What We Saw: Week 15

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Ravens @ Jaguars

Final Score: Ravens 23, Jaguars 7

Writer: Brett Ford (@FadeThatMan on Twitter)

The Baltimore Ravens went into Jacksonville to face the Jaguars in a battle of division leaders, with heavy playoff implications for both teams. Lamar Jackson was masterful in the pocket and on the move, extending plays and finding receivers as coverage broke down and the pass rush just couldn’t quite get home. Meanwhile, the Jaguars looked excellent driving the field but made too many mistakes in the red zone and couldn’t cash in on the opportunities that they had.

With the victory, Baltimore clinched a playoff spot, becoming the first team in the AFC to do so. The Jaguars on the other hand moved into a three-way tie for the AFC South lead, sitting at 8-6 alongside the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans with three games to play.

Let’s dig in.

Baltimore Ravens

Quarterback

Lamar Jackson: 14/24, 171 Yards, TD, INT | 12 Carries, 97 Yards

Lamar Jackson was nearly unsackable. That’s not a real word, but still, he was incredible on Sunday night, escaping several pass rushers, extending plays, and putting the Ravens in position to win the game. He made one poor decision early in the game, forgoing an easy completion for short yardage and trying to get greedy with a cross-body throw. It was picked. Aside from that, Lamar was amazing and made me want to go to the sportsbook and immediately put everything I own on him to win NFL MVP (+450) solely because he’s way more exciting and fun to watch than current favorite Brock Purdy. I mean Purdy ain’t doing this…

Lamar Jackson —> Isaiah Likely 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/GmTbi4BQSv

— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) December 18, 2023

Running Back

Gus Edwards: 16 Carries, 58 Yards, TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 11 Yards

The Gus Bus rides again! Edwards found the end zone for his 11th touchdown of the season, despite carrying the ball just…. times. He’s not going to get the volume of carries that he saw early in the season anymore, but he still has a nose for the end zone.

He WASN’T going to get the volume of carries from earlier this year, but if Mitchell misses time, he might go back to a major role.

Keaton Mitchell: 9 Carries, 73 Yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 15 yards

Mitchell took over as the primary back in this offense, serving as the early-down back for most of the game. He showed off his game-breaking speed on several of his runs, breaking off big gains on a handful of carries. Mitchell is so fast, he can cut back against the grain of the defense and beat guys around the OTHER corner. Once he hits the outside, he’s gone. The only knock on Mitchell is that he still isn’t getting many high-leverage carries.

In the fourth quarter as the Ravens were trying to ice the clock, Mitchell landed very awkwardly on his left knee after breaking yet another big gain. If his injury is serious, the explosive Ravens rushing game takes a shot but Edwards’ value as an every-down back may return.

Justice Hill: 5 Carries, 23 Yards | 1 Target

He might see an increase in usage if Mitchell is out for a while.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Zay Flowers: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 yards

Largely invisible for most of the night. Whether the Jaguars schemed him out or he just didn’t show up to play, Flowers frustrated fantasy managers in the most crucial of weeks.

Odell Beckham Jr.: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 14 Yards

Beckham made a crucial catch across the middle of the field but it was the only one he brought in. He was targeted in the end zone once but the throw was not catchable.

Rashod Bateman: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 39 Yards

Bateman looked much more engaged in this game than he had in previous weeks and was utilized more frequently as well. He had a shot at a touchdown catch but came up just a finger-length short of a diving catch in the fourth quarter.

Isaiah Likely: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 70 Yards, TD

Likely was an important cog in the Ravens’ offense, serving as Lamar’s safety blanket for several plays. He caught the Ravens’ first touchdown of the evening, running a solid route as Baltimore confused the safety with a stacked tight end set running a couple of vertical routes up the seams. Jackson threaded a tight window and Likely pulled in a nice catch to give the Birds a 10-0 lead in the second quarter. He added an incredible jump ball catch in the third quarter, setting the Ravens up for another score (see Lamar’s highlight above).

We hope you picked up Isaiah Likely 🔥pic.twitter.com/KIEGn6zbso

— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) December 18, 2023

Charlie Kolar: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 15 Yards

Kolar made a catch in the red zone on the only target he had. He also went under center for a tush-push style sneak and gained enough yardage for the first down.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Quarterback

Trevor Lawrence: 25/43, 264 Yards, TD | 4 Carries, 41 Yards, 2 Fumbles (2 Lost)

Lawrence looked much healthier this week than he did last time out, using his legs to extend plays on a handful of occasions.

He made a costly mistake in the red zone in the second quarter, inexplicably dropping the football as he scrambled for yards and fumbling it away to the Ravens’ defense. Then on the next drive as the Jaguars pressed down the field trying to convert in the two-minute drill, Lawrence made another terrible mental gaffe. After a big gain to get the team inside the five-yard line, Lawrence made the call to run a play instead of spiking the ball on first-and-goal. The Jaguars completed a pass in the flat but were tackled in bounds, which led to the clock running out with the Jags stuck at the three-yard line with no points to end the first half.

Trevor Lawrence forgot to bring the ball with him 🤔pic.twitter.com/2wtcbtuErw

— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) December 18, 2023

Lawrence was under duress for most of the night and ended up on the receiving end of a strip sack in the fourth quarter as the Ravens defense forced multiple takeaways. Lawrence’s struggles with ball security are not new, losing the most fumbles of any quarterback in the NFL since the beginning of 2021.

In the fourth quarter, Lawrence’s delivery looked a little wonky on consecutive throws and he was seen shaking his arm after the play. It may have been nothing, but it’s something to watch moving forward to Week 16.

Running Back

Travis Etienne: 10 Carries, 31 Yards | 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 28 Yards

Against one of the best rushing defenses in the league, Etienne struggled. He averaged just 3.1 yards per carry and only managed 10 rushes. He salvaged his fantasy week in PPR formats, pulling in four catches on six targets.

D’Ernest Johnson: 2 carries, 5 yards

Tank Bigsby: 1 carry, -2 yards

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Calvin Ridley: 5 Targets, 1 Reception, 20 Yards

Ridley was targeted a game-high 12 times but managed to pull in just five receptions for 39 yards. The usage has been exceptional for the star wide receiver, but the efficiency just hasn’t been there as he continues to struggle to cultivate any chemistry with Lawrence in their first year together.

It looked like Ridley pulled in a touchdown in the fourth quarter but he was ruled just out of the back of the end zone before securing the catch.

Zay Jones: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 59 Yards

The clear second receiver in this offense, Jones pulled in five receptions on seven targets, including a 36-yard gain on a big play. With nearly 30 targets in his last three games combined, Jones is worth a look in leagues where he remains on the waiver wire.

Jones pulled up lame after a go route in the fourth quarter, and it looked like he might have popped a hamstring based on the way he grabbed the back of his leg at the end of the play.

Evan Engram: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 28 Yards

Engram was bottled up by his standards as the Ravens’ defense held the tight end to just four catches for 28 yards. Used mostly underneath, Engram was ignored for the most part as the Ravens clogged up the middle of the field with linebackers and dropping linemen.

Parker Washington: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 12 Yards

Washington was used in short-yardage areas and gained just three yards per reception. The matchup just didn’t lean his way.

Jamal Agnew: 2 Target, 2 Receptions, 70 Yards, TD

Agnew got loose for a long touchdown, running a route pairing with Ridley that drew coverage away from him. He cashed in deep down the sideline for a 65-yard score. Agnew has breakaway speed and can take the ball for an explosive play any time he touches it. But he only gets a small handful of touches per game. If Zay Jones misses time, Agnew could be in line for more targets moving forward.