The Jacksonville Jaguars just traded for defensive tackle Jordan Davis, Jessie Bates III, and nose tackle Davon Godchaux at the trade deadline. However, only one of them will suit up against the Tennessee Titans in Week 10. Head coach Liam Coen met with the local media Friday and confirmed that Davis and Bates will rest against the Titans.
"Jesse Bates and Jordan Davis will not play on Sunday due to not having a bye with their workload, and the way the season falls from a scheduling standpoint," Coen told the press corps. "Want to be able to make sure that we're [prioritizing] player safety, putting them in a position to succeed. Also learn the system and just give those guys a week to be able to do that. So neither one will be playing on Sunday. Devon Godchaux will be."
Liam Coen also told reporters that the team made the decision not to play Jordan Davis and Jessie Bates as the week went on. All things considered, it's the right call.
Why the Jaguars can beat the Titans without Jordan Davis and Jessie Bates III
The Jaguars are a 10.5-point road favorite against the Titans. Sure, divisional games are always tough, but Jacksonville should feel good about its chances of leaving Nissan Stadium with a win.
After all, the Jags just destroyed the Baltimore Ravens before the team's brass traded for Jordan Davis and Jessie Bates III. It's fair to assume that they can defeat Tennessee without them.
This begs the question, who's going to start at safety and defensive tackle?
The Jags lost safety Eric Murray and DaVon Hamilton to season-ending injuries. They missed both of them, but managed to overcome their absence against the Baltimore Ravens on Thurdsay Night. Jacskonville should once again have no trouble holding the fort against Tennessee.
At safety, Rayuan Lane will start next to Antonio Johnson. He's done a superb job of filling in for Murray, registering three passes defensed and one interception returned for a touchdown in two starts.
On the other hand, Davon Godchaux should have a big role in the defensive tackle rotation. Whether he starts in Week 10 or not, Matt Dickerson got the start next to Arik Armstead last week, so he could still get a substantial amount of playing time. Either way, Godchaux will make his debut against the Titans.
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The Jaguars traded for Jordan Davis and Jessie Bates III with the Super Bowl in mind
While it would have been great to see Jordan Davis and Jessie Bates III against the Titans, the Jaguars didn't trade for them with their AFC South matchup in mind. Instead, they made a splash because they believe their Super Bowl window is wide open.
See, the Jags were already a playoff team without Davis and Bates. However, they'll face teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills, and the Denver Broncos. Jacksonville acquired Davis and Bates to ensure the path to Championship Sunday becomes more manageable.
That's why they can afford to wait for Jordan Davis and Jessie Bates III one more week.
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