The Jacksonville Jaguars may be trying to dig themselves out from the wreckage of what was a subpar 2024 season, but they will have the benefit of playing a good chunk of their schedule against an AFC South that features many other teams sputtering at the moment.
The Tennessee Titans, fresh off a season that was so rough they ended up with the No. 1 overall pick, are banking on top selection Cam Ward performing well enough in his debut campaign to give this team hope that they can turn it around. However, things haven't gone so smoothly in training camp.
Ward, who has had some standard rookie issues with timing and accuracy, described the offense as "very mid" ever since the pads came on. Knowing how that phrase is often deployed among Ward's generation, "mid" is often used to soften the blow for something that is far below average.
While Ward will likely be able to get the Titans turned around at some point in the future, the Jaguars have to be loving the fact that Tennessee is sputtering to such a noteworthy degree in the early stages of the preseason.
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Jaguars fans can laugh at Titans QB Cam Ward's quotes on offense
Not only did the Jaguars add two-way star Travis Hunter to their defense, but the additions of Jourdan Lewis and Eric Murray should help instantly turn around what was one of the worst secondaries in the league last season. Continued growth from Maason Smith and Travon Walker could turn this defensive line into an elite unit.
While the Titans did invest heavily in their offensive line by signing left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and right guard Kevin Zeitler in free agency, and despite the fact that they have an offensive-minded coach in Brian Callahan, this team is going to be set up for another tough season in 2025.
Jacksonville likely won't be too scared of its wide receiver room. Calvin Ridley has not lived up to his big contract, Tyler Lockett is on the back end of his career, and the three-way competition between Van Jefferson, Chimere Dike, and Elic Ayomanor is far from the Greatest Show on Turf.
While the Jaguars may need to worry about a plucky Colts team and a contending Texans squad that keeps getting better, Tennessee's struggles with consistency may root them to the bottom of the division in Liam Coen's debut season.