JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars bounced back after a 22-point loss with a 44-7 win over the Baltimore Ravens in London. The Jaguars dominated in their third straight win in London. Here is how the Jaguars answered the four biggest question I posed coming into the game:
1. Was the second half of the Titans game an aberration for the defense?
Yes. As expected, the Jaguars defense bounced back. In the first half, they were nothing short of dominant against the Ravens, holding Joe Flacco to eight yards of passing, matching his career low. While all of the talk going into the game was about the Ravens defense forcing turnovers and shutting down opponents, the Jaguars defense dominated Baltimore's offense, pitching a shutout through 56 minutes and forcing a pair of Ravens turnovers. Baltimore didn't reach 100 yards in total offense until the fourth quarter. By then, the Jaguars were up 44-0 and Flacco was on the sideline.
2. Can the Jaguars move the ball in the passing game without Allen Robinson?
They did, thanks to some creative play-calling from offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, solid play from the offensive line and the inclusion of Marcedes Lewis in the passing game. Lewis, who had not caught a pass in the first two weeks, caught three touchdowns against the Ravens. He is the third player in Jaguars history to catch three touchdowns, joining Robinson and Jimmy Smith. "Mr. London" Allen Hurns, Marqise Lee and Keelan Cole all contributed in the passing game. The play of the offensive line should also not be overlooked. As in the game against the Texans, the Jaguars offensive line did not allow a sack.
3. Can they score?
On the pregame on television, former Ravens head coach Brian Billick said that he didn't think the Jaguars would score. Whether it was said for affect or because Billick genuinely though ti is immaterial. There were plenty who believed that. After last week's pedestrian offensive performance, the Jaguars offense bounced back in a major way on Sunday. Moving forward, the question is going to continue to be about the truth of the Jaguars offensive identity. They have a chance next week against a struggling Jets team to make a statement that the Titans game was an aberration and that the performances in wins over the Texans and Ravens
4. Will Blake Bortles still be the Jaguars starting quarterback when the Jaguars return to American soil?
Clearly, the answer is yes. Bortles looked in total control in the Jaguars win, completing 20 of 32 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns. He also didn't turn the ball over. That's a huge indicator of his play. In the week that the Jaguars signed Ryan Nassib as an insurance policy, Bortles played his best game in two years. Would he have performed the same way without the signing of Nassib? Possibly. Sometimes, though, a little shakeup can refocus a team, or a player. That appears to have happened with the Jaguars and Bortles this week. The next step for Bortles continues to be consistency. Can he do it week after week?