An AFC South rivalry game will kick off Week 3 of the NFL schedule Thursday night, as the Jacksonville Jaguars host the Tennessee Titans. The Titans, who have won four games in a row against Jacksonville, are two-point favorites on the road. The over/under for the game is 39 points.
Tennessee looked to be on its way to a 2-0 start. The Titans dominated the Browns in Week 1 and held a lead at home against the Colts heading into the fourth quarter last week. However, Jacoby Brissett threw his third touchdown pass of the day with less than five minutes left. When the Titans failed to answer, they dropped their home opener 19-17 and fell to 1-1.
Of course, 1-1 is exponentially better than 0-2, which is where the Jaguars sit heading into Thursday’s game. Jacksonville lost their Week 1 battle with the Chiefs but fought hard to stay competitive with the Texans last week. Gardner Minshew threw a touchdown pass with 30 seconds left to make it 13-12, but when the Jags went for the two-point conversion and the win, Leonard Fournette came up millimeters short.
A Little Promise
Despite the Jaguars coming up on the losing side of things the first two weeks, Minshew has shown some promise early in his NFL career. Obviously, nobody planned on the sixth-round rookie taking over for Nick Foles in Week 1, but that’s how things have unfolded. Despite a lack of points last week, Minshew has completed 23 of his 33 passes and has a good connection with both DJ Chark and Chris Conley. If the Jags can get a little more out of Fournette, they could have a decent offense with Minshew.
Meanwhile, the Jacksonville defense also had a promising outing in Week 2. It’s tough to put too much stock in the 40 points the Jags allowed against the Chiefs in Week 1. But they held a potent Houston offense to just 13 points last week, and the one touchdown the Texans had came on a short drive following a turnover. Obviously, Jalen Ramsey asking to be traded has caused a stir, but Ramsey is expected to play on Thursday.
Who Shows Up?
For the Titans, the question is always about what version of Marcus Mariota will show up. Outside of a 75-yard pass to Derrick Henry in Week 1, Mariota’s numbers weren’t that impressive, even in a blowout win. Part of the problem is that the Tennessee offensive line allowed him to be sacked four times in each of the first two games. The Titans are also lacking downfield threats, as Corey Davis hasn’t been much of a factor and rookie A.J. Brown is still coming along.
Of course, the Titans are usually able to lean on their defense. The Tennessee defense has been a little vulnerable against the run, but they’ve done a nice job of pressuring opposing quarterbacks. That could be critical in Thursday’s game with the Jaguars relying on a rookie quarterback.
Close Enough
These two teams are usually good for a defensive slugfest, including a 9-6 Titans win when they visited Jacksonville last year. After the Jaguars kept the Texans under wraps last week, they should be able to do the same against the Titans on Thursday. Between that and Jacksonville’s desperation, bet on the Jaguars to win.
