Intriguing Game- NFL, Week 18
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars
Titans: They haven’t won a game since the Thursday night showdown in Green Bay against the Packers. That’s now over a month and the struggles continue to grow. Six losses in a row to be exact. At one point, they were sitting at 7-3 and appeared to be running away with the division as they built up a four-game leave. As I said up top, they have lost those six games in a row and the wheels off the car have completely fallen off. They’ve also lost their starting Quarterback for the year due to injury; the General Manager was fired, and injuries have also piled up. The same could be said about last year because the injury bug decimated them and all, but they were still able to push through it, but also remember, they had Ryan Tannehill under center. I can’t say things would be the same for them now if he were under center, but they’d win games and wouldn’t be struggling. The one thing I’ll never understand with the Tennessee Titans is trading away A.J. Brown. I get it’s a league where trades happen frequently, but that move impacted their offense in a major way. Outside of Derrick Henry, who else scares you on that Tennessee offense? You sit on the line of scrimmage and eliminate 22, dare them to beat you with the passing game and there’s that. Treylon Burks can be good in this league and I’m not denying that. All off-season, my main priority if I’m that front office is to fix up that Wide Receivers room. Tonight, they will look to win their third division title.
Jaguars: I’m so happy for this organization. I really am and I say that more than a year after watching them undergo the soap opera that was the Urban Meyer chapter. Doug Pedersen deserves to be in the conversation for Coach of the Year. When he was wired, I remember saying to people this was a good move and this young team will learn from him. I will never knock a team for hiring a guy without any previous head coaching experience. However, a guy with experience can make all the difference in the world and look at them now. At one point, the Jacksonville Jaguars were 2-6 and once again, it looked to be another year of them struggling. Things haven’t been the brightest for them since they last made the AFC Championship back in 2018. So, what’s the reason behind this turnaround? Two words: Trevor Lawrence. He’s been showing us all why the Jags decided to make him the number one overall pick back in 2021 and showing what was promised during his time at Clemson. I see a more poised Quarterback who’s not pressing to make a play. He’s more confident and most important, they put pieces around him. I’ve said it all season and I’ll continue to say it, put your Quarterback in the best position to win and watch what happens! In these last eight games, Trevor has been very impressive. 14 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. They’ve turned the page and played their best football at the right time when it matters most. They return home looking to win a division title tonight.
Titans X-Factor: Robert Woods– He’s the one receiver on this roster with some experience of playing in a big game and that’s crucial for these moments. Robert is that consistent piece that works the middle of the field and doesn’t hesitate to make that catch in traffic. He’s sneaky quick and he can take the top off your offense if you don’t zoom in on him. It’s great to see him back on the field after suffering that knee injury last year.
Jaguars X-Factor: Travis Etienne– I loved his game in college and I can’t wait to see what he becomes as his time in the NFL grows. Travis is a rare third down back and he’s that home run hitter when the opportunity presents itself. He’s also a tough runner in between the tackles. He’s cut from the Alvin Kamara cloth because he can run the football well and he catches the ball very effectively as a receiver out the backfield. It also helps that Trevor knows him well dating back to their college days at Clemson.
Final Thoughts: The AFC South was expected to come down to the Titans and Colts. Tennessee is still alive, and the Colts are a joke. The Jaguars truly came out of left field and haven’t let up. Mike Vrabel is making the right decision by starting Joshua Dobbs at Quarterback over Malik Willis. Dobbs won’t be the most accurate passer and he won’t be a game breaker, but he also won’t be too timid to make a play either. For the Titans to have any chance tonight, they must take better care of the ball because if they don’t, Jacksonville will capitalize upon the turnover. The Jags are playing their best football of the year. They’re a well-coached unit and they have a clear-cut advantage at Quarterback. Someone has to win this division, right?
Prediction: Jaguars 28, Titans 16
