NASHVILLE – The Titans face the Jaguars on Sunday at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville.
Here's a look at six things to watch in the contest:
Rudolph Returns
Mason Rudolph will be back in the saddle at quarterback for the Titans, when he'll be making his fifth start of the year. In seven games this season, including his four starts, Rudolph has completed 120-of-188 passes for 1,267 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions, with a 79.8 rating. After turning the ball over three times this past Sunday in Indianapolis, Rudolph will be looking to play cleaner.
A Better Run Defense
The Titans allowed a whopping 335 rushing yards last week against the Colts, and that was the largest total in the "Titans era." Coaches and players alike weren't happy about it. Now, we'll find out if they got things fixed. The Jaguars have a pair of talented backs in Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby. The Titans will need to be more disciplined, and tackle better. It could start with some more shuffling at inside linebacker.
Can Okonkwo Keep Momentum?
Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo has been on a roll of late, and he'd love to keep the momentum going. In the past two games, Okonkwo has 17 catches for 140 yards, including a nine-catch performance in Indianapolis. In Jacksonville, he'll aim for his third consecutive game with eight-plus catches and 55-plus receiving yards. Okonkwo is just the third tight end in franchise history to record eight or more receptions in consecutive games, joining Delanie Walker (2015) and Jared Cook (2011). Neither of those two players did it in three straight games.
What About Tyjae Spears?
Running back Tyjae Spears has been on a heater himself of late. Spears has scored four touchdowns in the last two games, and he's coming off a game when he recorded two rushing TDs for the first time in his career. The emergence of Spears has helped an attack that has featured Tony Pollard all season. Pollard has 230 scrimmage yards (115 per game) in two career games vs the Jaguars, including 124 scrimmage yards (102 rush, 22 rec) in the Week 14 meeting between the two teams.
Points
The Titans have scored 30-plus points three times this season, including last week's game in Indy, and they've scored 27-plus points in each of their last two games. But we all remember what happened when the Titans and Jaguars played on December 8 – the Jaguars and Titans combined for just one touchdown and 16 points in a 10-6 Jacksonville win. How's this for something to watch: The record since 2000 for the fewest combined points between two teams to play twice is 30. The Titans and Jaguars would have to combine for fewer than 14 to break that record. No one wants to see this.
What's at Stake
Both of these teams were eliminated from the playoffs weeks ago, so RIP to our playoff scenario graph in here. I told folks I'd keep up with the draft scenarios, so I'll include this: The Jaguars (3rd) and Titans (5th) are both in a position to pick in the top 5, behind the Giants (2-13) and Patriots (3-12), with the Browns (3-12) and Raiders (3-12) also in the mix. The Titans have not made a top five pick since 2017 (Corey Davis, 5th). The Jaguars are a one-point favorite.
