The Baltimore Ravens' blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football was accurately summed up by one play, in which Derrick Henry was tripped up by his own teammate
Joe Fagnano accidentally tripped Derrick Henry during a botched handoff
Joe Fagnano accidentally tripped Derrick Henry during a botched handoff(Image: Getty Images)
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Undrafted rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano and the Ravens couldn’t get out of their own way — quite literally — during a blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday Night Football.
In Week 9, Fagnano received the starting nod with star signal-caller Lamar Jackson and backup Tyler Huntley both sidelined due to injuries. The 25-year-old struggled to find much of any success until garbage time, with Ravens fans mercifully spared from the 33-10 bloodbath once play was briefly paused by a flying drone.
Yet it was one lowlight in particular that swiftly made the rounds online. As the Ravens trailed 20-3 with just under 13 minutes remaining in the third quarter, Fagnano attempted a handoff to Derrick Henry but tripped over his foot, causing the running back to stumble several yards behind the line of scrimmage.
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Multiple Jaguars defenders swiftly swarmed Henry before bringing him down for a one-yard loss.
Taking to social media, droves of viewers ruthlessly slammed Fagnano and the Ravens for the botched play. “This play sums up the Ravens season,” one X user wrote, with another adding: “The Ravens have never ever felt like a joke of a franchise. It's getting really close.”
A third chimed in, “A simple handoff and messed that up. The other QB’s he beat out had to be awful. Whoever is the scout for free agency rookies need to be fired cause I know they’re several QB’s rookies that are better than him.”
Once the dust had finally settled on the lopsided contest, Fagnano completed 10-of-18 passes for just 60 yards and two interceptions. Henry was also held in check for much of the night, rushing 17 times for only 57 yards on the ground.
Speaking to reporters earlier in the week, Fagnano shed light on the immense support he received from Henry in the lead-up to his first-career NFL start. "Derrick Henry [is] behind me telling me he's got my back," he said.
"When you have guys coming up like that that are future Hall of Famers, it means a lot."
It remains to be seen if the Ravens will give Fagnano another opportunity under center, with reports indicating that Baltimore is trading for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
While Ravens head coach Jesse Minter remained tight-lipped on the rumored deal for the veteran, he made sure to give Fagnano his due praise after the UConn product was thrust into a difficult situation.
Joe Fagnano struggled mightily in his first-career NFL start
Joe Fagnano struggled mightily in his first-career NFL start(Image: Getty Images)
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"I won't speak specifically to anything. I know that our front office and ownership are gonna do what's necessary to give us a chance," Minter said during Thursday's postgame press conference.
"Again, tons of respect for Joe and how he operated, and how he played. I mean, the guy had three days of preparation on a short week, playing through something with his own injuries, and did a really good job.
"So anybody that comes in, we'll see how it goes, and we'll see where it takes us. But again, you appreciate the organization for certainly trying to put us in a position [to win]."