The Jaguars refused to overlook the spiraling Titans, and it showed in a big way on Sunday afternoon.
Next up: a shot at putting a bit of separation between them and the Colts in the AFC South.
Trevor Lawrence tossed a pair of touchdown passes in the first half, and the Jaguars handled the Titans 25-3. The win, and Indianapolis’ 20-16 loss to the surging Texans on Sunday, puts Jacksonville and the Colts both at 8-4. Due to the tiebreakers, Jacksonville is actually ahead of Indianapolis in the standings. The Texans (7-5) are one game behind, should the Jaguars or Indianapolis slip.
“One week at a time. 1-0 for the rest of the way. We’re giving ourselves an opportunity to play meaningful games in November and December, and ultimately that’s all you can ask for in this league,” said head coach Liam Coen.
“The rest of the way you’ve got competitive, meaningful football games, and I think that’s just an important thing for us to go through as a team in year one. To have the opportunity to do those things and to earn that, I think is important for us to be able to continue to move forward as a team.”
The Titans (1-11) are clearly building for next year. They fired head coach Brian Callahan and are trending towards the No. 1 pick in the draft. The Jaguars treated them just like that, dominating their biggest rival to put themselves square in the conversation for the AFC South title in Coen’s first year. Indianapolis heads to EverBank Stadium next week with the No. 1 spot in the division on the line. The Colts haven’t won in Jacksonville since 2014.
Jaguars start quick
After Tennessee got on the board first with a field goal, Lawrence marched the Jaguars 84 yards in seven plays and hit Jakobi Meyers for the touchdown. He found Brenton Strange wide open in the center of the end zone on the first play of the second quarter for an easy touchdown. Lawrence had time to go through every read in the playbook on the touchdown pass to Strange. He ran in a two-point conversion on the following play. That 15-3 lead was never seriously challenged by rookie quarterback Cam Ward.
The Titans had a solid drive at the end of the opening half, pushing all the way down to the Jacksonville 21. But Ward’s pass on fourth down to Tony Pollard was incomplete to deny a huge drive for the Titans. Had Tennessee managed to get in the end zone before half, that would have been a massive spark. Instead, Jacksonville used that remaining time to drive into field goal range for Cam Little.
Instead of trotting Little out for what would have been a 61-yard attempt with a stiff cross wind, Coen opted to try one more pass. Lawrence rolled out of the pocket, had nothing downfield and ran towards the sideline. Ex-Jaguars player Arden Key was flagged for a late hit, and that extra yardage allowed Coen to send Little out for a 45-yard field goal. Up 18-3 after that kick, Jacksonville was never threatened again.
“So, there is that dislike, for sure, but there’s a respect, too. You know how the game’s going to be played,” Lawrence said. “It’s going to be physical. You’re going to get their best shot and I’m sure they know the same when they play us. So, yeah, there’s definitely a little something to it and I think it’s a good thing. That’s what makes football fun.”
The second half was a slog, with Bhayshul Tuten scoring on a 2-yard touchdown run, and the offense staying conservative with the big lead. Lawrence finished 16 of 27 for 229 yards passing. Meyers led all players with 90 yards and a touchdown on six catches in his best game since arriving after a trade with the Raiders.
Defense knocks Titans around
Jacksonville had no issue containing Ward, the No. 1 pick in the draft. Even without defensive line starters Arik Armstead and Travon Walker, there wasn’t much room for Ward to operate. The Jaguars had five quarterback hits on Ward, sacked him three times, and kept him uncomfortable all game.
That pressure forced numerous throws behind his receivers and flat-out bad passes. Josh Hines-Allen had two of Jacksonville’s three sacks, Ventrell Miller forced a fumble that Rayuan Lane recovered and the defense had no issues against Tennessee. Ward was 24 of 38 passing for 141 yards. The Titans managed just 188 yards of offense against Jacksonville. Can the Jaguars have that same success against the Colts?
“Yeah, we need everybody. We need the city to show up and support us. We want to make them proud. We’re continuing to try to put a product on the field that our city and community can be proud of, and that’s something that means a lot to our team,” Coen said. “It means a lot to our players. We want to continue to do that. As much support as we can get from Duval, that would be huge.
Injuries a concern
They’ve been a big problem all season and continued to pile up against the Titans. Receiver Parker Washington left after a touchback on a punt return in the second quarter, falling down after the play. The Jaguars said it was a hip injury. It would be a significant loss if Washington is out for an extended period of time. Washington had become a very dependable No. 3 receiver and is one of the best punt returners in the NFL.
Defensive tackle Armstead missed the game with a hand injury, and left tackle Walker Little left with a concussion and didn’t return.
“So we’re going to have to get our minds right, come back prepared, take care of our bodies,” Hines-Allen said. “I know a lot of people got banged up today, so I’m looking forward to that. Definitely looking forward to that matchup.”
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