It’s a rematch of the Week 11 matchup and neither team can afford to lose. The Tennessee Titans haven’t won a game at home since October 12, 2014. Their opponent? The Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Titans haven’t won a game since Mike Mularkey’s debut as interim head coach against the New Orleans Saints when Marcus Mariota tore up the Saints’ defense for 371 yards and four TDs in a 34-28 OT win. The performance was good enough to earn Mariota AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this season.
The Titans will need to capitalize on a Jaguars defense that allowed 31 points in last week’s loss to the San Diego Chargers and convert third-and-outs. Luckily, the Titans will be able to rely on their surging defense to intimidate Blake Bortles. Although the Titans’ defense ranks near the bottom of the NFL in yards allowed (30th), they also boast 32 sacks and only allow 23.4 points per game (16th in the league).
Bortles has thrown a pick in seven straight games, but the Jaguars have been able to rally and win half of those. Not helping Bortles’ confidence is the fact that he’s never won in Nashville and the Titans’ D is on a hot streak. Plus he’ll have to be productive without Allen Hurns, who suffered a concussion last week and is likely out for Sunday’s rematch.
Both teams are coming off losses in Week 12. The Titans lost to the Oakland Raiders 24-21, and the Jaguars lost to the Chargers 31-25. Despite their worse record and not having won a game in Nashville since last season, the Titans are favored by one.
The Titans haven’t lost a game when Mariota was able to throw for at least four TDs, and he’ll be looking to avenge the Week 11 loss.
Prediction: Titans 34, Jaguars 32
Hannah Fields is a Tennessee Titans and SEC Football writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter @hanfran7, “Like” her on Facebook or add her to your network on Google.