Jaguars 34, Titans 14: 5 Observations

The Jacksonville Jaguars got back on track against the Tennessee Titans this weekend.

The Jacksonville Jaguars got back on track in Week 11, improving to 7-3 after a 34-14 win over the Tennessee Titans.

"It just goes to show the resiliency of our football team. We've only been together a short while, but this is a resilient group," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after the game. 

"They always seem to work themselves back and fight their way back when they have a setback. They've done it. They did it again today. Hats off to the leadership of the football team and really each man doing his job, and that's the type of football that we're capable of playing."

So, what all did we see in the win? We break it down below.

 Doug Pederson has proven he knows how to get his locker room to respond after a bad loss 

Credit to Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson. Every time the Jaguars have been handed a tough loss in his tenure, they have bounced back. They did it last year, going on a run and not losing another regular-season game after their Lions embarrassment. Then they rattled off five wins in a row after a shocking Week 3 loss to the Texans at home this year. They did it again on Sunday, with the Jaguars having one of their best performances of the Pederson era in a complete and dominant win over an AFC South rival.

Pederson deserves the bulk of the credit for this. He has been lauded inside the building for his calm demeanor and consistency, never getting too high or too low. He doesn't treat wins like Super Bowls and he doesn't hit the panic button after losses. That is a big reason the Jaguars respond so well to adversity, time and time again. They will slip at times, but they will also get back up.

Trevor Lawrence and the offense finally had their day 

Sunday was one of the best offensive performances the Jaguars have had in 2023, and it might not be close. They committed zero turnovers, Lawrence was only sacked once (and it came on a run out of bounds), and they had several explosive plays in the passing game. A big part of their success was due to improved play from the offensive line, but the Jaguars also did their part to ensure they didn't get one dimensional, either.

"I think a lot of it, too, stemmed from the fact that we stuck with the run game, so it helped a little bit in the pass protection world. Again, it's a prideful group, and Walker getting back in there and kind of settling down and having more reps," Pederson said. 

"It appeared like he played better today, but as a group against a really good defensive front, they played so many five-man fronts today. You're creating all those one-on-one matchups, and our guys did a nice job of hanging in there and battling. Trevor doesn't make some of those down the field throws if they don't give him that extra time. They played well."

Lawrence played his cleanest game of the season, and it was largely because the Jaguars' procedure around him was better than it had been all year. The Jaguars have been waiting for a big game like this from Lawrence and the offense all season. On Sunday, they finally got it.

The Jaguars have found the right mix at running back

Jacksonville relied on running back Travis Etienne more than almost any other team relied on a single running back during the first half of the season. The Jaguars didn't want this trend to be a season-long one, though, with the team finally getting Etienne more rest over the last two weeks. Before the Jaguars pulled their starters, Etienne had 14 carries, D'Ernest Johnson had seven carries, and rookie running back Tank Bigsby had just one.

The Jaguars found the right mix with this balance. The entire offense wasn't put on Etienne, while Johnson made his fair share of plays: including a 34-yard catch to set up the Jaguars' second touchdown of the day. Johnson is officially the No. 2 running back and has an increased role, something the Jaguars' offense has needed all year.

"I am just trying to make the most of my opportunities. Whenever my number is called, I'm just trying to go out there and make a play."

The Jaguars don't have to worry about Will Levis, yet 

A month ago, the NFL world was ready to anoint Will Levis as the next star rookie passer. Things have certainly cooled since his four-touchdown debut, with the Jaguars making him look like a rookie every step of the way on Sunday. Save for two trick plays that resulted in touchdowns and a jump ball (which accounted for 59% of Levis' passing yards), the Jaguars made Levis crumble.

Y"eah, the defense, they created the take-away early in the football game. Of course, we have the special teams take-away late in the second half. Listen, I don't think we talk enough about the defense. They're the ones that have kept us in the majority of our football games this season," Pederson said. 

"They did a nice job today. It's one of the things we knew going in that we would have to slow down this run game. I thought for the most part they did a nice job, controlled the line of scrimmage. They played fast. They played fast today, and that was good to see. Our secondary was on point. They were in the right position. We had a chance to grab a couple of balls. They'll make those, but [Defensive Coordinator] Mike Caldwell had a good plan for the guys. The coaches did a nice job preparing the players, and they're a big part of this today."

Perhaps Levis turns into a franchise quarterback in the future. He is tough and throws a good deep ball, and has all of the size and athletic ability one would want from a young quarterback. But to automatically assume he will hit that mark is a bold overreaction, and Sunday helped confirm this fact.

Calvin Ridley's ability to draw pass interference is genuinely an advantage

No team has benefitted from pass interference more this year than the Jaguars. Not only are they rarely called for it, but they have been the top team in the NFL at forcing such flags -- specifically due to Calvin Ridley. The Jaguars had two such plays occur in the first-half -- one drawn by Zay Jones, and the other by Ridley. Each came on a scoring drive and helped the Jaguars stay on the field in critical situations.

At this point, it is worth considering that the ability to draw flags is maybe the best thing the offense does consistently. It is an odd strength to hang your hat on, but Ridley specifically has now drawn nearly double-digit flags for close to 200 yards. That production doesn't show up on the stat sheet, but it matters.