Joe Fagnano Gets First Ravens Start vs. Jaguars on TNF

Joe Fagnano makes his first NFL start Thursday night when the Ravens host the Jaguars at M&T Bank Stadium, and it's about as tough a debut as an undrafted rookie could draw. With Lamar Jackson out with a thumb injury and Tyler Huntley done for the season with turf toe, Baltimore is down to its No. 3 quarterback against the team running away with the AFC South.

The stakes are real for both sides. The Ravens are 4-4, have lost three straight and sit last in the AFC North. Per ESPN, Baltimore hasn't scored more than 13 points in three straight games for the first time since 2005. Jacksonville comes in 5-2 with a three-game lead in its division after hammering the Colts 42-7.

What Fagnano Showed in Buffalo

Fagnano already got thrown in once. He finished Sunday's 36-10 loss at Buffalo after the injuries piled up and went 10 of 21 for 91 yards with an interception, getting sacked three times. That's the only real tape anyone has on him. He's also been playing through an ankle injury of his own, though he was a full participant this week.

He's not short on effort. Fagnano told reporters his wife has been reading him plays during living room walkthroughs, and that she "probably knows the playbook just as well as us at this point." Love it. Behind him are Kedon Slovis and Austin Reed, both added this week. Between Fagnano, Slovis and Reed, the Ravens' active quarterbacks have zero career starts, 44 snaps and 23 pass attempts.

Help is coming, just not this week. The Ravens are finalizing a trade with Arizona for Jacoby Brissett, but the deal isn't expected to be done until this weekend.

The Matchup That Decides It

This game lives in the trenches. Baltimore's offensive line has been shuffled all year by injuries, and the run game has stalled without Jackson. The obvious plan is to hand it to Derrick Henry and keep Fagnano out of third-and-long. Henry has 632 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, so the Ravens still have a hammer. The Jaguars know it, too, and they lead the league with a plus-7 turnover differential, per NFL.com.

On the other side, Trevor Lawrence has 17 touchdown passes against just four interceptions. Jacksonville's backfield is the question. Leading rusher Bhayshul Tuten (ankle, foot) didn't practice this week and is likely a game-time decision, coach Liam Coen said. If he can't go, Chris Rodriguez Jr. is up next.

What to Watch Thursday

Watch Fagnano's first few dropbacks against the Jaguars' front, led by Josh Hines-Allen. If Baltimore can stay ahead of the chains with Henry, the rookie gets manageable throws. If not, it could get ugly fast. Kickoff is Thursday at 5:15 p.m. PT in Baltimore, and after this one the Ravens get 11 days off before Brissett's likely debut against the Chargers on Monday, Nov. 16.

Smacktok pick lean: Lean higher on Derrick Henry's rushing attempts. With a rookie making his first start, the Ravens are expected to lean on Henry to take pressure off Fagnano.