Playoff Bound! The Jaguars Beat the Titans and Win the AFC South

The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted arguably their most anticipated regular season home game on Saturday evening versus the Tennessee Titans. Both the Jaguars and Titans were fighting to make the playoffs as this was a win-or-go-home game for both teams.

The Jaguars rallied around a sold-out crowd in Duval county, and beat their divisional rival 20-16 to punch their ticket to the Playoffs.

Recap

Tennessee was without their starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill, so Joshua Dobbs made only his second start of the year but played a solid game when his name was called upon.

The Titans, who were losers of six straight games, came out of the gates hot, making an early statement by going up 10-0. On their second possession of the game, Derrick Henry and their offense went 17 plays, 51 yards, and took 10 minutes off the clock. In the following possession, the Jaguars looked like they were having a promising drive before Trevor Lawrence and Jamal Agnew had a miscommunication on a fumble on the Titans 31 yard line. On the Titans’ next possession, they were methodical again, going seven plays, 69 yards, and capped off their drive with a touchdown to Chigoziem Okonkwo. After this score, the Titans would only score six more points it was all Jacksonville for the rest of the evening.

Jacksonville responded to the early deficit by getting a late touchdown to Christian Kirk with 2:36 remaining in the first half, and that would cut the score to 13-7 heading into halftime. The Jaguars got the ball to start the second half and went 12 plays before having to settle for a field goal. Trevor Lawrence overthrew a wide-open Zay Jones in the back of the end-zone. A few possessions later, Joshua Dobbs threw his first interception of the game on a pass that was taken by Tyson Campbell and returned to the Titans’ 25-yard line. Jacksonville went three and out and had to settle for a field goal but they cut the lead to 16-13 with 14:49 left in the 4th quarter.

The play that changed the game and ultimately won the Jaguars this game came late in the 4th quarter when Jacksonville got their fourth defensive touchdown this season. With 2:51 remaining in the game, the Titans were at their 25-yard line trying to burn the clock and put this game away. Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins had a big hit on Joshua Dobbs that led to a fumble recovery for a scoop and score by Josh Allen. The Jacksonville crowd erupted at TIAA Bank Field, and that score was the deciding factor between both teams.

Derrick Henry rushed for 109 yards on 30 carries and did not get much help anywhere else on offense. Trevor Lawrence played a solid but not great game as he was 20-of-32 on passes, throwing one touchdown and zero interceptions. Christian Kirk played great as he had six receptions for 99 yards and the Jaguars’ lone touchdown. Foyesade Oluokun led the Jaguars with 13 total tackles, and for the second consecutive year, led the NFL in tackles.

What’s next?

Jacksonville will be in the playoffs for the first time since 2017, and this looks to be a premier matchup. A matchup that features two of the best young quarterbacks in the game, Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert. The Jaguars will host the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday at 8:15 in the Wild Card round.