LONDON — Jaguars wide receiver Allen Hurns knew Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens had to be different.
It was - significantly. Blake Bortles threw four touchdown passes, three to tight end Marcedes Lewis, and the Jaguars routed the Ravens 44-7 on Sunday in their fifth game in Britain’s capital.
Jacksonville (2-1) had a 17-point lead over the Buffalo Bills in 2015, only to win by three points. Likewise, they had a 17-point edge against the Indianapolis Colts a year ago before emerging with a three-point victory.
“The main thing we talked about coming in at halftime was not letting up,” said Hurns, who whose 5-yard touchdown reception from Bortles in the second quarter gave the Jaguars a 20-0 lead. “The team had put pressure (on the Ravens), as far as an offensive standpoint, so call what we’re going to call - not just being lackadaisical and calling all runs. Keep pushing the gas.”
The Jaguars finished with 410 yards, easily outpacing their output in their first three games, and handed the Ravens (1-2) their worst defeat since Nov. 9, 1997, when they lost 37-0 at Pittsburgh.
Only a 6-yard pass from Ryan Mallett, who entered in relief of Joe Flacco in the fourth quarter, to Benjamin Watson with 3:24 remaining prevented the shutout.
“You can be 100 percent honest about it, they did a good job executing today,” said Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs. “They outplayed us. You’ve got to take your hat off to the Jacksonville Jaguars. But it’s only one game. … We’ve just got to make it up. It happened. It’s very unfortunate. We did a lot of uncharacteristic things.”
Jacksonville punctuated the victory with a fake punt on the last play of the third quarter, with Corey Grant taking a direct snap 58 yards before Fournette punched it in from the 3.
Flacco, who finished 8 for 18 for 28 yards, was intercepted twice, once by A.J. Bouye in the second quarter and once by Jalen Ramsey in the third.
Bortles also left the game early, replaced by Chad Henne on the Jaguars’ first drive of the fourth quarter after completing 20 of 31 passes for 244 yards.
Fournette, who finished with 59 yards on 15 carries, became the first Jaguars player to rush for a touchdown in each of his first three games.
Baltimore crossed midfield three times - and not until the third quarter, when Terrance West gained 7 yards to reach the Jaguars 45.
On the next play, West failed to secure a handoff and fumbled, leading to linebacker Telvin Smith returning it 52 yards to set up Lewis’ third touchdown.
Flacco, who joked at practice on Friday he thought players would be “zombies,” said the travel wasn’t to blame.
“We all felt different at times, but by the time game day came around, by the time 2:30 came around, we felt pretty good,” Flacco said. “The other team was going through the same exact thing, so that’s just part of this game.”
Hurns, who has now scored in each of the Jaguars’ last three overseas games, matched Brandon Lloyd as the only players to score three touchdowns at Wembley Stadium.
Lloyd scored one touchdown in 2010 while playing for the Denver Broncos, and two in 2012 while with the New England Patriots.
“It’s been three years straight with a touchdown,” said Hurns, who was given the nickname “Mr. London” by his teammates. “It’s kind of like a second home here. It’s always great having the game here with the atmosphere.”
Ravens wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was evaluated for a concussion in the second quarter but passed all tests and was allowed to return. Maclin was injured as he failed to catch a pass that resulted in an interception by Bouye.
Ravens defensive end Brent Urban injured a foot on the second play of the second quarter and did not return.
Ravens rookie right guard Jermaine Eluemunor, a fifth-round pick out of Texas A&M who was born in London, made his debut after being inactive for the first two games. Eluemunor, who moved to Danville, New Jersey when he was 14, was 12 when he saw the first NFL game played in London on television and decided he wanted to play football.
The Ravens next host the Pittsburgh Steelers, who they have not lost to at home since 2012.
The Jaguars visit the New York Jets in the second of three straight games away from Jacksonville.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.