The Tennessee Titans came off of the bye week looking like they had a quadruple-shot of espresso, and they hit the ground running en route to a 42-20 victory over Jacksonville.
In what was a low-scoring affair in the first half, Ryan Tannehill started the offensive onslaught by scoring from 17 yards out, giving the Titans a 7-0 lead. That score would end up being 7-3 after Jacksonville’s Josh Lambo drilled a 49-yard field goal late in the second quarter.
PUT THE TEAM ON YOUR BACK, 17! @ryantannehill1 | #JAXvsTEN pic.twitter.com/cyZilqbjp4
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) November 24, 2019
Talk about a defensive battle in the first half. Would that hold true in the second half?
Narrator: It did not.
The Titans came out swinging in the second half. Ryan Tannehill led another scoring drive capped off by a one-yard touchdown catch for offensive lineman Dennis Kelly. Then, after a Jacksonville three-and-out, Derrick Henry went to work. His 74-yard touchdown run came on Tennessee’s first play from scrimmage on that drive, ballooning the score to 21-3 Titans.
Derrick Henry is a nightmare! @KingHenry_2 | #JAXvsTEN pic.twitter.com/WwtwtPyE0D
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) November 24, 2019
Talk about deja vu, as this is the second year in a row that Henry has left Jacksonville defenders collecting dust. Last year was from 99 yards out, this time he scored from 74 yards out.
TWO YEARS IN A ROW. 😤 @KingHenry_2 pic.twitter.com/03ATJMwV7H
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) November 24, 2019
The Jaguars would then proceed to fumble on the ensuing kickoff, giving the ball back to the Titans, who turned it into points on another Derrick Henry touchdown run. The lead swelled up to 28-3 in the blink of an eye.
They weren’t done, however. After Jacksonville went three-and-out again, Tannehill hit rookie A.J. Brown for a 65-yard catch-and-run, making the score 35-3 Tennessee.
The Jaguars would outscore the Titans 17-7 the rest of the way, but that run of success couldn’t come close to digging them out of that 32-point hole, and Tennessee came out on top 42-20.
My three takeaways:
- Derrick Henry is running with aggression again. During the second half of last season, ex-Titans running back Eddie George told Henry that he was running soft. Since then, he’s looked a lot like the man who won the Heisman Trophy in 2015 with the University of Alabama.
- First place in their sights. With a win against the Colts, and a Texans loss against the Chiefs in Week 13, the Titans would be in a tie for first place in the AFC South, with two games against Houston still remaining on the schedule.
- The Titans offensive line can limit penalties. Penalties on the offensive line have shot the Titans in the foot a lot throughout the season. However, outside of a questionable hold on tight end Jonnu Smith, they were able to avoid being penalized in crucial spots.
Jaguars
- Postseason hopes grow dimmer by the day. After falling to 4-7, Jacksonville is likely going to have to wait for next season to make a playoff push.
- Franchise quarterback needs more time. This was just the second week Nick Foles has played since returning from his injury and looked very out of sync with his receivers as a result.
- If they can’t get to the quarterback, they can’t be successful. The Jaguars defense sacked Marcus Mariota nine times in Week 3. This time around, they only got to Tannehill once –– and we all saw how that went.
The Titans travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts next week, while Jacksonville will play host to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
