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Titans at Jaguars: Live Updates, Analysis

Tennessee looks to take advantage of an opponent with a losing record -- and a long losing streak.

David Boclair

For the first time in more than a month, the Tennessee Titans face an opponent that does not have a winning record.

Prior to Sunday’s meeting with the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Stadium, the Titans had faced – in order – the Chicago Bears (5-3 at the time), Indianapolis Colts (5-3), Baltimore Ravens (6-3), the Colts (7-3) again and the Cleveland Browns (8-3). They won three of those five.

That stretch was preceded by a trip to Cincinnati, which was 1-5-1. Of course, things did not work out well in that one.

Tennessee will have to do better this time.

TOP STORYLINES

• Jacksonville has lost 11 straight, which is the NFL’s second-longest active losing streak. Only the New York Jets, at 0-12, have gone longer without a victory. The Jaguars’ last two defeats were by a combined points, and their defense has held five straight opponents to fewer than 30 points.

• The Titans have won six of the last seven in the series and eight of the last 10. Their 33-30 victory over Jacksonville in Week 2 gives them a chance to sweep the season series for the third time in four years.

• Quarterback Ryan Tannehill tied his career-high with four touchdown passes in the season’s first meeting. In last year’s second meeting, he ran for two touchdowns for the only time in his career. Much attention will be paid to Derrick Henry, but Tannehill could be the difference-maker in this one.

WORDS OF WISDOM

“It’s going to be a chippy game. It’s going to be scrappy. It’s going to be dirty, and that’s what you’ve got to expect. … Fans don’t need to hear what’s being said on that field. It’s just one of them type games.” – Tennessee tight end Jonnu Smith.

On to kickoff.

FIRST QUARTER

Jacksonville gets the ball to start, and the opening kickoff is a touchback.

(9:20) DaQuan Jones blocks a 53-yard field goal attempt and keeps Jacksonville from taking the early lead. The defense allowed the Jaguars to convert their first two third-down opportunities but finally held and forced a field goal attempt.

(8:39) A.J. Brown with a ridiculous one-handed catch off a flea-flicker. The play goes for 37 yards and a touchdown. Add that one to the second-year receiver’s ever-expanding highlight reel. Scoring drive: 3 plays, 57 yards, 1:12. TENNESSEE 7, JACKSONVILLE 0

Of course, that is the same A.J. Brown who has had an issue with drops in the last few weeks.

That is Brown’s ninth receiving touchdown of the season. That is one more than he had last season and the most since Rishard Matthews had nine in 2016.

(6:30) The Jaguars’ second possession starts with a 22-yard reception by Laviska Shenault Jr. but goes backward from there, thanks to a 1-yard run, a false start penalty and two incomplete passes. Jacksonville punts again. Tennessee’s ball at its own 22.

(5:10) What have you done for me lately? A.J. Brown with a drop on third-and-2.

(5:05) Special teams bail out Brown with a fake punt. Safety Amani Hooker takes a direct snap and rushes for four yards around left end. The offense comes back on the field.

(3:20) Ryan Tannehill under heavy pressure on consecutive drop-backs. Both result in incomplete passes, and this time the Titans really are forced to punt.

(1:57) Rashaan Evans starts to blitz, drops into coverage and nearly has an interception on third-and-4. Jacksonville goes three-and-out and is forced to punt for the second time in this quarter.

The Jaguars only punted twice in the Week 2 game at Nashville.

(0:00) End of the first quarter. Titans have a 93-69 edge in total offense, but the Jaguars had the ball for 8:49 of the quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

(12:26) Ben Jones is down and trainers are attending to him.

Jamil Douglas replaces Jones with the offense threatening. It is second-and-4 at the Jaguars’ 23.

(11:38) Jones returns after missing one play, a 6-yard run by Henry for a first down. 

(10:10) Corey Davis has his first catch of the day but gains just 10 yards on third-and-12 from the Jacksonville 19. The offense hurries up to the line of scrimmage and hands it off to … Jeremy McNichols (who else?) Jacksonville stops him for a 2-yard loss. Turnover on downs.

(5:53) Malcolm Butler breaks up a third-down pass to D.J. Chark. Jaguars only got as far as their 38 before they had to punt.

(4:22) A shot completion to Corey Davis turns into a disaster when Davis fumbles, and the Jaguars recover. It is Jacksonville’s ball at the Tennessee 40.

This is the first time since the opening possession that the Jaguars have been on the Titans’ side of the field.

(3:32) Jacksonville gains just five yards on three plays and is forced to attempt a 53-yard field goal for the second time today. Aldrick Rosas makes this one. Scoring drive: 4 plays, 5 yards. 0:55. TENNESSEE 7, JACKSONVILLE 3

(2:45) Derrick Henry’s longest run of the day, 22 yards, gets the Titans across midfield and creates an opportunity to add to the lead before the half. Henry has 77 yards on 12 carries.

Tennessee still has all three timeouts gets the ball to start the second half.

(0:52) On third-and-short, Henry breaks a long run – 36 yards for the touchdown. Scoring drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:43. TENNESSEE 14, JACKSONVILLE 3

Henry now has 122 yards on 15 carries. That is nine straight road games with at least 100 rushing yards, tied for the second longest streak in NFL history. Jacksonville has 101 yards of total offense.

The Jaguars have 44 seconds and all three timeouts to try to do something before halftime.

(0:26) Derick Roberson’s pass rush leads to an intentional grounding penalty that makes it fourth-and-25 from the Jacksonville 15.

(0:02) Tennessee gets the ball at its own 37, and Tannehill completes a 19-yard pass to Corey Davis. Then a 9-yard pass to Jonnu Smith and a timeout sets up a field goal attempt. Gostkowski makes it from 53 yards. Scoring drive: 3 plays, 28 yards, 0:09. TENNESSEE 17, JACKSONVILLE 3

The Titans have outgained the Jaguars 270-96. Ryan Tannehill is 13-16 for 153 yards and one touchdown. A.J. Brown has four receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown. Derrick Henry has 15 rushes for 122 yards and a touchdown. Rashaan Evans and Kevin Byard lead the defense with four tackles each.

(13:30) On his second reception of the half, his sixth of the game, A.J. Brown is slow to get up. He walks off on his own, but that bears watching. Brown has six catches for 95 yards and a touchdown (eight targets).

(13:13) Derrick Henry breaks another long one. This one goes 47 yards, but not to the end zone. He now has 170 yards on 17 carries.

(12:31) Geoff Swaim with his first touchdown catch for the Titans. It is a 5-yard reception. Scoring drive: 75 yards, 2:26. TENNESSEE 24, JACKSONVILLE 3

Tight ends now have accounted for 11 of the Titans’ 28 touchdown receptions this season. Jonnu Smith 7, MyCole Pruitt 2, Anthony Firkser 1 and Geoff Swaim 1.

(11:44) Malcolm Butler with his third interception of the season. That ties him with Amani Hooker for the team lead, and it gives Tennessee a chance to extend the lead a little more.

(8:56) The Titans turn the turnover into points with Derrick Henry’s 1-yard touchdown run. Henry now with 180 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. Scoring drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 2:43. TENNESSEE 31, JACKSONVILLE 3

This is Henry’s fifth game of 2020 with multiple touchdown runs. Tennessee won each of the first four.

(8:48) Jacksonville’s offense comes back on the field, and it is Gardner Minshew at quarterback in place of starter Mike Glennon.

Glennon was 13-23 for 85 yards with an interception, a 46.5 passer rating.

(3:06) Minshew leads the Jaguars on a touchdown drive that includes a fourth-down conversion and an 18-yard touchdown run nullified by a penalty. His 5-yard pass to Cole capped it. Scoring drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 5:49. TENNESSEE 31, JACKSONVILLE 10

(2:50) After a 2-yard Henry run on first down, left guard Rodger Saffold is down and requires attention from the trainers.

(0:00) End of the third quarter. The Titans will punt to start the fourth after Jonnu Smith rushes for three yards on third-and-12 from the Tennessee 35.

FOURTH QUARTER

(12:18) The Jaguars drive to the Tennessee 14 but Minshew throws four straight incomplete passes. They come away with nothing.

(11:46) Henry bounces it to the right on second-and-4 and gains 20 yards. That gives him 215 on 26 carries, his second 200-yard game of the season. The last with multiple 200-yard games in one season was jay Ajayi in 2016.

(8:02) The offense runs eight plays and takes 4:24 off the clock before it punts the ball back to Jacksonville. The goal at this point is to get to the end of the contest with no serious injuries.

(5:03) This time Jacksonville’s offense gets to the Tennessee 19 and Minshew throws four straight incomplete passes.

(2:00) The Titans will punt when play resumes and the countdown to the finish will commence in earnest.

(0:00) Ball game.

Tennessee 31, Jacksonville 10

The Titans improve to 9-4 and clinch a fifth straight winning season. They will have three chances to break the string of four straight 9-7 finishes.

They also dare the Indianapolis Colts (8-4) to keep pace. Indianapolis faces Las Vegas (7-5) in a late afternoon contest.

Published
David Boclair
DAVID BOCLAIR

David Boclair has covered the Tennessee Titans for multiple news outlets since 1998. He is award-winning journalist who has covered a wide range of topics in Middle Tennessee as well as Dallas-Fort Worth, where he worked for three different newspapers from 1987-96. As a student journalist at Southern Methodist University he covered the NCAA's decision to impose the so-called death penalty on the school's football program.

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