**
NASHVILLE, Tenn. —** This week the Tennessee Titans (3-4) reach the midway point of the regular season, as they host the AFC South rival Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4) in a nationally televised Thursday night game. Kickoff at Nissan Stadium (capacity 69,143) is scheduled for 7:25 p.m. CDT on Oct. 27.
**
THE BROADCAST**
NFL Network will broadcast the game to a national audience. The telecast also can be seen locally in Nashville on WTVF NewsChannel 5. Play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and analyst Phil Simms will call the action, and Tracy Wolfson will report from the sidelines.
The Titans Radio Network, including Nashville flagship 104.5 The Zone, will carry the game across the Mid-South with the "Voice of the Titans" Mike Keith, analyst Frank Wycheck, gameday host Rhett Bryan and sideline reporter Jonathan Hutton.
Additionally, Westwood One Sports will broadcast the game to a national audience. Play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle and analyst Mike Mayock will have the call.
TITANS LOOK TO GET BACK TO .500
The Titans have only four days to prepare for another division foe following a 34-26 loss at home last Sunday at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts. They scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to take a lead against the Colts, but their hopes of a third consecutive win were dashed when the Colts scored 14 points in the final two minutes.
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota completed 22 of 37 passes for 232 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the defeat. His two touchdown passes went to left tackle Taylor Lewan and tight end Delanie Walker.
In the last three weeks, Mariota's eight touchdown passes are tied with Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford for the highest total in the NFL. During that same stretch, Mariota's 113.1 passer rating ranks fifth, and he has an additional 138 yards and a touchdown rushing.
Against the Colts, running back DeMarco Murray produced his third 100-yard rushing game of 2016, totaling a game-high 107 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. Murray, who has 633 rushing yards and 192 receiving yards in his first season in Tennessee, spearheads the NFL's third-ranked rushing attack. Individually, he is third in the league in both rushing yards and scrimmage yards.
The Titans defense ranks 10th in the NFL through the games of Oct. 23. They are sixth against the run (87.4 yards allowed per game) and 18th against the pass (250.6).
THE JAGUARS
Under head coach Gus Bradley, who is in his fourth season in Jacksonville, the Jaguars won two consecutive games before falling at home last week to the Oakland Raiders. Quarterback Blake Bortles passed for 246 yards and a touchdown against the Raiders but was victimized twice by interceptions in a 34-16 loss.
In 2015, Bortles set a franchise record with 35 touchdown passes. He became the third quarterback in NFL history to pass for 35 touchdowns and 4,000 yards (4,428) in his second season, joining Kurt Warner and Dan Marino.
Bradley presides over the NFL's ninth-ranked overall defense in 2016 at 325.2 yards allowed per game. The Jaguars defense is 18th against the run (109.8) and sixth against the pass (215.3).
The Jaguars began the season with losses to the Green Bay Packers, San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens. In Week 4, they beat the Colts in London, and after a Week 5 bye, they picked up a road win against the Chicago Bears.
NURSES FOR NEWBORNS DRIVE
Fans attending the Titans-Jaguars game are encouraged to bring donations for the annual Nurses for Newborns Drive. The Titans and Nurses for Newborns Foundation are asking fans to bring items to help economically disadvantaged and at-risk families throughout the area. The most needed items are diapers, baby wipes, infant/children's Tylenol or Motrin, baby bottles, baby formula, baby food, infant sleepers, infant thermometers and saline nose drops. Several collection sites will be positioned outside of Nissan Stadium before the game. For more information on Nurses for Newborns, visit www.nfnf.org.
