The Jacksonville Jaguars will be looking to sweep the Tennesee Titans in Week 17. They already beat them earlier this month, and doing it again could turn out to be a bright spot in what's otherwise been a season to forget. Having said that, it will be no easy feat.
Sure, the game will be held at EverBank Stadium and Tennessee has been struggling. However, the Jags aren't doing much better. In fact, their only win in more than two months came against the Titans. Add the fact that the weather won't be great, and Jacksonville will have its work cut out.
Then again, the Jaguars won't pass up the chance to finish strong and spurn momentum into the offseason. With that in mind, here are three predictions for the divisional matchup in Week 17.
Mac Jones will score 2 TDs, throw no INTs vs. the Titans
When the Jaguars traded for Mac Jones earlier this year, they thought they were getting a capable replacement for Trevor Lawrence in case he missed time at any point this season. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case.
In eight games, Jones has completed 65.4 percent of his throws for 1,273 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions. That's certainly not the kind of production you want from the quarterback position. To make matters worse, he's had several chances to show he can deliver in the clutch but has come up short.
Having said that, Jones was solid enough against the Titans in their last encounter. In fact, his lone win with the Jaguars came against their divisional foes. He now knows what to expect in Week 17. This should lead to an improved performance, his best one of the season, one that includes two touchdowns and no interceptions despite the fact that the weather conditions will be less than ideal.
Andrew Wingard will show he deserves to start for the Jaguars with an interception
The Jaguars had trouble creating turnovers this season. They currently rank 29th in the league with five interceptions. Andrew Wingard should help them fix that issue against the Titans. The player affectionately known as Dewey started the season on Injured Reserve after suffering a knee injury in training camp. But even though he had been healthy, he didn't get meaningful playing time until he filled in for Darnell Savage in Week 16.
Savage has already been ruled out with a concussion for Week 17, so Wingard will once again be thrust into action. Against the Las Vegas Raiders, he proved that he deserves a bigger role when he deflected three passes. He'll now have another chance to prove his worth and will do so by picking off Mason Rudolph.
Brian Thomas Jr. will once again go over 100 yards, tie rookie TD record
Brian Thomas Jr. has wasted no time establishing himself as a bonafide No. 1 receiver. Along the way, he's broken several team records, including receiving touchdowns, catches, and receiving yards for a rookie. But as impressive as the LSU standout has been, he still has a bit of time in 2024 to repeat or even surpass feats other players have accomplished.
For instance, Randy Moss is the only other receiver in NFL history who's gone over 60+ yards and scored at least one touchdown in eight games as a rookie. Thomas has had seven such contests this season, so he'll have a chance to tie his Hall-of-Fame counterpart if he tallies 60 yards or more and a touchdown against the Titans.
Given that the Louisiana native has accomplished the feat in each of the past two weeks, you can bet on him doing it again against the Titans.