Tennesse Titans vs Jacksonville Jaguars: 3 keys to the game

The Jacksonville Jaguars come into week 11 with a big divisional matchup scheduled against the Tennessee Titans and they have a real chance to win two games in a row for the first time this year.

Last week’s win against the Baltimore Ravens was definitely a game that the Ravens lost rather then the Jaguars winning. Joe Flacco turned the ball over 3 times and the Jaguars were still only able to produce 3 points off of turnovers.

Blake Bortles had one of his worst performances of the year, his 65.8 quarterback rating is the second worst he has done all season. Bortles only finished the game with 1 interception but if the Ravens were able to make some plays then that number could have been much different.

Despite the Jaguars performing very poorly last week, they were still able to get a much needed third win behind the leg of rookie kicker Jason Myers. Myers missed a very easy field goal by a mile in the second half of the game but his clutch gene was very evident and his leg may have saved the Jaguars season.

Moving on to tonight’s matchup against the Titans, this game is obviously a must win for both teams.

Tennessee is coming off a tough loss against the Panthers and they now sit at the bottom of the AFC South with only two wins on the season. However, both of the Titans’ wins this season have come on the road so that could pose a potential problem for the Jaguars.

Even though the Titans have looked very bad at times this season, their defense has still played pretty solid. They come into this matchup ranked as the third best pass defense in the league but they have struggled to defend the run, as they give up the 12th most rushing per game in the NFL. With Tennessee struggling to stop running backs this season, that makes the first key to a victory a pretty easy one.

Sep 13, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back T.J. Yeldon (24) takes the field to face the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Field. The Panthers defeat the Jaguars 20-9. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

1. Feed T.J. Yeldon 

The Jacksonville Jaguars made a pretty smart move when they decided to select T.J. Yeldon in the second round of the NFL draft and I think he has lived up to his expectations so far. Yeldon comes into this matchup with the second most rushing among all NFL rookies and he has been fairly effective when pass blocking as well.

Many experts assumed that T.J. Yeldon would struggle with fumbling the ball in the NFL because he struggled at times at Alabama. However, fumbles haven’t been a issue for Yeldon and he is turning into a very solid running back.

The Titans come into this matchup with the fifth most sacks in the NFL, I think it will be smart for the Jaguars to rely more on the rushing attack rather than forcing Blake Bortles to avoid sacks all game long. I think T.J. could still be effective in the passing game as well though,  the Jaguars should use some short, quick pass plays to Yeldon to make it easier for Blake Bortles to get rid of the ball quickly and avoid being sacked.

Tonights game will be a tough matchup for the Jags but if they want to take another step at winning then AFC South, then they will need to keep T.J. Yeldon involved throughout the game.

Next: Win the Battle of Field Position