The Jacksonville Jaguars enter Week 13 coming off two very different wins: a dominant performance against a stellar Los Angeles Chargers and a less-than-perfect (but certainly resilient) showing in Arizona. Either way, they sit at 7-4 and, with two games to play against the Indianapolis Colts, are in full control of their playoff hopes.
Yet they face the Tennessee Titans this Sunday, not the Colts. With the Titans dwelling at the bottom of the AFC South (and the league) with a 1-10 record, Jacksonville faces the classic "trap game," where they risk looking ahead to Indianapolis in Week 14 and letting the lackluster Titans sneak in a victory.
In years past, this would have been a real concern. Now, however, the Liam Coen-led Jaguars look to be locked in—if still a bit inconsistent—and I don't expect them to fall victim to a lack of focus. With this in mind, here are three bold predictions for the Jaguars' Week 13 matchup against Tennessee.
Jaguars hold the Titans to less than 250 offensive yards
While this stat might look like quite a bold take, it's actually my least risky prediction. The Titans have averaged just 247.4 yards per game, the lowest in the league. You'll notice a trend here shortly when it comes to where the Titans rank in team stats. Rookie quarterback Cam Ward is averaging just shy of 170 yards per game, and Tennessee manages just 77.5 rushing yards per match.
With Jacksonville topping the league in rushing defense (83.8 yards per game), they'll likely continue to stack the box and force Ward to win with his arm. I don't see this happening, even with Jacksonville's secondary banged up and struggling. Look for a solid defensive performance.
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Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington has two scores
Okay, now I'm reaching it a little. Last week, I (wrongly) predicted a non-offensive touchdown from the Jaguars against the Cardinals. While wide receiver and returner Parker Washington managed a 43-yard punt return, he didn't bring home any scores on special teams. With the defense failing to register a single takeaway despite their solid performance, this prediction fell by the wayside.
Now, however, I'm hedging my bets again. Washington caught a touchdown last week, and he's continuing to look like quarterback Trevor Lawrence's go-to receiver (though Jakobi Meyers might take that place soon). Even with Brian Thomas Jr.'s likely return, I'm expecting a healthy dose of Washington. With the possibility of a special teams touchdown still on the boards, I'm predicting two scores from the third-year veteran.
Jaguars rack up six sacks
The Titans are worst in the league when it comes to a lot of statistics, and sacks allowed is no different. Ward has eaten grass 45 times through 11 games—that's just over four sacks per game. After last week's six-sack performance in Arizona, Jacksonville is going to be coming in hot for Ward. Even with defensive end Travon Walker likely still out, I'm looking for another big game from the defensive front.
Final thoughts
While this has all the makings of a classic "trap game," I don't anticipate a dropoff in performance from a focused Jaguars team. Under the guidance of new head coach Liam Coen, this team doesn't look like "the same old Jags" that fans have unfortunately gotten used to. Look for a big game, a solid performance, and, as always, a few head-scratching plays from Lawrence.
Jags win, 31-18.