A loss in itself may not reveal much about an NFL team's makeup but you can learn a lot from the way they respond to one. In Week 11, the Jacksonville Jaguars showed they had put their loss to the San Francisco 49ers behind them, beating the Tennessee Titans 34-14.
Both the offense and the defense did their job. Trevor Lawrence and the offense built momentum early on and took advantage of their opportunity to score. Moreover, they didn't turn the ball over a single time. The defense, for their part, didn't stop bringing the heat and forcing rookie Will Levis into making mistakes. Mike Caldwell's unit ended up registering two sacks and recovering a fumble.
Having wide receiver Zay Jones back in the mix certainly gave the offense a huge boost, but he's not the only player who contributed to the win. In fact, these five also had a huge role.
No. 5 Jaguars player whose stock is up after the win vs. the Titans: Brandon McManus
At this point, you may be wondering why Brandon McManus keeps getting recognition on a weekly basis. The reason is simple, he hasn't missed a field goal since Week 3, when Jacksonville dropped their second game of the season Since then, McManus has been Mr. Automatic, going 13-of-13. He completed his two attempts against the Titans.
You could argue that there've been more valuable players for the Jaguars this season, and you may be right. But you can't overlook the fact that McManus has delivered when called upon, whether Jacksonville wins or loses.
No. 4 Jaguars player whose stock is up after the win vs. the Titans: Foyesade Oluokun, LB
All things considered, linebacker Foyesade Oluokun's first season with the Jaguars went well. However, he's having a bigger impact in Year 2, making plays on the field and providing a veteran presence in the locker room. Against the Niners, Oluokun registered two sacks, and he added another one to his tally in Week 11. He now has three for the season, tying the career-best he posted in 2020. The Yale product also recovered the fumble Will Levis lost in a snap exchange.
It's fair to say that Oluokun has done enough to warrant a spot in the Pro Bowl this season. If he gets the nod, it would be the first time in his career. His superb outing against Tennessee should increase his chances.
No. 3 Jaguars player whose stock is up after the win vs. the Titans: D'Ernest Johnson, RB
The Jaguars gave rookie running back Tank Bigsby plenty of chances this season to solidify his spot as RB2 on the depth chart. However, it seems like their patience has run out. In Week 11, Bigsby was mostly relegated to special teams, and free-agent pickup D'Ernest Johnson got plenty of touches behind Travis Etienne.
D'Ernest Johnson only needed 4 yards.
— NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2023
He got 33.
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Right off the bat, Johnson proved to be an upgrade over Bigsby, He only got 21 yards on the nine carries he got but managed to turn the reception he had into a 34-yard gain. Given his performance, it wouldn't be shocking if the Jags roll with Johnson moving forward.
No. 2 Jaguars player whose stock is up after the win vs. the Titans: Calvin Ridley
Wide receiver Calvin Ridley has consistently shown that being more than one year away from football didn't affect him. That said, he hasn't probably had the impact the Jacksonville Jaguars expected when they traded for him last year. Sure, he's drawn more pass interference calls in his favor than any other receiver in the league with seven, and his presence draws coverage away from his teammates. But the production hasn't always been there this season.
In Week 11 though, Ridley proved he can take over games, hauling in seven receptions for 103 yards with two touchdown receptions. He now has three 100-yard games this season. He should have a favorable shot to reach the 1,000-yard mark if he keeps having games like the one against the Titans.
No. 1 Jaguars player whose stock is up after the win vs. the Titans: Trevor Lawrence, QB
Chris Broussard of FS1 wasted no time, and right after the Jaguars lost to the Niners, he got into his soapbox to tell everyone who listened to him that they were pretenders and Trevor Lawrence was a fraud. Jokes aside, Broussard has been one of Lawrence's biggest critics but he won't have much ammo after his performance in Week 11.
Lawrence completed 75 percent of his passes for 262 yards with two passing touchdowns, no interceptions, and two rushing touchdowns. More importantly, he showed what he's capable of doing when he's healthy — he still wasn't 100 percent from the injury he suffered in Week 6 — and gets good protection (zero sacks vs. the Titans).
If the offensive line can once again keep Trevor Lawrence protected, the Jacksonville Jaguars should be able to begin a winning streak when they face the Houston Texans in Week 12.