Music City Musings – Week 18: Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans
The continuously streaking to a top ten draft pick Titans of Tennessee host the desperate Jaguars looking to secure a wild card spot or the AFC South title. Can Tennessee play a spoiler role against their division rival? Jacksonville needs a win on Sunday, knowing the winner of Houston vs. Indianapolis will take temporary command of the division on Saturday. Tennessee needs a win to boost morale in a long-lost season. A loss virtually ensures a top-eight selection.
Jaguars Offense vs. Titans Defense
Jacksonville appears to be the much healthier of the two units at the moment with few nagging injuries to be concerned about. The biggest one being Trevor Lawrence’s multitude of upper body issues. Other than that, it should be a full go for the scoring unit.
OL vs. DL Matchups to Watch
Jaguars
Jacksonville’s offensive line has been a mixed bag of inconsistency, to say the least with injuries and rookie play dominating the narrative. Left tackle Cam Robinson has missed chunks of the season due to suspension and injuries. He’s been a below-average tackle when healthy with an overall grade of 63.1 but is an efficient pass blocker with a 77.9 grade in that department. His compadre at left guard Tyler Shatley has been treating Jaguars fans to consistent misery with an overall grade of 47.4. Shatley is also the backup center in theory. Jacksonville acquired Ezra Cleveland from Minnesota before the trade deadline to ensure depth at left tackle due to Robinson’s woes but he starts at left guard. Luke Fortner hasn’t been effective at center with an overall grade of 43.9, ranking second to last in his position. Right guard Brandon Scherff has been the most consistent lineman with a 66.0 overall grade. Rookie right tackle Anton Harrison has been a typical rookie with some consistency issues. He entered week 18 with an overall grade of 53.0.
Tennessee
Tennessee will counter the Jaguars’ weakened line with a productive defensive front that features Pro Bowl EDGE Denico Autry and a rapidly oncoming Harold Landry on the perimeter. The key for the Titans is their ability to be versatile chess pieces. Arden Key has improved his play over the past few weeks with Landry’s resurgence, alleviating the pressure. Marlon Davidson and Jaleel Johnson make up the interior play as nominal starters. Rookies like TK McClendon and Keondre Coburn have played a few reps as well. The key to this line battle will be on the perimeter as the Titans can throw waves of players against the inconsistent Robinson and rookie Harrison. If the Titans can take advantage of the weaker left side, they can have a good time against Lawrence or CJ Beathard.
Skill-on-Skill Matchups to Watch
Fortunately for Tennessee’s oft-ghastly secondary, the season is over for this collection of misfits. Another week of the secondary groups to be outmanned by a more dominant passing attack. It’s a tired refrain and needs severe overhauling in the offseason to come. Jacksonville has a more balanced attack with Calvin Ridley and Evan Engram dominating the target share compared to the next three skill players. Engram led the way last time these two met so the linebackers and safeties have to be ready. Ridley leads the team in receiving yards and touchdowns so he won’t be an easy task, either. The Jaguars have one of the best dual-threat runners in the league with young Travis Etienne, who has a chance to eclipse 1,000 rush yards and 500 receiving yards on Sunday. However, the receivers have taken a hit with season-ending injuries to Christian Kirk and return specialist Jamal Agnew. Zay Jones is battling injury but is on track to play.
The Titans’ secondary will try to go out on a high note matching wits with the inconsistent Jaguars passing attack. Roger McCreary and Sean Murphy-Bunting have carried the group when healthy and will likely float between matchups. Tre Avery is currently battling injury so his status is in doubt. UDFA rookie Eric Garror has been sordidly poor at his main job and will be relentlessly targeted by the Jaguars’ receivers.
Titans Offense vs. Jaguars Defense
The end of a prosperous era and the beginning of a new one is nigh as Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill could be playing in their last games as Titans. Henry is a free agent and on his last legs as a thirty-year-old. Tannehill will likely be released due to salary issues as Tennessee fully turns the page to the Will Levis regime under center. Both players were great Titans legends who resuscitated a wandering franchise and will never be forgotten. Can this meek unit perk up against a good Jaguars defense one last time for a final hurrah?
OL vs. DL Matchups to Watch
Tennessee’s offensive line is a bruised and battered one limping to the finish line against a fearsome Jaguars front. Josh Allen was named to the Pro Bowl after mustering 16.5 sacks so far and will look to feast against a weak left tackle duo. Andre Dillard was put back into his role as the starter after injury befell his replacement, Jaelyn Duncan. Both Dillard and Duncan have poor grades from PFF. Peter Skoronski has been solid but is having more frequent rookie moments as of late. Center Aaron Brewer is somehow the best performer of the unit with a 71.3 overall grade. Right guard Daniel Brunskill has had a solid debut season but has been in and out of the lineup due to various ailments. Andrew Rupcich has gotten playing time in his stead but don’t count out Calvin Throckmorton for the role. Dillon Radunz has been serviceable at times at the position but has generally deteriorated as the season has gone along. It’s been a long campaign for this unit, giving up 58 sacks.
Former first overall selection Travon Walker has gotten off the start that anyone would like but he does have nine sacks. He carries a 54.5 overall grade into the season finale. Roy Roberston-Harris and Dawuane Smoot man the interior of the line. Dillard is such a liability that the Jaguars should focus their attention on him. The interior is simply too small or undermanned to hold up against the Harris and Smoot duo.
Skill-on Skill Matchups to Watch
Sadly, the Treylon Burks experience might be coming to an end soon in Nashville. He’s battled consistent injury and dropped a big play opportunity last week. He never recovered after that. Tennessee’s one-man pass attack is so relentlessly one-sided that DeAndre Hopkins leads the target share over the next FOUR wide receivers combined. A tight end and running back are the next two most targeted. Yes, it’s a position that needs severe retooling in the offseason. Derrick Henry just turned 30 years old on Thursday and could be playing in his last game as a Titan.
Another mismatch of receivers versus secondary is woefully deficient in favor of Tennessee. Tyson Campbell, Darious Williams, and Antonio Johnson should have little to do and won’t need safety help against these receivers. Safeties Andre Cisco and Rayshawn Jenkins are second and third on the team in interceptions while ranking third and fifth in tackles, respectively. Linebackers Foye Oluokun and Devin Lloyd pace the team in tackles along with sporting grades in the high 70s to 80s. They will be tasked with covering Chig Okonkwo and Tyjae Spears out of the backfield.
Weather Report
The weather in Nashville calls for a temperature of 48 degrees with a 24% chance of rain. Sunday’s humidity is projected to be at 73% while the winds are predicted to blow in a Western direction at ten miles per hour. Jacksonville has the weather and talent advantage as it is significantly warmer in that area compared to Nashville. The temperature is right in line with the monthly averages for this time of year in the city therefore no difference can be perceived in that regard. The elements haven’t been a big factor all season for Tennessee as they have seen precipitation on very few occasions.
Odds and Ends
The Titans lead the all-time series by a margin of 34-24. Tennessee is 7-4 against the Jaguars since the beginning of Mike Vrabel’s tenure. Jacksonville has won three consecutive matchups in the series. Mike Vrabel’s men have outscored the Jaguars by a margin of 23.7 to 18.5 during his stay in Nashville. Jaguars’ head coach Doug Pederson is 3-1 against Tennessee as a head coach.
Uniforms
Titans
🚨Wardrobe check:🚨 The #Titans will be decked out in navy blue jerseys with white britches and navy blue socks on Sunday vs the @Jaguars. 👖
Credit @TitanUpPod on the 🧦. #BritchesReport pic.twitter.com/gpesMOhvG5
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) January 3, 2024
Jaguars
Road trip drip 🏁@PPG | #JAXvsTEN pic.twitter.com/wnlAI141Ch
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) January 3, 2024
Draft Pick Watch
The Jaguars are holding onto the 22nd overall selection as of now before Saturday’s action kicks off. They are in a three-way tie for 21st with Indianapolis and the Rams. Complicating matters is that Indianapolis is in a win-and-get-in type of situation on Saturday. Jacksonville currently holds the fourth seed as the division leader at this juncture but they could lose it with a loss. They will know the result before kickoff on Sunday afternoon.
Tennessee is also in a three-way tie for their draft slot but much higher up the board. They hold the seventh overall selection by mere percentage points on the SOS tiebreaker. With a loss, the Titans could move up to fourth with some help (wins by Giants, Cardinals, and Chargers).
Main Photo: Denny Simmons / The Tennessean-USA TODAY NETWORK
