Here’s a look at a handful of players who performed well, and some who would like to have a play or two back.
Divisional contests have proved difficult for the Tennessee Titans in recent times, but Sunday was a different story.
The Jacksonville Jaguars traveled to Nissan Stadium for their second matchup of the season against the Titans, and came out on the losing end as the Titans kept the momentum throughout the 42-20 win.
Here’s a look at a handful of players who performed well, and some who would like to have a play or two back.
Stud: QB Ryan Tannehill
We know Marcus Mariota has wheels and has come in clutch making plays with his legs, but Tannehill has proven equally talented. The starter completed 14-of-18 pass attempts for 259 yards and two touchdowns.
He also finished second among the team’s rushers on the day, carrying seven times for 40 yards and two touchdowns.
Here’s a look at some of the best moments from the victory.
The Tennessee Titans (6-5) are now above .500 and in condition to make a playoff push after Sunday’s 42-20 win over the division rival Jacksonville Jaguars in Nissan Stadium.
The game was filled with big plays for the Titans on both sides of the ball as they controlled the momentum from the first snap.
Here’s a look at some of the best moments from the victory.
4. OLB Harold Landry records his eighth sack of the year.
Harold Landry has been a steady factor on defense this season, collecting eight total sacks in 2019. He put this hit on Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles on third-and-long to bring Jacksonville’s drive to a halt.
Here’s a look at some player and fan reactions after the victory.
The Tennessee Titans (6-5) may have gotten off to a rough start in 2019, but now have the makings of a playoff push after Sunday’s 42-20 win over the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars (4-7).
The Titans held the momentum from the beginning, and stayed dominant on both fronts to get the job done.
Here’s a look at some player and fan reactions after the victory.
There wasn’t much good to talk about after the Jags loss to the Titans Week 12 aside from running back Leonard Fournette.
Another week, another absolute shellacking from a division rival to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars wrapped up another disappointing week with a loss to the Tennessee Titans by a score 42-20 in a game where they were flat-out dominated. With the loss, the Jaguars fall to 4-7 on the year and are dead last in the AFC South. This is the third straight loss to a AFC South division rival and also their third consecutive loss by 20 or more points.
There is not a lot — if anything — that went the Jaguars way on Sunday. Nevertheless, here are the good, the bad and the ugly moments from the Jaguars and TitansWeek 12 matchup:
The good: Leonard Fournette continuously showing that he is a franchise running back
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
While the Jaguars offense left much to be desired, one player who showed up to play was Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette.
Fournette put the team on his back to the best of his ability as he finished with 97 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Fournette now has 951 total rushing yards on the season, which is good for sixth in the NFL. He even led the team in receptions with nine for 62 receiving yards.
Fournette’s continued growth has been completely lost in the Jaguars’ miserable season. He is currently fourth in the NFL in receiving among running backs with 391 yards. That would represent the highest total since his rookie season where he finished with 302 yards on 36 receptions.
Fournette is also on pace to rush for 1,366 yards which would shatter his rookie total of 1,040. In a season filled with disarray and disappointment, the Jaguars at least can be excited with knowing Fournette is truly panning out to be the productive No. 4 overall pick that they hoped for.
The bad AND the ugly: Every single thing on the Jaguars’ side of the ball not named Fournette
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
This game was so bad for the Jaguars that it can not be separated between being bad and ugly.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Jaguars were almost helpless.
The Jaguars didn’t score their first touchdown until 2:23 in the third quarter when the game was already out of hand at a score of 35-11. Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles finished with 272 passing yards with a large majority of most of those yards coming in the fourth quarter when the Jaguars were down as much as 42-17.
On the defensive side, the main issue all season was the Jaguars’ sieve-like rush defense. This game was no different as the Jaguars’ defense was completely victimized by Titans running back Derrick Henry to the tune of 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Henry even broke out for a 74-yard run in the third quarter.
The real story was Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who started the season as the backup to Marcus Mariota. He absolutely eviscerated the Jaguars’ defense and showed some toughness overall leaping into the air for a 21-yard rushing touchdown. The Jags’ defense allowed Tannehill to not only pass for 259 yards with a 14.4 yards per pass average and two touchdowns, but he also ran for 40 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. In total, Tannehill finished with a 93.0 quarterback rating and a 155.8 passer rating and completely demoralized the Jags’ defense.
The Titans not only dominated the entire game, but also erased the hopes of a respectable season from Jaguars fans. The loss put them further down the standings in the AFC South and could possibly lead to them acquiring the last spot in the division.
A loss is one thing, but another extremely brutal loss to a division rival is flat out embarrassing at this point. Something needs to change and the bleeding has to stop eventually. Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone will have to take a deep look at the game film and the makeup of this team and figure out where their hearts are at this point in the season.
The Tennessee Titans were able to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars at home with a final score of 20-42, but it wasn’t without a little help from their star running back, Derrick Henry. The former Heisman winner absolutely dominated the Jaguars …
The Tennessee Titans were able to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars at home with a final score of 20-42, but it wasn’t without a little help from their star running back, Derrick Henry.
The former Heisman winner absolutely dominated the Jaguars defense on the ground off of 19 carries which produced 159 yards and two touchdowns.
His numbers were not the only aspect of his performance in the contest that was impressive, he managed to score both of his touchdowns within 16 seconds of each other.
Yes, 16 seconds.
The Alabama product’s first touchdown was an incredible display of strength and speed, as he ran 74 yards into the end zone while constantly having to push off defenders attempting to tackle him.
Then, on the very next drive early in the second half, Henry was able to punch himself into the end zone for another touchdown to give Tennessee a comfortable lead with plenty of time left to do more damage.
This win over Jacksonville improves the Titans record to 6-5, which places them into second place in the AFC South.
After having a rough start to the season, the decision to stick with Ryan Tannehill over Marcus Mariota has seemingly paid off.
As long as Tannehill keeps up his high level of production and Henry continues his reign of terror on opposing defensive lines, they just might be able to sneak into the playoffs with a Wildcard spot.
While the Houston Texans watched from home, Derrick Henry led the Tennessee Titans in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
There is new ownership in town for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The name of the group? Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans.
For seemingly the umpteenth time in his career, Henry gashed the Jaguars’ run defense in a win for the Titans. The former Heisman Trophy winner made his mark, rushing for 159 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 19 attempts in a 42-20 win over the Jaguars.
After a slow first-half, in which the Titans scored seven points on a 21-yard Ryan Tannehill rush and hurdle to the Jaguars’ lone field goal make, Tennessee woke up in the third quarter.
First, there was a one-yard touchdown pass of Tannehill to offensive lineman Dennis Kelly capped-off a four-play, 64-yard drive spanning 1:47. Then there was a touchdown run from the intimidating, big-bodied sprinter in Henry: a 74-yard scamper down the heart of the Jaguars defense. One play, 11 seconds, six points.
Henry didn’t stop there. After a muffed return, he made it back to the field minutes later to score a seven-yard touchdown run. One play, six seconds, six points.
In the span of less than a few (real-time) minutes, Henry had two touchdowns after scoring none in the first half. Shad Kahn, you no longer own the Jaguars.
Following another failed Jaguars drive, Tannehill found rookie wide-out A.J. Brown wide-open on a dig route. The result? A 65-yard touchdown and a commanding lead.
Though the Jaguars would go on to score back-to-back one-yard Leonard Fournette rushing touchdowns, they couldn’t match the offensive explosion of four touchdowns in one quarter from the Titans.
A fourth-quarter 3-yard Tannehill rushing touchdown to finish a four-play 40-yard drive followed by a Jaguars 50-yard field goal by way of Josh Lambo wrapped up the scoring. The Titans left their hometown fans happy with a 22-point win.
The Texans do not face the Titans until Week 15. If Tennessee builds upon their momentous win, Houston will have the opportunity to shut down their divisional rival twice, as they also face them in Week 17.
Nonetheless, the Titans are still lingering. With the win over Jacksonville, they now go to 6-5, tied with, but behind (tie-breaker) the Indianapolis Colts, who lost in Houston on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Texans continue to hold the crown of the AFC South at 7-4.
The Jaguars were embarrassed once again by a divisional opponent and their playoff hopes went out the door with the loss.
The Jacksonville Jaguars entered Week 12’s game against the Tennessee Titans with it being a do or die situation for their playoff hopes but fell flat on their faces as they did in their last two games. In fact, the game got downright ugly as they fell to their longtime rivals by a score of 42-20.
The game was close (7-3) heading into half-time but the wheels fell off in the third quarter. In the first series, the defense gave up a huge 36-yard reception to receiver A.J. Brown, which set the Titans up for an easy 1-yard touchdown reception to Denis Kelly. Afterward, the struggling rush defense allowed a 75-yard touchdown to Derrick Henry.
After a fumbled kickoff return by Michael Walker that put Tennessee on the Jags’ seven, they were able to punch in another touchdown with Henry, putting the score at 28-3. The bleeding didn’t stop there, however, as Brown added a 65-yard touchdown reception before the third quarter could end.
The Jags tried to respond with two touchdowns of their own by running back Leonard Fournette but the damage was done at that point. Not to mention, the Titans added a fourth quarter touchdown courtesy of quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
In a nutshell, the loss came down to another embarrassing performance from the defense, which allowed 471 total yards, 219 of which were rushing yards. Additionally, the Jags’ $80-plus million man Nick Foles struggled once again with hitting his receivers when it counted. With the Titans pouring it on, he had 48 passing attempts which led to a padded total of 272 passing yards on the night. Simply put, the loss is one that signals the team has hit rock bottom and changes could be on the horizon.
The Jags’ next game will be at home against the Tampa Bay Bucs, who are coming off a 35-22 win over the Atlanta Falcons. That game will take place on Dec. 1 with a 1 p.m. kickoff.
Jags Wire managing editor Jame Johnson chopped it with Titans Wire managing editor Crissy Froyd about Thursday night’s Week 12 battle.
The Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans will be taking the field for yet another battle in which fans of both fan bases have likely had circled due to the history between both teams. To get a little insight on the current status of the team as they’re coming off their bye week, we did our weekly question exchange with Titans Wire editor Crissy Froyd and here are five burning questions she was kind enough to answer:
Jags Wire: Earlier in the week Doug Marrone praised Ryan Tannehill as an improved player. How has he played since becoming the starter in your eyes?Â
Crissy Froyd: Tannehill is very decisive and comfortable in the pocket — two things that Mariota never was. He’s been efficient, but needs to stay consistent.Â
JW: The Titans are coming off a bye week which could lead to a playoff push from this point. Who are some key players they got back in the process?Â
CF: The Titans overcame a lot of injuries, and tight end Delanie Walker is just one of a few players slowly getting back to full capacity. He was one of two players (alongside OL Kevin Pamphile) still listed as doubtful on this weekend’s injury report.
JW: Aside from a change at quarterback, how has this roster grown since Week 3?
CF: We’re seeing a lot of young receivers step up, and Derrick Henry being put to good use. Henry wasn’t used correctly in the beginning of the season, and that showed. The Jags face a much better put together team this time around.
JW: What would you say has been some of the Titans’ weaknesses throughout the season?
CF: Allowing one big play a game, like Dean Pees said. The Titans have a solid team, but there are things they let slip away from them that cost them the game. Tackling has also been inconsistent at times.Â
JW: What are your final score predictions for the game?
The Jags will need to win some key matchups Sunday to overtake the Titans and one of them is the battle between Fournette and Rashaan Evans.
The Jacksonville Jaguars (4-6) and Tennessee Titans (5-5) will clash for their second time in 2019 with their playoff hopes hanging on by a thread. Needless to say, that means neither team can take a loss in Sunday’s matchup, which will come down to a few key matchups. Here are three we’ll be watching in particular:
Edge rushers Yannick Ngakoue and Josh Allen vs. offensive tackles Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin
While the Jags aren’t quite where they want to be record-wise, fans who like breaking down the film should at least be happy to see this matchup regardless of the outcome. It’s rare to see two tandems of this magnitude duke it out on the edge and I’ve personally been waiting to see this matchup since Josh Allen was selected by the Jags.
In the Jags’ and Titans’ Week 3 meeting, Taylor Lewan was suspended and his absence showed as quarterback Marcus Mariota was sacked nine times. Now he’s back and the playing field is level. With that being the case, it will be interesting to see how Yannick Ngakoue and Allen respond to the tandem as Lewan and Jack Conklin are regarded as one of the NFL’s top bookend duos.
RB Leonard Fournette vs. ILB Rashaan Evans Â
Leonard Fournette wants more carries and the Jags want to give him that. That said, if the Jags give him the ball as most suspect he’ll have to deal with the Titans leading tackler in Rashaan Evans. These two are quite familiar with each other after their time in the Southeastern Conference and now the rivalry has followed them to the league due to being selected by the Jags and Titans.
Evans will enter the game with 82 tackles while Fournette will enter the game with 854 rushing yards and one touchdown. As we’ve mentioned in the past, he’s struggled against the Titans. Throughout, four starts against them, he’s garnered 62 carries for 211 yards (good for a 3.4 YPC average) and a touchdown, which is not an impressive stat line. Simply put, that needs to change Sunday if the Jags want to win.
LB Myles Jack vs. RB Derrick Henry
This kind of goes back to what was said in our bold predictions post when I mentioned that Myles Jack is the most criticized player on the Jags’ defense — and rightfully so. He hasn’t played to his contract extension this season and will need to flip the switch quick as he’s played so poorly to the point where many have been wondering if he needs to change positions.
Jack likely understands he’s fallen short of expectations more than anyone and could play with his hair on fire against the Titans. With Derrick Henry expected to lead their offense, he’ll receive ample carries and Jack could make a statement Sunday by holding him in check and acquiring double-digit tackles on the day.
After a terrible showing in their last two games, many aren’t high on the Jags chances to beat the titans — and rightfully so.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will head to Tennessee to take on the Titans for the last time this regular season, and just as they were in Week 3’s meeting, both teams are desperate for a win.
With a 5-5 record, the Titans will be trying to avoid falling too far behind in the playoff race, while the 4-5 Jags will be looking to do the same and avoid a three game skid. That said, both fanbases are likely viewing Sunday’s game as the most important of the season — and that very well could be accurate.
Here are our predictions on how things could go between the two longtime rivals Sunday:
The Jags haven’t shown the ability to beat any teams with a .500 record or better aside from the Titans Week 3. However, the Jags’ defense was playing much better then. With Derrick Henry fresh off the bye week he’ll, unfortunately, have a solid day, though I’m not sure it will lead to a lot of scoring. Still, it will be enough in a close battle that goes down to the wire.
In a game that will garner very little interest from anyone outside of the two respective fanbases, this one may be a slog to watch. Both squads are not where they wanted to be and find themselves in tough spots. Do you tank the remainder of the season to improve draft stock? Or reel off a few wins to build momentum going into the offseason? For Jaguar fans, it might be best for the team to lose this one too (for the sake of a new front office) and exactly what will happen in Nashville.
After last week’s embarrassing effort against their longtime rivals in the Colts, the Jags are headed to Nashville to face the Titans. The Jags beat the Titans after a strong defensive day where the racked up nine sacks earlier in the season. However, both teams are nothing like they were when they met earlier. Both teams are meddling in no man’s land where they can either sneak into the playoffs or miss them but end up picking in the middle of the first round. The Jags should come out with a point to prove after last week’s effort and somehow survive.
Daniel Griffis (@GriffisNFL): Titans 29, Jaguars 16
The Titans are playing some of their best ball in recent memory. Ryan Tannehill has re-energized the team and brought them back into the playoff hunt. The Jaguars haven’t had such luck as of late. Until Jacksonville shows they can stop the run, I think they will struggle mightily, especially against a Derrick Henry led team.
The Jaguars will have to stop the bleeding eventually and this is the game to do it. Titans running back Derrick Henry will likely have a monster game but the Jaguars will win in a low-scoring game.
Last week’s loss to Indianapolis showed that the Jags’ run defense has been far below average this season. That said, Jags fans should expect another big game for Derrick Henry as we’ve seen in the past. This might be ugly, and a loss could very well cement the Jaguars at the foot of the AFC South.
