Jacksonville Jaguars’ Week 13 matchup vs. Titans could start a run
Jacksonville Jaguars Florida Times-Union beat reporter Demetrius Harvey breaks down the major storyline involving the team this week vs. Tennessee.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are focused on their upcoming game against the Tennessee Titans, not the playoff picture.The Jaguars are currently the fifth seed in the AFC and are one game behind the Colts in the AFC South.Starting nickel corner Jourdan Lewis is expected to return from a neck injury.
The Jacksonville Jaguars aren’t looking ahead. They’re focused on the present.
This week, the Jaguars (7-4) are set to face the Tennessee Titans (1-10) in their Week 13 matchup on the road in Nashville.
The game will kick off at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.
Jaguars head coach Liam Coen made it clear Friday ahead of the game the team hasn’t been discussing anything from a big-picture perspective.
The Jaguars are currently the fifth seed in the AFC playoff bracket, and one game behind the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South. Everything is in front of them, and they understand the opportunity they have to close out the season.
But they aren’t getting ahead of themselves. Their focus? On the Titans.
“I honestly could not tell you at all where we stand in terms of where we are, what implications that every game has. I swear I have no idea,” Coen said Friday, ahead of Sunday’s matchup.
“So, I think it’s best to keep it that way for all of us and really just take it one day at a time, one game at a time.”
The Jaguars have been in this position in the past under a different regime. In 2023, Jacksonville was 8-3 heading into Week 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals. They had an opportunity to win and increase their odds of not just making the playoffs, but the top seed in the AFC bracket.
The team went on to lose that Monday night game against backup Jake Browning and the Bengals, which started a streak of losing five of their last six games. Many speculated the team lost its focus in addition to the injuries that piled up, notably to quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
The team’s mindset, having made the postseason the year prior and beginning the year the way that it did, was one of arrogance and overconfidence.
This year’s team is confident, but there’s been no talk of the playoffs, making a run or how many games they have to win to close out the season in the hunt. Coen likes it that way.
“We all know how volatile this league is. And when you’re just steady focused on improvement and you’re focused on yourselves knowing, OK, this is the team that we’re playing, [these are] the players that we have to be aware of, this is their offensive, defensive and special teams structures, but it’s us,” said Coen.
The Jaguars’ head coach said the team is focused on looking inward in preparation for the next game. It’s about attacking them, Coen said, “It’s our process and our operation that truly matters.”
Jacksonville will get another opportunity to showcase its team to observers Sunday and, whether they think about it or not, increase its odds of making the playoffs and setting the stage for Week 14 to have major AFC South standing implications.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Here are our bold predictions for the team’s game against the Titans.
Jourdan Lewis will log an interception in return from injury
The Jaguars are looking forward to the return of starting nickel corner Jourdan Lewis.
Lewis has missed the team’s last three games due to a neck injury sustained against the Las Vegas Raiders. He’s slated to return this week after practicing in full ahead of Sunday’s matchup.
Coen said Friday that Lewis has helped the team in many ways from the sideline, but the team is looking to get him back out on the grass sooner rather than later.
“Just the confidence, the swagger, the communication, the way he sees the game… He’s made some critical plays for us this season,” Coen said of what Lewis could bring to the table if he is good to go against Tennessee.
Lewis has eight pass breakups and two interceptions this season. He will add another interception against Titans quarterback Cam Ward on Sunday. That is, if he doesn’t have a setback.
Cam Ward will rush for at least 50 yards vs. Jaguars
The Jaguars have allowed a quarterback to rush for 50 or more yards just once this season (Week 5, Patrick Mahomes), and they’re set to face another QB who can take off when needed.
After rushing for just 46 yards combined through the first 10 weeks of the season, Ward has started to use his legs a lot more, rushing for 70 yards over the last two games combined.
The Jaguars haven’t necessarily struggled against rushing quarterbacks this year, but they haven’t been tested much.
Against the Titans, Jacksonville might struggle to defend Ward, though they’ll still get after him plenty.
Jaguars won’t allow a point in second half vs. Titans
The Jaguars have struggled to close out games on defense this season. Against the Titans, that changes with Tennessee scoring just 10 points in the first half before being shut out in the second half.
Jacksonville’s defense is simply better than the Titans’ offense, and their offensive line might be one of the worst in the league.
Jaguars vs. Titans score prediction
Jaguars will get back-to-back wins in Nashville since the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Yes, it’s been that long.
Jaguars 28, Titans 10.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius.
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