3 Takeaways from Ravens' Week 15 Win

After enduring some midseason struggles, the Baltimore Ravens are back rolling again.

On Sunday, the Ravens were dominant in a 40-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, securing their third straight victory to improve to 9-5. Baltimore's winning streak comes after it lost four of its previous five games, which included dropping three straight from Weeks 10-12.

The Ravens built a 26-0 lead by halftime, and they never let the Jags get into the game. Baltimore controlled things on both sides of the ball while handing Jacksonville its 13th consecutive loss.

Although the Ravens are currently still outside a playoff spot, they remain in the thick of the AFC wild-card race and have a lot of momentum entering the final two weeks of the regular season. If they keep rolling, they'll perhaps reach the postseason for the third straight year.

Here are three takeaways from Baltimore's win on Sunday afternoon.

Jackson, Offense Continue Improved Play at Right Time

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When the Ravens were struggling, their offense wasn't playing up to its potential, and that included star quarterback Lamar Jackson. Last year's NFL MVP who wasn't putting up the same type of numbers that he did during his impressive 2019 campaign.

Now, Baltimore's offense is looking more like itself. The Ravens compiled 409 total yards against the Jaguars, and they scored at least 34 points for the third straight week. Jackson led the way by passing for 243 yards and three touchdowns, and rushing for 35 yards and a score.

And Baltimore turned it into a rout early. It scored three touchdowns in the first half, two of which were passing scores by Jackson (one to Miles Boykin and another to Dez Bryant). In the second half, Jacksonville never got closer than 19 points.

"Our guys came out and were ready to play," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said, according to Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun. "We talked about playing a clean game. We talked about playing a fundamentally sound game, and we talked about playing a physical game, and they did that. Our players did that. They responded in a big way, and that's to be commendable. They were rewarded for that."

If Baltimore is going to get into the playoffs (and have success if it gets there), its offense likely needs to continue to play at a high level. Lately, it's been doing just that, which has been a welcome sign for the team.

Ngakoue Led Strong Pass Rush Against Former Team

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Yannick Ngakoue has been traded twice in the past four months. First, he was dealt from Jacksonville to the Minnesota Vikings before the start of the season. Then, after only six games with Minnesota, he was sent to Baltimore. And the 25-year-old defensive end had gotten off to a bit of a slow start with the Ravens.

Entering Sunday's game against the Jags, Ngakoue had only one sack through his first six games with Baltimore. But against one of his former teams, he made a big impact, collecting two sacks and a forced fumble to lead a strong effort by the Ravens pass rush. They continually put pressure on Jacksonville quarterback Gardner Minshew II and finished with five sacks.

Ngakoue's three tackles were also the most he's had in a game since joining the Ravens.

"This is what they brought me here to do," Ngakoue said, according to Clifton Brown of BaltimoreRavens.com. "They brought me here to come change the game, to be a critical part of the defense. That's my job. That's what I intend to do."

After recording 37 1/2 sacks over his first four NFL seasons in Jacksonville, Ngakoue has shown what he's capable of adding to a team's defense. If Sunday was a sign that he could be returning to that form, Baltimore's defense could be getting a big boost down the stretch.

Ravens Surging but Still Need Help to Reach Playoffs

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The Ravens are now 9-5, and there's a good chance they could finish the regular season with 11 wins, considering they play the New York Giants (5-9) and Cincinnati Bengals (2-10-1) in the final two weeks. Yet, an 11-5 record may still not be good enough for Baltimore to get into the playoffs.

Currently, the Miami Dolphins, who are also 9-5, are the No. 7 seed in the AFC, which is the third and final wild-card spot. They conclude the regular season against the Las Vegas Raiders (7-7) and Buffalo Bills (11-3). And if they and the Ravens both win out, Miami would own the tiebreaker due to it having a better conference record.

Of course, there are still other scenarios that could unfold, including some in which the Dolphins and Ravens may both get into the playoffs. The Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts are both 10-4 and sit in the Nos. 5 and 6 seeds in the AFC, respectively. Neither team has clinched a spot in the postseason just yet. The AFC South-leading Tennessee Titans are also 10-4 and could fall into the wild-card mix.

All Baltimore can control is its final two regular-season games. And with the Ravens on a three-game winning streak and preparing to play a pair of sub-.500 teams, there's a good chance they could improve to 11-5. But will it be enough?