Jaguars must forget two-game losing streak
Jan 2, 2018 - 2:29 AM JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- For the second straight week, a Jacksonville Jaguars loss was accompanied by what could be perceived as good news.A week ago, the loss to San Francisco was softened by the news that Tennessee had lost to the Rams, thus giving the Jaguars the AFC South title.
On Sunday, the Jaguars lost to the Titans for the second time this season. However, Jacksonville was spared a third game against the Titans in the opening round of the playoffs when Cincinnati beat Baltimore on Sunday, knocking the Ravens out of the playoffs and giving the No. 6 AFC seed to Buffalo. As a result, the Jaguars will host the Bills on Sunday instead of a Tennessee team that has given the Jaguars problems.
By winning the AFC South, the Jaguars will host a playoff game for the first time since January 23, 2000 when they fell to the Titans in the AFC Championship game.
The Jaguars are returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2007, snapping a nine-season playoff drought that was tied for the fourth-longest in the NFL entering 2017.
The Jaguars are 5-6 in their playoff history.
The Jaguars' immediate problem is trying to put their season-ending two-game losing streak behind them.
Last week, Jaguars players and coaches talked about how important it was to beat the Titans. Now they have to deal with the inability to do so.
"Every game matters, but once we get out of 48 hours -- Monday or Tuesday -- this game doesn't matter," linebacker Myles Jack said. "We've got the playoffs, and that's the most important thing. This will only make guys madder and more excited to play. I think this will bring the hunger out of us. It's good timing."
Added quarterback Blake Bortles, "I think we'll be fine."
Even head coach Doug Marrone put a positive spin on the Jaguars' plight.
"I just think we have been on the road," Marrone said after Sunday's loss in Nashville. "This is the first time that we had this adversity, we've lost two games in a row. But, I think, just like I told the team, the good part about this is we're going home. Whenever you have adversity in life, in what you do, there is always that comfort in going home."
The atmosphere for the Jaguars' first postseason game in 10 years should be different from the two away-game defeats.
"This is the playoffs," defensive end Calais Campbell said. "This is what we work hard for. We're AFC South champs. The opportunity is in front of us. A home playoff game? I can't wait."
Buffalo might be without its leading rusher, LeSean McCoy, who suffered an injured ankle on Sunday in the win over Miami. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor may be asked to carry the offense.
The Jaguars will also have the benefit of a sellout crowd of nearly 70,000 people.
REPORT CARD VS. TITANS
--PASSING OFFENSE: D -- Blake Bortles went from a career-high 382 passing yards a week ago, to a career-low 33.7 passer rating against the Titans. He was 15-of-34 passing (44.1 percent) and the 158 passing yards marked the sixth time this season he was limited to 160 or fewer yards. Bortles also threw two more interceptions, giving him five in the last two games after throwing just eight picks in the first 14 games. Jaguars' receivers dropped several passes, including what would have been a touchdown catch by Dede Westbrook.
--RUSHING OFFENSE: C -- It was another sub 100-yard effort by the Jaguars, and it's becoming a trend. The Jaguars finished with just 83 yards on the ground with running backs Leonard Fournette and T.J. Yeldon combining for 74 yards in 27 attempts, 2.7 yards per try. Once again, the offensive line couldn't move defenders to open holes. No running play gained more than 9 yards.
--PASS DEFENSE: A -- Take away the screen pass to Derrick Henry that went for 66 yards, and the pass defense was exceptional. The Titans managed only another 50 passing yards. Holding Tennessee to 116 yards through the air cemented the Jaguars' No. 1 ranking as the league's best against the pass.
--RUSH DEFENSE: B-plus -- The Jaguars knew they had to stop Derrick Henry to have any chance. In the first meeting, Henry bashed the Jags' defense for 91 rushing yards in 14 carries. In Henry's first 14 carries in Sunday's game, he had a total of 17 yards. He finished with just 51 yards on a career-high 28 attempts, less than 2 yards a carry. However, the Jaguars allowed Mariota to gain 60 yards in 10 scrambles.
--SPECIAL TEAMS: D-minus -- The good news is that the Jaguars blocked an extra point for the second game in a row. Josh Lambo also came through with another field goal. There was plenty of bad news, however. Punt returner Jaydon Mickens fumbled two punts, one of which was recovered by the Titans and led to a field goal. Mickens was also called for a 15-yard penalty, and the Jaguars were penalized for having 12 men on the field on a punt.
--COACHING: C -- The coaches weren't responsible for Dede Westbrook dropping a touchdown pass in the end zone, or for the pair of miscues on punt returns by first-year player Jaydon Mickens, or for Keelan Cole's fumble that led to another Tennessee field goal. Head coach Doug Marrone made the right call in playing his regulars. But he mistakenly challenged a Titans 7-yard pass completion in the first quarter. The biggest coaching blunder was having 12 players on the field on a Jaguars punt that was downed at the 3-yard line. The re-punt rolled into the end zone.
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