They should have no trouble holding the fort if Tut is unavailable.
But if it doesn't rain, expect Trevor Lawrence to dial up deep shots, and look for the trio of Parker Washington, Josh Cameron, and Travis Hunter to test an inconsistent Baltimore secondary.
Whether it rains or not, the Jaguars have a favorable matchup, but it will be up to them to take advantage of it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google