Injuries give Jaguars favorable matchup vs. Titans, can they take advantage?

The Jacksonville Jaguars might not be at full strength when they play the Tennessee Titans in Week 14. However, their AFC South foe is also dealing with injuries of their own, which could in turn gives the Jags a slight edge. Can they take advantage of it?

Trevor Lawrence is questionable for Sunday after suffering a toe injury against the Detroit Lions. He told the media Wednesday he plans to play as long as he feels good enough to cut and run. Safety Andre Cisco and wide receiver Zay Jones also got the questionable tag. Meanwhile, Chad Muma has already been ruled out for the game.

Cisco has been dealing with a shoulder injury and sat out the Lions game. On the other hand, Jones has a chest injury. He played last week in spite of the injury but didn’t seem to be 100 percent and dropped three passes. Muma hurt his ankle against Detroit and didn’t practice all week.

The Titans are also dealing with several injuries. In fact, you could make the case they’re in worse shape than the Jags ahead of Sunday’s game. They’ve already ruled out defensive lineman Denico Autry, wide receiver Traylon Burks, cornerback Kristian Fulton, linebacker David Long Jr., cornerback Tre Avery and wide receiver C.J. Board.

Trevor Lawrence could be the X-Factor vs. the Titans

The Jaguars seemed to have had favorable matchups against the Houston Texans, the Indianapolis Colts (Week 6), and the Denver Broncos but ended up losing to all of them anyway. Simply, they haven’t shown you enough to make you think they can’t beat Tennessee, even if they’re not 100 percent.

Autry, Fulton, and Long Jr. are all important pieces on the Titans’ defense while Burks’ 25 receptions rank third on the team. But even without them, Tennessee’s roster still has enough talent to compete. Defensive Jeffery Simmons excels at both stopping the run and generating pressure up front. Similarly, running back Derrick Henry presents a unique challenge to the Jags’ defense, one they haven’t had much success against in recent years.

Moreover, it’s not a sure thing Lawrence will suit up for the game. Having him in the lineup will give the Jaguars a better chance of pulling off the upset at Tennessee but if he isn’t good to go, C.J. Beathard will fill in for him, and you could make the case he’s a steep dropoff at quarterback.

Even if Lawrence doesn’t play, the Jaguars will take on a wounded Titans team. It’s up to them to take advantage of the matchup.