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Jaguars vs. Titans: Can a couple of streaks end for Jags in Nashville?

Garry Smits, Florida Times-Union
·4 min read
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry eludes former Jaguars cornerback Sidney Jones to score a touchdown during a game on Dec. 13, 2020, at TIAA Bank Field.
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry eludes former Jaguars cornerback Sidney Jones to score a touchdown during a game on Dec. 13, 2020, at TIAA Bank Field.

When:  Sunday, 1 p.m.

Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.

TV: CBS.

Radio: 1010-AM, 92.5-FM; Spanish, 930 AM/97.3 FM via Accion; Sirius XM Channel 227.

Live stream: NFL+ Premium.

Records: Jaguars 4-8, Titans 7-5.

Odds: Jaguars +3.5; over-under, 41.0.

Injuries: Jaguars -- out, LB Chad Muma (ankle); questionable, QB Trevor Lawrence (toe), WR Zay Jones (chest), S Andre Cisco (shoulder). Titans -- out, LB Denico Autry (knee), CB Tre Avery (concussion), WR C.J. Board (rib), WR Trelon Burks (concussion), CB Kristian Fulton (groin), LB David Long (hamstring); questionable, RB Hassan Haskins (hip), DT Jeffrey Simmons (ankle), DT Teair Tart (ankle).

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Last week: The Jaguars lost to Detroit 40-14; the Titans lost to Philadelphia 35-10.

Series history: The Titans lead 33-21, have won the last five meetings, nine of the last 10 and the last eight at home. The Jaguars haven't won in Nashville since Nov. 10, 2013, 29-27.

Last meeting: Tennessee won 20-0 at home on Dec. 12, 2021.

About the Jaguars

● The Jaguars took more than a step back last week in the loss at Detroit and now have some streak-busting to attend to. In addition to their current slides against the Titans overall and in Nashville, the Jaguars have lost 11 AFC South games in a row to Tennessee and Houston and have beaten only the Colts within the division over that span.

● If quarterback Trevor Lawrence can't play, it would be the first start for backup C.J. Beathard since Jan. 2, 2021, the final game of the 2020 regular season. Playing for San Francisco, he was 25 of 37 for 273 yards in a 26-23 loss to Seattle. Beathard started the last two games that season, throwing for 453 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.

● Should Lawrence play, he is 166 yards away from becoming the first player in franchise history to throw for more than 3,000 yards in his first two seasons. Running back Travis Etienne is 4 yards away from 1,000 yards from scrimmage. Only Fred Taylor, James Robinson, Leonard Fournette and T.J. Yeldon have done that for the Jags over their first 13 games of a season.

About the Titans

● Despite a recent dry spell, Titans running back Derrick Henry of Yulee is over 1,000 yards for the fourth time in five years and 10 or more touchdowns for the fifth season in a row. He is 225 yards away from cracking the 8,000-yard barrier for his career, which would make him the 54th player in NFL history to reach that figure.

● The Titans have tried to replace wide receiver A.J. Brown (now with Philadelphia) by committee. Seven players have caught 15 or more passes and seven have touchdown passes. But the offense is clearly struggling, ranking tie for 29th in the league in total yardage (291.3 per game) and 30th in passing offense (171.4), with only 12 touchdown passes -- and Henry has one of those.

● The book on the Titans' defense in recent weeks is to air it out. Tennessee is third in the league in rushing defense, allowing 83.1 yards per game. No surprise there. But the Titans are next-to-last (out-pacing only the Vikings) in passing defense, allowing 276.7 yards per game. In their last two losses, (against Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Joe Burrow of the Bengals), the Titans have given up 652 yards passing, and have no interceptions and three sacks. Compounding the issue this week is the injury report: three starters are out, two are questionable.

Key Matchup

Titans RB Derrick Henry vs. Jaguars LB Foye Oluokun

When hasn't Henry been the key player the Jaguars have to stop when playing Tennessee? In 11 starts against the Jags, he has 1,143 yards and 14 touchdowns, a Pro Bowl-season in six fewer regular-season games.

Oluokun has been one of the few bright spots on the defense of late and one the main reasons the Jaguars have yielded only two individual 100-yard rushing games this season (Saquon Barkley of the Giants; Miles Sanders of the Eagles). The defense gave up six 100-yard games last season.

Jaguars linebacker Foye Oluokun has been instrumental in the defense allowing only two 100-yard rushing games to individual players this season.
Jaguars linebacker Foye Oluokun has been instrumental in the defense allowing only two 100-yard rushing games to individual players this season.

Henry also has been hampered recently by the injuries on the Titans' offensive line and has gone four games in a row without gaining 100 yards. He's averaged 52.0 yards per game with only one touchdown during that span and was held to 30 yards on 11 carries by Philadelphia last week.

Contact Garry Smits at gsmits@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @GSmitter.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars vs. Titans: Injuries plague Tennessee as Jags seek to end Music City losing streak