The Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars faced off at EverBank Stadium on Sunday in an AFC South battle. The two teams met for the first time in 2024 just a few weeks ago, and the Jaguars walked away with a 10-6 win after trailing 6-0 through three quarters. This week, the Titans didn’t handle their business any better, allowing the Jags to open the first quarter with a 10-0 lead.
The Titans have been trying to find their footing all season, and many thought that benching Will Levis for Mason Rudolph might change some of that. Unfortunately, it hasn’t had the desired impact, and compounded by injuries to Tony Pollard and Dillon Radunz, this week was an offensive struggle to say the least. The defense did the best it could with what it had, but they couldn’t find a way to stop Mac Jones or Travis Etienne Jr.
Here’s a look at some of the studs and duds (and studly duds) from Sunday’s Week 17 loss.
STUD: RB Tyjae Spears
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Running back Tyjae Spears earned Player of the Game honors with his performance against the Jaguars this week. Despite leaving with 3:23 left in the third quarter, Spears had 95 yards on the ground and caught three passes for eight yards, totaling over 100 yards in offensive production for the first time this season. Stepping in for an injured Tony Pollard, Spears did his job well and got the offense down the field until he was also injured.
DUD: WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
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Mr. Reliable was Mr. Invisible today. He caught three passes on six targets for 37 yards. Other than that, he was a nonfactor.
STUD: LB Luke Gifford
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It’s clear that the Titans missed Luke Gifford while he healed up from a concussion he suffered a few weeks ago. This week, Gifford led the defense with eight tackles (five solo) and one pass defensed. He was active on special teams, recording tackles there as well, and he made sure his presence was felt every time he was on the field. With Kenneth Murray Jr. on injured reserve, the Titans will rely on Gifford’s leadership more than ever.
DUD: WR Tyler Boyd
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Tyler Boyd has had nagging injuries this season, but if he’s on the field, then he has to perform. He caught two of four targets for 14 yards tonight and largely had no impact on the game.
STUD: K Matthew Wright
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Matthew Wright was signed to the Titans’ practice squad this week after Brayden Narveson missed his only field goal try last week. Brian Callahan and his staff must have liked what they saw in practice this week because Wright got the nod for kicks against the Jaguars. He kicked two field goals and an extra point and made all three tries.
STUDLY DUD: TE Chigoziem Okonkwo
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Chigoziem Okonkwo has seen more targets since Mason Rudolph took over at quarterback, but he wasn’t able to deliver like he has been recently. Okonkwo caught five passes on seven targets for 42 yards and ran the ball once for 17 yards. He did not find the end zone this week and he was not as impactful as he has been in recent weeks.
More STUDS
Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images
- CB Jerome Baker
- S Daryl Worley
- S Roger McCreary
- LB James Lynch
- DT T’Vondre Sweat
- DE Jeffery Simmons
- S Mike Brown
- WR Calvin Ridley
More DUDS
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- DT Keondre Coburn
- DE Sebastian Joseph-Day
- LT JC Latham
- TE Josh Whyle
- RB Julius Chestnut
