BALTIMORE - Jamal Lewis had no place to run, rookie quarterback Kyle Boller was struggling and the Ravens were having difficulty getting a first down.
It was up to Baltimore's defense to deliver a victory. As usual, linebacker Ray Lewis and his mates made it happen.
Lewis had 14 tackles and a key interception Sunday and the Ravens benefited from three fourth-quarter turnovers by Byron Leftwich in a 24-17 victory over the Jaguars.
The Ravens took a 13-10 lead into the fourth quarter, then converted Leftwich's two fumbles into 10 points before Lewis secured the win by picking off a tipped pass with 44 seconds left.
The Jaguars held Jamal Lewis, the league's leading rusher, in check and limited Baltimore to nine first downs. Lewis gained 68 yards on 21 carries, ending his run of successive 100-yard games at six. Lewis did stay on pace for 2,000 yards; he has 1,045 halfway through the season.
"It all starts with stopping No. 31," said Jacksonville first-year coach Jack Del Rio, who spent three years as Baltimore's linebackers coach. "We had to have that to have a chance. That was the No. 1 goal. Without doing that, we have no chance to beat this football team."
Stacking eight players near the line of scrimmage on almost every play, Jacksonville put the clamps on the league's top-ranked rushing attack.
But the Jaguars couldn't overcome their miscues, especially those of Leftwich, the seventh overall pick in April's draft.
Leftwich was 22-of-34 for 208 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown to David Allen with 3:11 to go. Then, after a Baltimore punt, he took the Jaguars to the Baltimore 29 in the final minute before Ray Lewis clinched the win.
A deflection could happen to anyone. The fumbles, however, are becoming a serious problem.
"It's something we have to look at and something we have to work on," Leftwich said. "It's got to get better."
Baltimore led 13-10 when Anthony Weaver forced a fumble by hitting Leftwich in the pocket, then pounced on the loose ball at the Jacksonville 24. That led to a field goal by Matt Stover and a six-point cushion with 10:30 left.
On Jacksonville's next series, Leftwich again fumbled when hit in the pocket, and Tom Knight recovered at the Jaguars 27. Three plays later Chester Taylor scored on a 29-yard run, and a two-point conversion made it 24-10 with 7:33 left.
Boller went 10-of-23 for 156 yards. He lost a fumble to set up a Jacksonville touchdown, and threw an interception.
