The Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars face off at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida this Sunday at 1pm EDT. It’s an AFC South matchup that is the second meeting between these two teams this season. The Jaguars won the first matchup 10-6 in Week 14, and the Titans look to redeem themselves after giving up 10 points in the fourth quarter in their last meeting.
For Calvin Ridley, this game is more than just redemption for running out of bounds just shy of the first down in their last meeting. No, for Ridley, this is about making a statement in a stadium he called home last season. Finding him is one of six keys to victory for the Titans this week.
The Titans are favored to win this game, not that it means much once the ball is kicked off on Sunday. But it shows that they have the pieces necessary to come away with a win. That’s been true on multiple occasions this season, though, so here are six things they must do to secure a win on Sunday.
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Last season, Calvin Ridley caught 31 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns in eight games in Jacksonville last season. In their matchup a few weeks ago, Ridley had seven receptions for 59 yards, but this time he has a new quarterback throwing him the ball. The Jaguars have the second-worst pass defense in the NFL and allow 12 yards per reception. If Mason Rudolph can find Ridley, it will go a long way toward winning the game.
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The Jaguars allow the second-most fantasy points to tight ends, and Chigoziem Okonkwo has become a reliable target for Mason Rudolph. Nick Vannett and Josh Whyle are capable of catching passes, too, and with the Jags poor pass defense, it’s a perfect opportunity for the Titans.
Over the last two games, Okonkwo has recorded 17 receptions for 140 yards. Josh Whyle has five receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown. The Titans’ tight ends can provide the offense with a solid boost if they’re use correctly on Sunday.
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The Jaguars have gone for it on fourth down 25 times this season, and they’ve been successful 14 times. That’s good enough for a 56% success rate on fourth down conversions. The Titans have seen their opponents attempt 11 fourth-down conversions and be successful nine of those times. That means that over 80% of the fourth-down tries have been successful. When you’re up against a team that likes to go for it on fourth down, you have to be ready for those attempts.
It’s not just about being ready and having the right plays in place but actually making the stop. If the Titans allow the Jags to move down the field that way, there’s no chance that they win.
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Amani Hooker leads the Titans with five interceptions this season. He is responsible for the most takeaways, but he hasn’t practiced all week with a shoulder injury. The Titans cannot allow the offense to turn the ball over without getting a takeaway in return. If Hooker can’t go on Sunday, someone else is going to have to step up and make sure the Titans can get some takeaways.
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Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones is the epitome of a pocket passer. He is not a runner and definitely prefers not to scramble. He’s been averaging 2.3 seconds in the pocket and is very good at getting the ball out to his targets in that short amount of time. Pressuring him is always a must, but the Titans need to take away his targets more than anything else. Don’t give him an outlet to pass to, force him out of the pocket, force him to take a sack or throw the ball away. Jones has a minimum of 220 passing yards in each of the last four games. If the Titans can get him under 200 yards, it will go a long way toward getting a win.
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Last week, the Indianapolis Colts put up 335 rushing yards against the Titans. Bigsby doesn’t generally accumulate a ton of yards in a game, but he has found the end zone six times this season and is capable of breaking off a long run in the right circumstances. One of his six touchdowns came against the Titans just a few weeks ago. The Titans cannot afford to let Bigsby do to them what Jonathan Taylor did to them last week.
