Jaguars 2020 Opponent Preview: Tennessee Titans, Weeks 2 & 14
As we at JaguarReport continue to march through what has been an offseason defined by uncertainty, we are going to take a week-by-week look at each of the 13 regular season opponents the Jacksonville Jaguars are slated to face in the 2020 season (pending a 16-game season taking place).
After covering the Jaguars' matchups with the Colts, we are moving onto the Tennessee Titans, another AFC South rival. The Jaguars have had their hands full with the Titans in recent years, and their first chance to reverse their fortunes will come on the road in Week 2.
So, how do we see the Jaguars' matchups with the Titans shaping up this fall? We take an extensive look below.
Tennessee Titans
2019 record: 9-7. second in AFC South.
All-time series record with Jaguars: Titans lead series 30-21-0.
Last meetings with Jaguars:
- Week 3, 2019 @ Jacksonville. Jaguars won 20-7.
- Week 12, 2019 @ Tennessee. Titans won 42-20.
Last year's games vs. the Titans were on the complete opposite ends of the spectrum for the Jaguars. In their first meeting, the Jaguars beat the Titans for the first time since December 2016 in the second start of Gardner Minshew's career. During their Thursday Night Football bout, the Jaguars defense completely demoralized the Tennessee offense en route to nine sacks. The Jaguars also held Derrick Henry in check for the first time in several years, limiting the eventual leading rusher to 44 yards on 17 carries. Minshew flashed terrific deep accuracy all game, completing 20-of-30 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns in his prime-time debut.
Week 12 could not have gone much worse for the Jaguars, however. In Nick Foles' second start since his return from injured reserve, the Jaguars were blown out in embarrassing fashion in large part due to the defense allowing 28 touchdowns in the third quarter alone. Leonard Fournette did record two of his three rushing scores that game, but the defense failed to limit Ryan Tannehill (14-of-18, 259 yards and two touchdowns), Henry (19 carries for 159 yards and two touchdowns) and A.J. Brown (four receptions for 135 yards and one touchdown).
2019 season in review:
To say the Titans 2019 season was a success would be an understatement. After starting the season 2-4 behind a struggling Marcus Mariota, the Titans made a season-changing switch at quarterback by inserting Tannehill into the lineup. The Titans would go on to win six of their next seven games behind Tannehill, who earned himself the Comeback Player of the Year award, and Henry, who led the league in rushing with 1,540 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Tennessee's memorable comeback season would continue in the postseason with the Titans reeling off two upsets in the postseason's first two rounds. First, the Titans knocked off the New England Patriots in Foxborough in Tom Brady's final game with the Patriots. The Titans then moved onto Baltimore to face the Ravens and Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson, eventually shocking the sports world with a 28-12 victory. Tennessee would falter vs. the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in a 35-24 loss in the AFC Championship.
Key additions: DL Vic Beasley, OT Ty Sambrailo, DT Jack Crawford, CB Johnathan Joseph and S Ibraheim Campbell .
The biggest move the Titans made via free agency this offseason was bringing in DE/OLB Vic Beasley, the one-time NFL sack leader and former first-round pick. Beasley flamed out in Atlanta and the team opted to not re-sign him following a middling 2019, but he has a chance for a career rebirth with the titans.
"The only thing general manager Jon Robinson did to address it was to sign free agent Vic Beasley to a one-year, $3.5 million contract. The 27-year-old Beasley (he will turn 28 next week) did lead the NFL with 15 1/2 sacks in 2016, which earned him Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro recognition. In his other four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons he averaged 5 1/2 sacks and never produced more than eight," AllTitans publisher David Boclair wrote this month.
Aside from Beasley, the Titans mostly brought in veteran depth players. Ty Sambrailo can be a valuable swing tackle along the second-team offensive line, while Jack Crawford and Johnathan Joseph both provide years of starting experience. Other than that, the Titans stayed relatively quiet during the free agency frenzy.
Key departures: OT Jack Conklin, TE Delanie Walker, DL Jurrell Casey, WR Tajee Sharpe, RB Dion Lewis, DT Austin Johnson, DL Cameron Wake and CB Logan Ryan.
The greatest loss the Titans will have to shoulder this season will be that of right tackle Jack Conklin, the former All-Pro who signed a massive contract with the Cleveland Browns this offseason. Conklin started 57 games over the last four seasons for the Titans, forming one of the NFL's best tackle duos with left tackle Taylor Lewan. Tenessee has contingency plans in place, but the departure of Conklin is still a major loss.
Aside from Conklin, the Titans also lost two mainstays in veteran tight end Delanie Walker, who was released, and defensive lineman Jurrell Casey, who the Titans traded to Denver for a seventh-round draft pick. Walker and Casey are probably the best offensive and defensive players for the Titans over the last decade and while each has aged out of their prime, their leadership and experience will have to be replaced.
Rookie to watch: CB Kristian Fulton.
With an opening in Tennessee's secondary, the Titans took advantage of a surprising draft day slip by selecting LSU Kristian Fulton with the No. 61 overall pick. While Fulton dropping out of the first round was predicted by some, it was almost a universal consensus that he would be a top-50 pick. For whatever reason, the talented and experienced cover man fell all the way to the 61st pick, giving the Titans a potential impact cornerback from Week 1 onward.
In 2019, Fulton started 14 games and was given a second-team All-SEC honor as he established himself as half of one of the best cornerback duos in the nation along with Derek Stingley Jr. As a senior, Fulton recorded 38 tackles, one interception, one tackle for loss, and 14 pass deflections. His 14 pass deflections were good for third in the SEC and eighth in the nation.
Overall:
Aside from missing Conklin, Walker and Casey, the Titans are going to look fairly similar in 2020. They lost some experience, but the core pieces of the team are still in place and Tannehill will be able to experience a full training camp with the starting offense, a luxury he wasn't provided in 2019. A returning cast of playmakers and talent on the defensive side of the ball suggests 2020 could be an even better year for the former Miami Dolphin quarterback, even if the final numbers don't ultimately reflect it.
As long as Tannehill continues his efficient play, and as long as Henry continues to dominate Jacksonville and Todd Wash defenses, look for the Titans to be the favorite on each of their matchups with Jacksonville until further notice.
