The Jaguars lost to the Tennessee Titans, 9-6, at TIAA Bank Field Sunday – and Jaguars offensive players were close to unanimous afterward in saying it was bad day for their unit.
Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles wasn't intercepted, but he struggled with accuracy and the Jaguars' wide receivers struggled with drops. Bortles had three passes deflected by defenders on one second-half series, a possession that seemed to define the Jaguars' first loss of the season.
The Jaguars managed just 232 yards total offense and 12 first downs. They rushed for 87 yards on 19 carries and passed for just 155 yards.
No Jaguars wide receiver had more than 40 yards receiving, and the Jaguars moved to the Titans 20 just once.
This isn't a bad offense. It showed that last week in a 31-20 victory over the New England Patriots.
But this was a rough day – as rough as any in recent memory.
Let's get to it …
Bill from Danville, NY
Pathetic. Are they afraid of this team or something?
Afraid? The Titans are a very good defensive team. They held the Jaguars' offense without a meaningful touchdown last season. They did so again on Sunday. The Jaguars have scored a meaningful touchdown in every game they have played since Doug Marrone took over as head coach – except when they play the Titans. The Titans do a good job containing Bortles' running ability, and the Jaguars have a tough time running conventionally against Tennessee. The Titans clearly match up well against the Jaguars, who compounded that problem Sunday with some costly drops, Bortles' inaccuracy and ill-timed penalties. That's a recipe for struggling in the division, particularly against a team that has confidence when it plays against you. But no: this isn't about fear. The Jaguars darned sure need to solve this matchup issue, but they're not "afraid" to do so.
Wil from Corpus Christi, TX
Well, back to reality. Just like that. We just can't get over the damn Titans curse. They have our number. It's embarrassing.
I'm always amused by emails with this tone. Back to reality? Because the Jaguars aren't going to go 16-0? Embarrassing? The Titans went 9-7 the past two seasons, and they won a playoff game last season. They beat the Jaguars twice. There was a narrative before Sunday's game – not here, but elsewhere – that the Titans were a bad team and that the Jaguars should blow them out. Really? Why? They were 1-1 and had played the 3-0 Miami Dolphins tough in the regular-season opener. The Titans aren't a bad team. Perception aside, they're just not.
Mark from Banner Elk, NC
Bad Blake returns!!!
He wasn't very good on Sunday. Bortles isn't going to have 16 great games every season. Very few NFL quarterbacks who aren't headed to the Hall of Fame are going to do so. Bortles has responded very well in the last year or so when he has struggled. He needs to do so again.
Brian from Round Rock, TX
You let the Titans wear their home uniforms in our stadium. People who care know the significance of that. They look terrible. And No. 3 … drum roll please … the Titans uniforms look like the Jags home uniforms and you caused lots of confusion for viewers.
OK?
Jerell from Columbia, SC
How can a team play like Jags did versus the Patriots but stink up the joint versus a team down to an injured starting quarterback? Jags are a joke and should not be taken seriously in the grand scheme of things.
The NFL is the ultimate week-to-week league. Teams play well one week against a "power team" and lose to a seemingly less-scary team literally all the time. The Jaguars are still one of the better teams in the NFL and still should be taken seriously in the grand scheme of things.
Gabe from Chapel Hill, NC
This game was awfully reminiscent of some Jaguars-Titans TNF games of yore... and that's not a good thing.
Nope.
Wade from Westside
If this game were a fish I would throw it back!
I sort of laughed at this.
Ryan from Fremont, OH
Do you think the fact that Blaine Gabbert was starting at quarterback for the Titans factored into Leonard Fournette sitting out this week? The timing seems to fit.
Not in the slightest. Gabbert beat the Jaguars as the quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals last season, and the Titans beat the Jaguars twice last season. This in no way was an easy matchup entering the game. Fournette sat out because of his hamstring, not because of Gabbert.
Sid from Sidsonville
No letdown you say? I think you may have missed on that one.
It's the National Football League. The Titans beat the Jaguars twice last season. Why in the world would they need to have the Jaguars have a letdown to give them a major problem?
