Jaguars at Titans preview

Week 2 Preview

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans

Time: Sept. 20, 12 p.m., CBS

Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.

Line: Titans -8.0

The Jacksonville Jaguars will head into Music City to take on their division rival, the Tennessee Titans. In Week 1, the Jaguars beat the Indianapolis Colts 27-20 and the Titans beat the Denver Broncos 16-14.

Titans Keys to Victory

1. Putting Pressure on Gardner Minshew: In Week 1, the Titans failed to record a sack against the Broncos. If the Titans can get to Minshew, it could cause him to make some mistakes. Expect to really see pressure ramped up on Minshew this week.

2. Establishing the Run: RB Derrick Henry rushed for 116 yards on 31 attempts in Week 1. In the Titans-Jaguars rivalry over the past few years, King Henry has established his dominance over the Jaguars. If Henry can get over a 100 yards on the ground, expect the Titans to come out on top.

3. Special Teams: Last week was a bad showing for the Titans special teams, specifically kicking field goals. Stephen Gostkowski missed three field goals and one extra point. Head coach Mike Vrabel still believes in his kicker, stating, “Stephen’s a pro. He has missed kicks before but we anticipate that he’ll come back and better.”

Jaguars Keys to Victory

1. Hitting on Big Plays: The Jaguars have a fairly underrated receiving core. DJ Chark, Keelan Cole, and rookie Laviska Shenault Jr. all have big-play potential. If Minshew and one of these receivers can connect on a few long passes, the Jaguars have a chance to pull off an upset.

2. Make Tannehill Beat Them: Containing Henry is one of the biggest challenges all NFL teams face when they play the Titans. Making anyone other than Henry beat them is a win in Jacksonville’s book. Anticipate Jacksonville to load the box and fully commit to stop the run. If they can slow down Henry, this will have to make Ryan Tannehill beat them with his arm.

3. Protecting Gardner Minshew: Minshew was sacked four times in Week 1 against the Colts. The Jaguars will have to do a lot better job of protecting their quarterback if they want a chance against the Titans pass rush.

My Prediction

I expect the Titans pass rush to be the deciding factor in Sunday’s matchup. If the Titans can put constant pressure on Minshew, expect the Titans to be able to come out on top. I predict Jadaveon Clowney will get his first sack as a Titan. In the end, I feel that the Titans have enough answers on defense to hold the Jaguars to a couple of scores.

Titans 28 Jaguars 14