Jaguars @ Titans: Q and A With Black and Teal
By Les Bailey
There hasn’t been much that has changed since the Tennessee Titans lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 19-13 on Thursday night football a couple of weeks ago, but it’s time for a second meeting at Nissan Stadium this Sunday.
This divisional matchup came in week six last year, and was the last time that the Titans won in the friendly confines on the Cumberland River.
They can best last year’s total wins by a game and pick up a home win for the fans in Music City with a victory over the Jags on Sunday afternoon.
After the win over the Titans, the Jaguars had an opportunity to keep pace with the AFC South leaders, and a slim shot at the playoffs, but a loss to Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers on Sunday, have head coach Gus Bradley and his young team looking forward to 2016. Much like the Titans.
We connected once again with Daniel Lago at the Black and Teal for another question and answer session on the state of the Jaguars. You can find my response to his questions at their website.
Let’s get to it!
TS:
After the win against the Titans, the Jaguars were on-pace for a shot at the playoffs. How is the fan base taking the loss to the San Diego Chargers in light of both the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans getting a win to pull away?
BT:
I think most fans, myself included, have given up on the playoffs after last week’s developments. The Jaguars’ secondary got shredded by Philip Rivers and it re-opened our eyes to just how serious the issues are on defense. Combine that with the red zone issues we’ve seen the entire season and the fanbase is no longer deluding themselves into thinking the playoffs are a possibility, especially with Houston and Indianapolis both putting together winning streaks.
TS:
The Jaguars have pulled out a lot of late-game magic this year in their four wins. Will they do the same this week in Nashville?
BT:
I kind of hope not. I hope the Jaguars can get a lead early and finish off a team for once this season.
One of the more misleading stats being thrown around this season is how Blake Bortles leads the NFL in 4th-quarter comeback wins with 4. So all 4 of the Jaguars’ wins have come when they’ve been behind. One of those was when they blew a huge lead against the EJ Manuel-led Bills and the other came via a botched call against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Jaguars probably should beat the Titans by a comfortable margin this Sunday, but I expect the game to be close.
TS:
The Jags have a chance to finish at, or above .500 for the first time since 2010. How is Gus Bradley faring in the media down there? Will he be back in 2016 and why?
BT:
The Jaguars already have 4 wins – matching or exceeding their win totals from Gus Bradley’s first two seasons here – and I don’t think his job is in jeopardy unless the team finishes with less than 6 wins. The media loves him because of his transparency, but they are also quite aware that he’s likely in trouble if he doesn’t win a few more games down the stretch.
TS:
What will the Jags do now that they have had a see Marcus Mariota up close and personal to shut him down this week?
BT:
The Jaguars did a decent job of limiting Mariota in the passing game 2 weeks ago, but they let him beat him with his legs a few times, particularly on the touchdown run. I think the Jaguars will play more contain on the edges to keep Mariota in the pocket, and I also think they will send a few more blitzes at him than they did the first time around.
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TS:
Who wins this one, and why?
BT:
I think the Titans are better than their record suggests, especially on defense, so I think they take this one at home against a Jaguars’ team that has new issues cropping up every week. Unless Jacksonville finds a way to start scoring touchdowns in the red zone, I think Mariota will have enough success throwing the ball to secure a win.