11 instant reactions from the Jaguars' win in AFC South showdown vs. Titans

The Jacksonville Jaguars made things look substantially tougher than they were in Week 10. Although they were a 10.5-point road favorite against the Tennessee Titans, they let their AFC South rival stick around for a good chunk of the game.

Heck, the Jags had no trouble moving the ball and racking up yards, but Tennessee managed to stay within striking distance through the first half and a good chunk of the third quarter. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that Jacksonville managed to build a substantial lead. Head coach Robert Saleh certainly deserves praise for having his team ready even though they're not playing for much the remainder of the season.

But in the end, Jacksonville came out on top, and with this in mind, here are 11 instant reactions from the 40-23 win over Tennessee.

11 instant reactions from the Jaguars' win against the Titans

1. The Jaguars got off to a hot start, with wide receiver Parker Washington capping off a 60-yard drive with a 2-yard receiving touchdown. Tennessee answered with a field goal to make it 7-3.

2. Jacksonville had no trouble marching down the field in its second offensive drive, but a tipped pass led to an interception. The good news is that...

3. Travis Hunter, the corner, was having none of it and picked off Cam Ward, effectively stalling whatever momentum the Titans got after Trevor Lawrence's interception. He already has three for the season and currently leads the team. That's much of a game-changer he is.

Without a doubt, Hunter is Jacskonville's best cornerback.

4. Speaking of which, Trevor Lawrence tested the Tennessee secondary often, taking several downfield shots early on. Aside from a few off-target throws, No. 16 played well, going 25-of-35 for 352 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.

5. Parker Washington was Trevor Lawrence's favorite receiver against Tennessee, reeling in seven catches for 152 yards with a touchdown.

Once again, Washington is proving he deserves to be paid. Then again, the question isn't whether he will but rather how much is he going to get per year.

6. The Jacksonville pass rush was once again non-existent, giving Cam Ward ample time to throw when the Jags didn't blitz. The silver lining is that the secondary more than held its own and lessened the damage the sophomore quarterback could do.

7. That said, the Jags did give up a big play that led to a Titans touchdown in the second quarter that drew them within 13-10. It looks like Travis Hunter was in coverage, and it might've been the product of miscommunication. Later in the second half, the Jags' passing defense had trouble slowing down Cam Ward.

In the Jags' defense, they mostly limited Tennessee to field goals. Still, you would think that Jacksonville wasn't going to have as much trouble putting away the Titans.

8. Tony Pollard is arguably Tennessee's best player, but he wasn't particularly dominant against the Jacksonville defense, toting the rock nine times for 33 yards. On the other hand, Cam Ward did break off a 26-yard run, so the Jacksonville defense will need to tighten things up a bit.

9. Robert Hainsey left the game in the third quarter with an injury with a knee injury, but didn't return. Sophomore Jonah Monheim stepped in at center.

10. It took him nine games, but tight end Brenton Strange scored his first touchdown of the season, putting the Jaguars up 23-13 in the third quarter.

The Jaguars got all the way to Tennessee's 3-yard line, but failed to get the ball in the end zone on three downs. On fourth down, Trevor Lawrence found Strange for the touchdown.

11. Late in the game, Trevor Lawrence became the second quarterback in franchise history to throw for over 20,000 passing yards. Mark Brunell was the first one with 25,698 yards and 144 touchdowns during his nine-year stint in Duval.

Lawrence has a realistic chance to break Brunnell's record in 2027 based on how he's been playing.

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