AFC South Recap Week 10: Jags, Titans Lose

Week 10 is in the books and the AFC South struggled once again. This time, however, it was just the Tennessee Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars who were featured as the division leading Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans had a bye.

Here’s how the week played out for the two teams with the worst records in the division:

Tennessee Titans @ Baltimore Ravens: 7-21

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Dallas Cowboys (in London): 17-31

While both teams were competitive early in their games, including a 7-0 lead for the Titans and a 7-3 lead for the Jags, both team were ultimately outpaced by superior opponents. The Ravens are 6-4 and the Cowboys are 7-3.

So, how bad was it? Let’s dive into the action!

Nov 9, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith (82) catches the ball to score a touchdown in front of Tennessee Titans cornerback Bilidi Wreh-Wilson (25) in the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee Titans @ Baltimore Ravens

No matter how good a team is, it’s tough to beat the Ravens at home. The Ravens are 4-1 when in Baltimore this season. Ultimately the game was plodding for the Ravens and Titans. Both team accounted for just 522 total yards and the combined score of 28 points isn’t exactly a barn burner. The Titans jumped to a lead with just 20 seconds left in the first quarter and managed to enter halftime 7-7 after a eight play, 46 yard touchdown drive by the Ravens midway through the second. It was the first of two Justing Forsett touchdowns as he built up to 112 yards on the ground. He added his second TD almost 10 minutes into the third quarter, capping an 11 play, 72 yard drive. Joe Flacco didn’t really light it up until a 32 yard TD pass to Torrey Smith in the fourth quarter, putting the game out of reach.

A big problem for the Titans on Sunday was pass protection. Zach Mettenberger played mediocre, but it was in part due to the five sacks he took to go with another eight QB hits. That’s a lot of punishment for a rookie quarterback to take. It didn’t help that they could get nothing going on the ground with Bishop Sankey only picking up 58 yards on 17 carries. Their first big drive to open the game went 79 yards but saw Shonn Greene fumble as they were about to score, giving momentum and possession over to the Ravens. It’s a testament to the Titans that they were able to rebound for touchdown drive on the next possession. The story for the game, however, was really the Baltimore defense. They completely limited the Titans, allowing just 210 total yards and forcing the game onto the rookie QB’s arm. He didn’t throw a pick until less than three minutes left in the game, but it was difficult for him to do anything amounting to seven three and outs enroute to a 16 of 27 passing day for 179 yards and touchdown and a pick.

Nov 9, 2014; London, UNITED KINGDOM; Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Cameron Lawrence (53) gets hold of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) but the quarterback evades the sack during the second half of the game Dallas Cowboys and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium Mandatory Credit: Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Dallas Cowboys (in London)

The Jaguars played host across the pond for the second year of their four year engagement. For the second year in a row the English crowd was able to watch a frustrating “home team” fall to a playoff bound competitor. This game was broken open by Dez Bryant. He finished the first half with 158 yards off six catches for two scores, outmuscling the Jaguar defense as he ran down the field. His two TDs came successively after the Cowboys regained the lead following a muffed punt by return man Ace Sanders. They marched all of six yards to go up 10-7 after the Jaguars looked like they had momentum off a 32-yard TD scamper by Denard Robinson. Bryant tacked on 35 yard and 68 yard touchdowns to follow. A 40 yard run by Joseph Randle midway through the third quarter really put the game out of reach. The Jags didn’t score again until a holding call granted them a safety with under 8:00 left in the game. Robinson tacked on a garbage time TD with under two minutes left.

The big problem for the Jaguars was allowing big plays. Dez Bryant broke tackle after tackle on his big catches. Randle broke an easy run for 40 yards. The Jaguars need to clamp up and stop the big play. Tony Romo posted thee TDs and 246 yards despite being questionable to play all week with a back injury. Meanwhile, Blake Bortles looked alright for the Jaguars, completing 22 of 37 passes for 290 yards and an interception. After multi-interception games, it was good to see him show a bit more care with the ball, though there were a few close scares earlier in the game. Robinson had his first two touchdown performance, but he was handcuffed by play calling that abandoned the run too early. The Jags suffered only three three and outs but turned it over on downs twice.