Tennessee Titans (3-12) will face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12) this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, broadcasted on CBS. The betting odds from BetMGM favor the Jaguars by a single point. In terms of performance against the spread, the Titans have struggled significantly this season, with a record of 2-13, in comparison to Jacksonville’s 7-7-1. Historically, Tennessee leads the series with a record of 35-25, but their last encounter resulted in a narrow victory for the Jaguars, who won 10-6 in Nashville on December 8. Both teams are coming off disappointing losses, with the Titans falling short against the Colts 38-30 and the Jaguars being edged out 19-14 by the Raiders in Las Vegas last week.
Analyzing the Titans’ offense, they rank 27th overall, with a rushing offense at 21st and passing at 26th, resulting in a scoring rank tied for 25th. Defensively, however, they are a stronger unit, sitting at 5th overall, despite ranking 23rd against the run and 1st against the pass, although they rank 31st in terms of scoring defense. The Jaguars, on the other hand, rank 26th overall in offense, with both their rushing and passing attacks falling to 26th and 21st, respectively. Their defense, however, is struggling, placing them last in overall performance (32nd), 20th against the rush, and also 32nd against the pass, with a scoring defense ranked at 29th. Both teams have a troubling turnover differential, each at minus-15.
A key player to watch for the Titans is quarterback Mason Rudolph. Despite throwing three interceptions last week, the coaching staff remains optimistic that he can improve. Under the guidance of head coach Brian Callahan, who has a notable reputation for developing quarterbacks, Rudolph managed to guide Tennessee to score 23 consecutive points against the Colts in a game that ultimately slipped through their fingers as time ran out.
For the Jaguars, rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has etched his name into franchise history as he now holds every rookie receiving record for Jacksonville. With fellow wideouts Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis unavailable for the remainder of the season, Thomas has been a significant asset, receiving 49 targets over the past four games. He currently boasts impressive statistics with 73 receptions, 1,088 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns.
A noted matchup in this game will be Tennessee’s efforts to defend against the run. After giving up an astonishing 335 rushing yards to the Colts last week— marking the highest total in an NFL game this season— the Titans are aware of Jacksonville’s strategy. In their earlier game this season, Tennessee successfully limited the Jaguars to just 26 rushing yards.
In terms of injuries, the Titans have recently placed starting linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. on injured reserve due to a wrist issue. Kicker Nick Folk will also be sidelined for a second consecutive game because of an abdominal injury, resulting in Matthew Wright, who was signed to the practice squad, stepping in to kick. Other notable injuries include starting right guard Dillon Radunz (shoulder) being ruled out, with Daniel Brunskill stepping into that role, and starting safety Amani Hooker (shoulder) is considered questionable for the game as he has not practiced all week. However, it is expected that linebacker Luke Gifford will return from a concussion.
The Jaguars will be missing left tackle Walker Little for the rest of the season due to an ankle injury, which opens up a starting spot for Cole Van Lanen. Safety Darnell Savage is still in concussion protocol, pushing Andrew Wingard into a starting position. Additionally, linebacker Ventrell Miller is ruled out with an ankle issue, and linebacker Yasir Abdullah is a recent addition to the injury report, being listed as questionable due to illness.
This matchup marks the second contest between these two teams in a four-week span, with the Jaguars aiming to sweep the season series, a feat they managed to do two seasons ago. Jacksonville has taken four of the last five encounters, with the Titans previously winning the last regular-season game of 2023 just before the firing of coach Mike Vrabel.
As for the statistics, if the Titans can secure victory in their last two games, they would finish with a .500 record within the AFC South. Over their past two games, the Titans have scored touchdowns on seven successive trips into the opponent’s red zone, indicating a glimmer of offensive effectiveness. Tennessee’s defense has managed to snag an interception in each of their last five games, with safety Amani Hooker reaching a career-high this season with five interceptions. Additionally, kicker Nick Folk has achieved an NFL record of 85 consecutive field goals from under 40 yards, maintaining his position 14th in NFL history with a total of 403 field goals.
On the Jaguars’ end, they have struggled in close matches, holding a record of 2-9 in games decided by one possession. Thomas’ remarkable achievement as the first rookie in franchise history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards stands out. He is on the brink of setting another record with seven more receptions needed to join the ranks of players with at least 80 catches in a season for the franchise. Defensive end Josh Hines-Allen is chasing down a franchise record, needing just 3.5 sacks to surpass Tony Brackens’ mark of 55. Meanwhile, defensive end Travon Walker is just one sack away from landing in the top 10 in franchise history. Running back Travis Etienne needs a mere 21 rushing yards to surpass Leonard Fournette for fourth in franchise history. Lastly, kicker Cam Little needs just 14 points to set a new franchise record for most points scored by a rookie, previously held by Fred Taylor.
For fantasy players, keep an eye on Titans’ wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who returns to Jacksonville for the first time since his tenure with the Jaguars in 2023, where he recorded seven receptions for 59 yards in their first clash earlier in the season.
