The Tennessee Titans are coming off another disappointing loss, this time a 38-30 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16.
This week, the 3-12 Titans will play the Jacksonville Jaguars in an AFC South matchup. The Jaguars continue to struggle. Unfortunately for the Titans, the Jaguars’ lone win in the past eight weeks came against them just weeks ago.
The Titans will travel to EverBank Stadium this week searching for a win against their division rivals. Here are three reasons to be optimistic they can get it done.
Improved passing game with Mason Rudolph
I know Rudolph and Will Levis have almost the exact statistics on the season, but something appears different with Rudolph at the helm. In the first meeting, Levis struggled and could not put points on the board; Rudolph should change that. The Jaguars have struggled on defense all season, especially against the pass on critical downs. Rudolph has proven that he can make plays when given the chance. This week, he is going against a bad defense and could shine.
It’s a divisional matchup
The Titans and Jaguars are both disappointing teams; their records indicate that. In reality, there is not much separating these two, although Tennessee may have a slightly better roster overall. Divisional battles are always tough and usually closer than people expect. Plus, the outcomes can be unpredictable. The Titans lost the first encounter in disappointing fashion and will be motivated to return the favor this week.
Mac Jones isn’t the answer
The Titans’ defense held the Jaguars mostly in check during the first meeting and will have to do that again. Luckily, Jones isn’t as dynamic as Lawrence, and that should help this week. Offensively, the Titans should be better than they were the first time around and should be able to score. That would put pressure on Jones to be more than a game manager. Yes, the Titans do have some injury concerns at inside linebacker, but they are getting healthy everywhere else on defense. This should benefit them and give the defense a chance to force Jones into some mistakes.