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This coming Sunday will mark the end to two teams’ seasons. Neither of these two teams ended up playing to the best of their abilities in 2012, but that makes the last game of the season all the more important. Neither team wants to end on a losing note.
The Tennessee Titans have more to prove than the Jacksonville Jaguars though. They had their minds set on another winning season after going 9-7 in 2011. They were also upset a few weeks back against the Jaguars in a game that left everyone saying, “Really, Tennessee lost to Jacksonville?” I know that’s what I was thinking when I was watching the game.
As stated in previous articles, Titans head coach Mike Munchak has a contract that runs through the 2014 season, however after letting go of their offensive coordinator, owner Bud Adams might not have any choice but to do the same to Munchak. Munchak has been around the Titans organization and even played for the Houston Oilers but maybe he just isn’t the same when it comes to coaching.
The players on both ends of this game will be putting everything on the line. The Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew did not practice again today and it is not looking likely that he will be playing for Jacksonville come Sunday afternoon.
Jake Locker will get the obvious start in week 17 for the Titans and he will hopefully be looking to hook up with running back Chris Johnson to help him reach a season high that goes above and beyond what he has done in the previous two years. Also look for a few tosses to Nate Washington and despite what everyone is saying rookie wide receiver Kendall Wright is doing everything in his power to play this week.
Wright sat out last week against the Green Bay Packers due to a cracked rib. The quote that he gave this afternoon to the Tennessean is what makes the Tennessee Titans a team that you know wants to go out there and get wins.
“It felt very weird especially when you know you can go out and help them do something. I just wanted to be out there. “No matter what the record is or what we’re playing for, we have a game,” Wright said. “I’ll be wearing a rib protector or something to protect myself. I just want to be out there.”
Having personally talked to Wright a few weeks ago just days before they played the Indianapolis Colts for the second time, I can tell this is a guy who wants to go out on the football and just play. The entire team wants it but Wright really shows it every time he is on the field and you can hear it in his voice.
Sunday will more than likely bring a competitive game between these two teams, and more than likely it will be a low scoring game-my predictions are that the Titans take it 19-10.
