When the Jacksonville Jaguars hired Liam Coen as the head coach, they were expected to win six or seven games in his first season. This prediction made sense when you take into account that he was a first-time head coach and had inherited a team that had just gone 4-13 the year prior. But fast forward to Week 13, and the Jags have already racked up seven victories. Moreover, they're in a favorable position to make the playoffs and even seize the AFC South title.
Simply put, Coen has exceeded expectations, but the job isn't done. Next on the Jaguars' schedule is the rival Tennessee Titans. If they want to keep up with the Indianapolis Colts, they'll need to take care of business, and they'll need to do it under less-than-ideal weather.
Temperatures will drop to nearly 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and there's a strong chance it will rain. Couple that with the fact that Cam Ward is coming off what was arguably his best game as a pro, and leaving Nashville with a win may not be a walk in the park.
On the other hand, Jacksonville is a 6.5-point favorite and will be getting a trio of key players back for the game. With this in mind, here are three storylines to keep an eye on in Week 13.
The Jaguars cannot afford to play down to the Titans' level
As noted before, the weather won't be great, but that shouldn't stop the Jaguars from beating a team they should. As important as their win over the Cardinals and Raiders were, they struggled against a pair of teams that shouldn't have given them trouble.
The Titans are 1-10 and have nothing to lose. Given that players and coaches will be auditioning for next year, this could turn out to be a trap game. Jacksonville cannot afford to take them lightly.
Can the Jaguars once again bring the heat without Travon Walker?
After struggling to get after the quarterback early in the season, the Jaguars have managed to bring the heat each of the past two weeks. The Los Angeles Chargers have one of the worst offensive lines, so it wasn't shocking to see Jacksonville register a combined 18 pressures and four sacks. However, the Arizona Cardinals have better protection upfront, which is why it was a bit shocking to see the Jags rack up 46 total pressures and six sacks.
Once again, Travon Walker has been ruled out with a knee injury for the Titans game, and it will be interesting to see if the Jacksonville pass rush will pick up where it left off in Week 12.
What kind of role will Brian Thomas Jr. will get with the Jaguars?
The Jaguars have been without Brian Thomas Jr. while he nurses an ankle sprain. He didn't get a designation for Week 13, so he'll be good to go. This begs the question: What kind of role will he get?
Before getting hurt, Thomas was struggling, hauling in 30 receptions for 420 yards with one touchdown. During his absence, Parker Washington and Jakobi Meyers have picked up the slack, and the offense hasn't missed a bit.
With Meyers becoming Trevor Lawrence's most trusted target, Thomas may take on a WR2 kind of role, or perhaps he'll once again step into the No. 1 role he had early this season. The only way to find out will be to watch the game.