Matt Pendleton / USA Today Sports
Jaguars Waiting for Offseason Additions to Pay Off
The Tennessee Titans already have wins over two of their three AFC South rivals this season, which is a big part of why they are well-positioned to win the division for a third consecutive season.
Tennessee is a combined 3-0 against the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans, and now the Jacksonville Jaguars come to town for a Sunday matchup at Nissan Stadium.
If the Titans (7-5) win this one, half of their victories on the season will be against the opponents they know the best. It also will guarantee a winning division for the third straight year.
Jacksonville (4-8) is on its fourth head coach in three season, including Darrell Bevell, who became interim head coach last season, days after these teams last met.
John Shipley of Jaguar Report (part of the FanNation network) checked into offer insight into what is up with the Jaguars this season.
1) How is Trevor Lawrence a different/better in his second season, and if he can't play (or can't finish the game) because of the toe injury, who is the Jaguars' No. 2 quarterback?
He isn't making the consistent mistakes with the ball he made as a rookie. He was one of the NFL's turnover leaders a year ago, but he's mostly reduced his turnovers to one bad game in a monsoon at Philadelphia and some ill-timed red-zone interceptions. Ultimately Lawrence just looks more poised, consistent and cerebral commanding the offense. If he can't play, the Jaguars will turn to former 49ers QB CJ Beathard. Beathard is well-liked inside the building, but he didn't have a good camp or preseason and doesn't posses the athleticism of Lawrence.
2) Jacksonville was a big spender in free agency. Which player that they signed during the offseason has provided the biggest payoff?
Christian Kirk is the easy answer. He has been arguably a top-15 receiver this season by the numbers and has come up big for the Jaguars on more than a few occasions as a reliable option from the slot. Foyesade Oluokun has been solid at inside linebacker, too, but Kirk looks like a legitimate weapon on offense, especially compared to what the Jaguars fielded in the past. With that said, the answer would be slim pickings outside of these two names. The Jaguars just aren't getting consistent play from most of their free agency class, even if the group was meant to elevate the ceiling and floor of the franchise.
3) James Robinson was a problem for the Titans the last two years. What is the state of the run game since he was traded?
The Jaguars run game isn't as good as it had been the last two years, though it is more explosive at times. Robinson – when healthy – was a consistent rusher who could seemingly average 4.5 yards per carry in his sleep and limit negative plays. Travis Etienne by comparison has a higher YPA because he has the ability to be a home-run hitter, but the running game is much more feast-or-famine and prone to losing yards with Etienne leading the way, even if he is a threat to score on each play.
4) What kind of impact has defensive end Travon Walker, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, made thus far?
Not a very significant one, but nobody in the Jaguars' front has. No player has more than five sacks and veteran outside linebacker Josh Allen only has three. So, it isn't like Walker's two and a half sacks are lagging behind the rest of his teammates. He has drawn a lot of attention in the run game and chips in the pass game, So far, Walker looks like the raw athletic product the Jaguars knew they were getting.
5) The Jaguars have not won in Nashville since 2013. What are the chances that this is their year?
Not high. The Jaguars have struggled with physical teams all season, especially with the Lions last week. They can't take a punch to the jaw during a game, and that's what the Titans do.
