Jaguars beat Titans, win AFC South: 3 observations from Week 18

Beating the Tennesse Titans in Week 18 was the last hurdle the Jacksonville Jaguars had to clear to advance to the playoffs and win the AFC South. Although they fell behind early in the game, they were able to come on top thanks to a touchdown return by outside linebacker Josh Allen.

The Jags had to earn this win but they showed along the way that they will not give up until the whistle blows. In fact, head coach Doug Pederson told the media following the win over Tennessee that this game kind of symbolized the struggles the team faced in 2022.

“There were some struggles, there were some highs and lows”, Pederson said. “But in the end, we had the victory. And I’m so proud of the guys for the way they have all season hung together and through the face of adversity at times”.

“And even though some of the high moments, we just stayed the same, kept trusting each other, kept building on what we do and the guys just improved every week and it showed. It was not going to be easy”.

The Jaguars have completed their turnaround but the job is not done

Pederson deserves credit for building that trust and keeping the team focused after a 2-6 start. Wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. said after the game that he wouldn’t have believed you if you had told him at the beginning of the year that the Jaguars would win the AFC South and advance to the playoffs.

But that’s precisely the position the Jaguars find themselves in. With that in mind, are three observations from their amazing win in Week 18.

The Jaguars defense and special teams came through vs. the Titans

The Jaguars’ offense had eight possessions — nine if you count the one they had after they had secured the win. Yet, they only managed to score 13 points. While Trevor Lawrence missed a few throws, you’ve got to hand it to the Titans’ defense for stymying the Jags’ running game and applying pressure on a consistent basis.

Lawrence finished the game with a 62.50 completion rate and 212 yards with one touchdown while running back Travis Etienne was limited to 17 yards on seven. So on a day in which the Jacksonville offense struggled to put points on the scoreboard, the defense came through. In particular, the front seven played a big role in the win, registering 29 total pressures, four sacks, and two forced fumbles.

Defensive end Arden Key made his presence felt, registering a career-high nine total pressures. Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris and Josh Allen all register sacks. Corey Peters and Adam Gotsis were also credited with half a sack each. On top of that, Allen sealed the deal with his fumble recovery for a touchdown.

The Titans were leading 13-7 at the beginning of the second quarter but the Jags held them to three points in the second quarter. Also of note, Derrick Henry tallied 109 yards but averaged just 3.6 yards per carry.

This is even more impressive when you take into account that the Jacksonville defense struggled to slow down opposing defenses at the midpoint of the season but has allowed a combined 22 points over the last three weeks.

2. The Jaguars massively underachieved under Urban Meyer

Every now and then, you will hear Jaguars players open up about how taxing the short-lived Urban Meyer was. Following the win over the Titans, wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. said ‘only one man was broken’ — Hint: It was Meyer — when asked about the notion the team was broken in 2021.

Similarly, players that underachieved under Meyer had thrived under Doug Pederson. For example, safety Rayshawn Jenkins didn’t make a single big play last season and showed poor leadership when he was disqualified for a game after punching San Francisco wide receiver Jauan Jennings. But what a difference a year makes.

Jenkins has now become a key cog in the Jaguars’ J-Villians secondary and has played a huge role in two of their wins this season. Besides forcing the fumble that led to Josh Allen’s touchdown recovery in Week 18, he picked off quarterback Dak Prescott in Jacksonville’s jaw-dropping overtime win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15.

But Jenkins isn’t the only player that has bounced back considerably since Meyer left town. Trevor Lawrence has made a huge leap in Year 2. He broke the team’s record for completions in a season, previously held by Blake Bortles, and became the first quarterback in franchise history to score 25 passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns in a season.

Other players that have flourished under Doug Pederson are cornerback Tyson Campbell, defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris, safety Andre Cisco and right tackle Jawaan Taylor. Simply put, Pederson achieved what his predecessor couldn’t: Get the most out of his players.

1. The 2022 Jaguars are built to win playoff games

The Jaguars were a mixed bag in 2022 but that’s meant as a complement. Even though they sat on a five-game losing skid at the midpoint of the season, they also showed they could muster wins in different ways. They managed to overcome slow starts or make game-changing plays at the right time. Similarly, they proved they could keep up with some of the best offenses in the league and prevail.

Interestingly enough, two of Jacksonville’s most important games were their losses against the Denver Broncos and the Detroit Lions in Weeks 8 and 12, respectively. Trevor Lawrence acknowledged that the loss to the Broncos flipped a switch for him. Similarly, the Jags had a five-game winning streak, their longest since 2005, following their loss to Detroit. But the Jags bounced back from both matchups when they could have easily thrown in the towel.

On the other hand, the Jags beat the Indianapolis Colts, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Houston Texans by wide margins but they also pulled off a few close wins. The one against the Cowboys comes to mind, and so does the one against the Titans in the finale. At the end of the day, the Jaguars found a way to win, and that’s what matters.

After securing a playoff berth, the Jaguars need to wait for the outcome of Sunday’s games to know who their opponent in the Wild Card round will be. It will either be the Chargers or the Baltimore Ravens, two teams they proved they can beat.