The Jacksonville Jaguars earned a 36-22 win in Nashville just four weeks ago against the Tennessee Titans. Since then, the Titans have lost Ryan Tannehill, Bud Dupree, and Zach Cunningham to the injured reserve.
The Week 18 rematch at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville looks like it should be an easy win for the Jaguars. Not so fast, says wide receiver Zay Jones.
“It’s hard to beat teams twice,” Jones told Jaguars.com on Friday. “I give that healthy respect to teams and the depth that they have. I know Josh Dobbs, personally, and the type of man and character that he is. … You have to respect the talent that they have and the coaching that they have.
“You should only look back to learn. You shouldn’t look back to dwell. I think it’s part of your ego and pride to think, ‘Oh we beat this team once, so we’re going to just do it again.’ That’s not how the league works. You’ve got to earn it every week.”
A year ago, Jacksonville played the role of season ruiner. Despite entering Week 18 on an eight-game losing streak, the Jaguars beat the Indianapolis Colts in the season finale, 26-11. The Colts missed out on the playoffs because of that loss.
The Jaguars can do the same to the Titans this year, but this time it’s Jacksonville that carries the weight of expectation.