Jaguars Snap 5-Game Losing Streak, Overmatch Titans in Nashville

The Jacksonville Jaguars are leaving Nashville with a win.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones (10) winds up for a pass during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With no playoffs on the table and a last-place finish in sight, the Jacksonville Jaguars entered Week 14 with only one thing left to play for: pride.

Facing a Tennessee Titans squad that has always inspired a feeling of hatred in the Jaguars' franchise, the Jaguars entered Sunday looking for a way to build some kind of positive momentum with no Trevor Lawrence under center.

The Jaguars fought, scratched, kicked, and clawed their way through a competitive contest, with many of the same issues that led to their five-game losing streak crept up: self-inflicted penalties, a lack of impact plays on defense and an inability to run the ball.

But for the first time since Week 5, the Jaguars didn't crumble at the end of a close game. The Jaguars forced the Titans to turn the ball over twice near the goal line, resulting in the Jaguars coming away with a 10-6 win to snap their five-game losing streak and improve to 3-10.

The Titans started the game by gashing the Jaguars on the ground, with Tony Pollard getting four consecutive carries to start the game for 31 yards. The Titans ran the ball on each of the game's first eight plays before former Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley caught the first pass of the day with 9:54 left in the first quarter, setting up a Nick Folk field goal.

Jacksonville got past midfield on their first-drive thanks to a 3rd-and-10 catch-and-run from Travis Etienne for 21 yards. The good times didn't last, however, with Mac Jones throwing an interception to Chidobe Awuzie on the following third-down.

After several big third-down conversions as the result of play-action pass and a 13-yard Pollard run in the red-zone, the Titans were able to get the ball right on the Jaguars' doorstep. Pollard scored a touchdown from a few yards out, but it was called back for a hold on the Titans.

The Jaguars' good fortune quickly went away, however, with Jaguars rookie Jarrian Jones hit with a pass interference on the next play to give the Titans a new set of downs. After a pair of run stops and incompletions, the Titans gambled with it on fourth down from the two-yard line.

For the first time in a long time, though, the Jaguars' pass defense came up big on a must-have down to force a Will Levis incompletion and turnover on downs. Despite a 15-play that took eight minutes off the clock, the Titans were turned away with zero points.

Thanks to some quick-hitting passes from Jones and yards after the catch production from Travis Etienne, the Jaguars managed to get into field goal range right before the end of half. Jacksonville again faced self-inflicted woes, however, with rookie star receiver Brian Thomas Jr. being hit with an offensive pass interference play to push the Jaguars out of field goal range.

On the next play, Jones was intercepted for the second time -- this time by Titans defender Otis Reese off the hands of Tank Bigsby.

While the Jaguars failed to cash in on their field goal chances, the Titans managed to drive the ball downfield and score on a second Folk field goal to take a 6-0 lead. This time, the field goal was good from 39 yards.

After four straight catches from Thomas Jr., the Jaguars once again drove into field goal range. This time, jaguars head coach Doug Pederson had to make a decision on 4th-and-1 from the 28.

Instead of taking the three points, Pederson kept his team on the field and Bigsby responded with a massive 11-yard gain.

Despite the momentum-shifting play, the Jaguars failed to punch the ball in and instead opted for a 23-yard field goal from Cam Little to make a 6-3 game and cap off a 14-play drive.

On the following drive, the Jaguars saw rookie cornerback Jarrian Jones record a second-down pass breakup on Calvin Ridley before getting a third-down sack on the next play to force the Titans out of field goal range.

The Jaguars' rookies continued to keep pushing the Jaguars toward a potential victory, with Thomas making catches of 21 and 31 yards on the following drive to set up an eight-yard Bigsby touchdown -- giving the Jaguars their first lead of the game with a little over six minutes left.

Ridley quickly responded with a 30-yard catch on the Titans' first play from scrimmage on the next drive, putting the Titans in position in Jaguars territory. The Jaguars' defense once again stiffened with their backs to their own end zone, though, with Levis throwing his second incompletion on fourth down for the day.

The Jaguars opted to run the ball three straight times in hopes of burning the Titans' timeouts, but the Jaguars managed to only burn two due to an illegal formation penalty on Tim Jones. This led to the Titans getting the ball back at their own 40 with 49 seconds and one timeout left.

But the Jaguars' feisty defense remained swarming around the ball, forcing four straight Levis incompletions on the final drive to win the game and snap their five-game losing streak.

The 3-10 Jaguars will host the New York Jets in Week 15.

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