Titans try to make it 4 straight against reeling Jaguars
TENNESSEE (2-2) at JACKSONVILLE (0-4)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
OPENING LINE: Titans by 4 1/2, according to FanDuel SportsBook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Titans 2-2, Jaguars 1-3.
SERIES RECORD: Titans lead 32-21.
LAST MEETING: Titans beat Jaguars 31-10 on Dec. 13, 2020, in Jacksonville.
LAST WEEK: Titans lost to Jets 27-24 in OT; Jaguars lost at Bengals 24-21.
TITANS OFFENSE: OVERALL (9), RUSH (4), PASS (22), SCORING (15).
TITANS DEFENSE: OVERALL (17), RUSH (8), PASS (23), SCORING (26).
JAGUARS OFFENSE: OVERALL (23), RUSH (13T), PASS (27), SCORING (26).
JAGUARS DEFENSE: OVERALL (30), RUSH (13), PASS (30), SCORING (27).
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Titans minus-5; Jaguars minus-8.
TITANS PLAYER TO WATCH: Derrick Henry has 1,013 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns in 10 career games against the Jaguars, including 215 yards on the ground and two scores in their last meeting in December. Henry grew up about 20 miles north of Jacksonville in Yulee, Florida.
JAGUARS PLAYER TO WATCH: Jamal Agnew has been Jacksonville’s most dynamic player. The cornerback-turner-receiver had consecutive games with 100-plus-yard touchdowns: a 102-yard kickoff return and a 109-yard return after a missed field goal. He showed more versatility last week with a toe-touching, 27-yard catch near the sideline and an 11-yard run at Cincinnati.
KEY MATCHUP: Jacksonville’s run defense versus Henry. The Jaguars have allowed 3.5 yards a carry, tied for the fifth fewest in the league. They are one of 10 NFL teams that have surrendered one or no runs that gained at least 20 yards.
KEY INJURIES: The Titans have a lengthy injury report that totals 21 players, including three starting offensive linemen: LT Taylor Lewan (toe), LG Rodger Saffold (concussion) and C Ben Jones (neck). Three-time Pro Bowl P Brett Kern remained out with an injured right groin, but the Titans did get 2020 Pro Bowl WR A.J. Brown (hamstring), OLB Bud Dupree (knee) and rookie CB Caleb Farley (shoulder) back at practice. … The Jaguars placed WR DJ Chark (ankle) and RG A.J. Cann (knee) on injured reserve.
SERIES NOTES: Tennessee has won three in a row and seven of the last eight. … Jacksonville’s lone win during that span was CB Jalen Ramsey’s last game with the franchise. … Seven of the last 10 meetings have been decided by double digits, with the Titans winning six of those.
STATS AND STUFF: Jacksonville has lost a franchise-record 19 consecutive games. It’s tied for the second-longest skid in NFL history and seven shy of tying the NFL record set by Tampa Bay in 1977. … Tennessee QB Ryan Tannehill has 10 TDs – eight passing, two rushing – and no INTs in his last three games against Jacksonville. … Titans coach Mike Vrabel worked under Jaguars coach Urban Meyer for two years (2012-13) at Ohio State. Vrabel was Meyer’s defensive line coach. Vrabel says he and Meyer haven’t spoken since Meyer made the jump to the NFL. … Meyer is hoping to rally his team following a tumultuous week that started with a 24-21 loss at Cincinnati last Thursday night. Meyer was captured on camera the following night with a young woman dancing between his legs at an Ohio bar. A second video showed Meyer apparently touching her behind. Team owner Shad Khan publicly reprimanded Meyer, who vowed to earn back the trust of his players, his staff and his owner. … Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence leads all rookies with five TD passes.
FANTASY TIP: Henry, Tannehill and whichever WRs get healthy are must starts for Tennessee against Jacksonville’s beleaguered secondary. The Jaguars have allowed five 100-yard receivers already: Tyler Boyd, Christian Kirk, A.J. Green, Courtland Sutton and Brandin Cooks.
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