The Jacksonville Jaguars are a long shot to win the AFC South, but at least they have a chance, as slim as it may be. The same cannot be said about the Tennessee Titans who are already throwing in the towel for the season.
With the trade deadline inching closer, the Titans sent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs and linebacker Ernest Johnson II to the Seattle Seahawks. Both players were starters, and Tennessee doesn't have a viable replacement for either of them, so it's fair to say that they're looking to amass future assets to continue their rebuild next season.
Looking back, the Titans were further away from competing than they originally expected. Back in the offseason, they inked wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd. On top of that, they traded for two-time Super Bowl-winning cornerback L'Jarious Sneed. They probably thought that the additions would keep them in the division race, but they're currently 1-5 and virtually eliminated from contention.
One of the biggest reasons behind Tennesse's struggles in 2024 is the underwhelming play of Will Levis. Expected to make a leap in his sophomore campaign, the former Kentucky Wildcat has instead shown that he's not the long-term answer behind center in Tennessee.
Levis had a well-rounded supporting cast before Hopkins was shipped but wasn't able to take advantage of it, completing 66.4 percent of his passes for 699 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions. That kind of production won't cut it.
The Jaguars won't have to worry about the Titans
The Jaguars have yet to face the Titans in 2024. Given that division games are always tough, they cannot take them lightly. Heck, the Jags had a chance to make the playoffs in the 2023 finale but Tennessee knocked them out of contention.
That said, Jacksonville shouldn't worry about the Titans when it comes to the AFC South race. Instead, they must set their sights on the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans.
The Colts have a two-game lead over Jacksonville but they are within reach. On the other hand, Houston is 5-2, and it will be extremely difficult for the Jags to catch up to them, barring a collapse. They beat Indy in Week 5 and came close to beating the Texans one game prior. This is to say that the Jags can go toe to toe with their division foes but they have their work cut out if they want to at least make the playoffs.
For the sake of the argument, let's say the Texans win the division, which seems like the most realistic outcome. Then, the Jaguars' hopes of qualifying for the postseason will be as a wild card. They're currently 2-5 and on the outside looking in. Compounding the issue is that they face a gauntlet in the upcoming weeks.
First, Jacksonville will welcome the Green Bay Packers at home. Next are the Philadelphia Eagles, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Detroit Lions before a much-needed BYE. If the Jags go 3-1 in those games, maybe they'll have a chance.
Working in the Jaguars' favor is that they're getting healthy at the right time. They'll soon get linebacker Foyesade Oluokun and safety Andrew Wingard back in the fold. On top of that, Trevor Lawrence and the offense are hitting their stride.
Whereas the Tennessee Titans are waving the white flag, the Jacksonville Jaguars will try to make a playoff push, even if their odds aren't currently that great.