JACKSONVILLE – The NFL is offering fans free access to its Game Pass platform, making any game available dating to 2009. In the coming weeks, we at jaguars.com will highlight Jaguars games from that era. In this story, we highlight a 12-7 victory over the Baltimore Ravens that marked one of the team's best defensive performances of the last decade.
The teams: Jaguars versus Baltimore Ravens.
The date: October 24, 2011.
The site: EverBank Field, Jacksonville.
The setup: The Jaguars and Ravens entered the game going in opposite directions, with Jacksonville on a five-game losing streak after a 1-0 start and the Ravens looking like a postseason team with a 4-1 start to the season. The Jaguars' slow start that season eventually led to a 5-11 record in Wayne Weaver's last season as owner, with Head Coach Jack Del Rio fired late in his ninth season as head coach in early December.
The gist: The Jaguars dominated the Ravens from the outset. Del Rio had the team motivated from the start and playing at a high level, with the Jaguars not allowing a first down until 5:26 remained in the third quarter. This was the Jaguars' best defensive performance in five years, with the team holding Ravens running back Ray Rice to 28 yards on just eight carries. Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew – en route to the 2011 rushing title – rushed for 105 yards, but it was Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee who turned in perhaps the game's most memorable performance making four-of-four field goals. Three of those field goals were from more than 50 yards.
Quotable I: "It finally feels good to win one after all those losses. It was nice to show the world what we're about. We beat a very good team." – Jones-Drew
Clutch kicking: Scobee had many memorable games during his Jaguars career, but this was one of his best games. He converted from 54 yards in the first quarter and 54 yards in the second quarter to give the Jaguars a 6-0 halftime lead. His 22-yard third-quarter field goal pushed the lead go 9-0. After the Ravens cut the lead to 9-7 on a five-yard pass from quarterback Joe Flacco to wide receiver Anquan Boldin, Scobee's 51-yard field goal with 1:43 remaining gave the Jaguars their final margin of victory.
Quotable III: "As long as I'm getting those opportunities, I will gladly take them. Given that we haven't scored a lot of points this season, I know that every time I'm out there it's very important." -- Scobee
The clincher: The Ravens had late momentum, and still had a chance after Scobee's 51-yard field goal just after the two-minute warning. But Flacco threw incomplete on first-and-10 from the 20, then Jaguars cornerback Drew Coleman intercepted Flacco at the Ravens 30 on second-and-10 from the 20. Jaguars rookie quarterback Blake Gabbert knelt three times to secure the victory.
Quotable II: "We knew this was an opportunity to right things and gain a little respect." -- Del Rio
The statistics: Jaguars – Gabbert (9-20 passing, 93 yards, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions), Jones-Drew (30 carries, 105 yards rushing, Jason Hill (four receptions, 82 yards); Ravens – Flacco (21-38 passing, 137 yards, one touchdown, one interception), Rice (eight carries, 28 yards), Boldin (four receptions, 40 yards, one touchdown).
Quotable IV: "We were confident about this game. We knew we had to outplay them. The difference between this and the other weeks is that we started fast. Our defense is capable of that. That's why we hold ourselves to a high standard. We just needed to taste victory." – Jaguars defensive tackle Terrance Knighton
The key series: There perhaps wasn't a key series for the Jaguars in this game as much as a key half. The Jaguars completely dominated the first half defensively, holding the Ravens to a franchise-record low 18 yards in the first two quarters. The Jaguars allowed the Ravens just 146 yard and they sacked Flacco three times. Cornerback Rashean Mathis also had one of his best games of the season, helping to negate Boldin and wide receiver Torrey Smith.
Quotable V: "We just grinded them. Mojo's a beast back there." -- Gabbert
