Jaguars’ D slowing down Titans, offense must step up

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in desperate need of a week after a tumultuous week in which Urban Meyer’s poor leadership skills were exposed. After two quarters of football, things haven’t gotten out of hand for the Jags and they are trailing 10-0 but still in the game.

The Jaguars’ defense didn’t put up much resistance in the first drive of the game, allowing the Titans’ offense to travel 74 yards on 10 plays. Running back D’Onta Foreman broke the plane of the goal line with a five-yard run. A personal foul by safety Andrew Wingard aided Tennessee.

On the opposite spectrum, the Jaguars’ offense didn’t do much in their first possession, tallying a total of four plays. Trevor Lawrence was sacked twice. Both Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor struggled, it’s fair to wonder why they, along with Wingard, don’t receive the same treatment James Robinson gets and get benched.

The Jags’ defense had been missing cornerback Shaquill Griffin, who was all over the field. He gave up a 16-yard reception but generally did a good job covering Julio Jones and even blitzed Ryan Tannehill.

The Jaguars still have a chance to come back and lead in the 2nd half.

The Jaguars’ defense often blitzed Tennesse and it generally worked. Griffin, safety Rudy Ford and linebacker Damien Wilson, who had a sack, did a good job of pressuring Tannehill. On the other hand, Joe Cullen’s unit had a hard time stopping the Titans’ running game. Also, they struggled to cover tight end Anthony Frisker, who often helped Tennessee move the chains.

The Jaguars had four possessions in the first drive but only mustered a measly 84 yards. Penalties and sacks have killed drives. Trevor Lawrence went 10-of-12 for 93 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions while James Robinson has toted the rock three times for four yards.

All in all, Jacksonville’s defense did a good job of stopping the Titans’ offense, holding them to just ten points in the halftime. While it’s difficult to find positives when you’re down 10-0, they’ve avoided trailing by a wide margin the way they have during their four-game streak. Now the offense needs to do its part and score.