Week 2 Results and Their Effect on the AFC South Playoff Race

Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 2 Results: Lost 37-16 to the Tennessee Titans

What it Means: The Jaguars had their major weakness exposed in Week 2 by the Titans. That weakness is quarterback Blake Bortles. The game was kept close until the third quarter, when the Titans reached a 9-3 lead. After this point, the Titans stepped on the gas and left the Jaguars behind. This Jaguars team is not made to win a shootout. After the Titans prevented the Jaguars defense from taking over like they did in Week 1 and didn’t allow Fournette to get in a rhythm early on, the Jaguars were forced to turn to Blake Bortles to try and win the game.

Bortles threw two picks and let the Titans run away with the game. It’s worth wondering how much longer Bortles has before Chad Henne or a free agent like Colin Kaepernick gets a chance to lead the team. This game could be epitomized by one play in which Derrick Henry steamrolled Jalen Ramsey on the way to the end zone. Just when the Jaguars begin to get some momentum, they get trucked by the utter ineptitude of Bortles and lose the game.

What’s Next: Jacksonville meets its big brother in the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens have also historically relied on a dominant defense and running game, but Joe Flacco is able to keep out of the way of the rest of the team and provide average to above average production every week. This has resulted in a 2-0 record for Baltimore. In the future, with a competent quarterback, the Ravens are very representative of what Jacksonville will turn out to be.