Battle for first on Monday Night Football: Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars preview
The two forgotten teams of the AFC South will square off on Monday night. The Titans and the Jaguars were the two teams swept under the rug before the season, but the Jaguars made a statement with a big win over the Colts a couple of weeks ago. Tennessee
has hung in the race with some big wins on the road over the Giants and the Cowboys. It’s hard to imagine, but these teams are locked in a first place division tie, along with the Texans and Colts; all four teams are at 3-2.
The Titans meanwhile have been up and down depending on how Chris Johnson plays. They’re 3-0 in games where he rushes over 100 yards and 0-2 when he’s under the century mark. So it’s no secret that the Titans want to give Johnson his share of carries.
For that to be effective though, the Titans have to do what they did last week; set up the running game with the passing game. Vince Young was not perfect last week, but he made enough plays to throw the Dallas Cowboys off guard and that allowed Johnson
to get more running room, as he became a factor in the second half of that game. Johnson finished with 131 yards and two touchdowns.
The Titans’ passing game showed signs of life thanks to Kenny Britt finally getting the start. Britt proved last week that he is a deep threat and should start again this Sunday. He seems to have put some maturity issues behind him and should emerge as Young’s
go-to target.
The Jaguars defence has been atrocious this year. They allowed 26 points to Buffalo last week and beat the Colts due to Indianapolis’ equally weak defence. Now they’re up against Chris Johnson and the added dimension of Vince Young. While Young isn’t the
best pure passer, it’s tough to prepare for a mobile quarterback.
Speaking of running backs, the Jaguars have a pretty good one of their own in Maurice Jones-Drew. Jones-Drew always is a factor in the Jaguars’ offence and the Titans’ priority should be to shut him down.
David Garrard has been inconsistent in his career as a starter. He’s looked good the past couple of weeks, albeit against some weaker defences. While the Titans aren’t the best, they are the best pass-rushing team so far. They lead the league with 22 sacks
and it hasn’t come from one player. Everyone seems to be getting their shots at the quarterback, as the Titans alternate many guys on their defensive line. They truly have lived up to their label as a no-name defence.
The Jaguars have hung around in the division race and can go to a 2-0 record in division games with a win on Monday night. This is the Titans’ first divisional game and with this division being so tight, a win on Monday night is crucial to both these teams.
A win by either team keeps them in at least a first-place tie, while a loss by either team pushes them behind the pack. Kick-off is Monday night, 18 October at 8:30pm from Jacksonville.
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