The Battle of Mid(way)

Another one of these types of games. Two unbiasedly bad teams face off as they both are dealing with injuries and an overall lack of talent and execution. Trevor Lawrence was just placed on the IR, so he will be down, and Mac Jones will get the start. As two of the bottom teams in the league, they will both be playing for heart and pride, and while it is slim, the Titans still are not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. That being said, there is a plethora of things that needs to happen for them to make it, so let’s just start small and say they need to win this game to keep their hopes alive. The Titans have historically owned the Jaguars, as they are 35-24 in career matchups vs Jacksonville, so there is some history on their side. In addition to that, the Jaguars have the worst pass defense, and worst overall defense, in the league, giving up around 270 yards passing a game. Look for Will Levis to find his guy as of late, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who has recorded 8 TDs on just 20 receptions. This guy didn’t even catch a ball the duration of September. Well, I guess they know now. That being said, the Jags have some playmakers on their side too, guys like Travis Etienne and Evan Engram, who haven’t had the statistical years they are used to in Jacksonville but can still make an impact on any given day. Flip a coin and then pick a team, or just take the side of history. Either way, this game may get pretty stale, but who knows what’s in store for us in Nashville.

POSTGAME:

This game was a tough watch, especially if you’re a fan of either team (I’m sorry for your mental sanity if you are.) Quick summary of this game; the Titans kicked a FG on the first drive of the game and then there was no scoring until 4:30 left in the third quarter, which was also the Titans. Then after a Jaguars FG, they forced Tennessee to punt and got the ball back. The Jaguars then put together a nice drive. A couple nice chunk plays from Mac Jones and his receivers, a few good runs from Etienne and Tank Bigsby, and before you know it, Jacksonville was in the endzone. This made the game 10-6, and no more points were scored, as the Titans failed to convert on fourth down in both of their last two drives. The Jaguars take one step closer to evening that historical record between the Titans, as it is now 35-25. Let’s be honest, both teams are eliminated from playoff contention, this is the only record they’re concerned with at the moment.