Week 11 is here. The Titans will continue their road trip through Florida with the team’s second divisional game of the season and first showdown against the Jaguars of Duval County. Both teams are coming off ugly losses where both AFC South teams failed to find the endzone.
The Titans, who now have fallen to 3-6 and are planted firmly at the bottom of the division, will look to bounce back against the top-of-the-division Jags who are also looking to bounce back. Trevor Lawrence and company will look to right the ship as Will Levis continues to find his footing as the new face of the Two-Toned Blue. For our full preview of the game, check out The Hot Read Podcast!
Here are 10 stats that you need to know for Titans at Jaguars in this week’s Titans Ten:
1. Vrabel’s a Divisional Dog
There’s been a lot of questions surrounding Mike Vrabel and his future with the team. Many fans have questioned whether it’s time for the Vrabel tenure to end, or if the team should continue to trust Mike Vrabel and build for the future. One thing is for certain though, Mike Vrabel won’t quit.
Vrabel has long been known for doing less with more, and he may have to once again work his magic as a divisional underdog heading into Duval. Currently, the Titans sit at a touchdown underdog of +7 against the reigning South champs, and Vrabel could look to cash in for bettors who want to ride with him. Teams coming off of a loss like the Titans and Jaguars are 282-246-13 ATS since 2019, and 91-77-5 ATS in just the last two seasons. While the trend works for both teams, the Titans have Mike Vrabel on their side. Mike Vrabel as an underdog of +3 or higher is a career 25-14-1 1 ATS. Vrabel has consistently proved that regardless of what the public might think, the Titans can find a way.
Vrabel is also excellent when coming off of a loss, going 13-10-1 ATS in that spot, and 4-2 just this year. It may be the perfect time to catch the falling knife and bet the Titans to stop the skid.
2. Trevor Lawrence Playing Down to the Competition
The Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is coming off an absolutely ugly showing against the 49ers, throwing for just 185 yards last week and two interceptions. Even with the poor performance, Lawrence may struggle to bounce back this week. With Lawrence, the Jaguars are just 8-16 the next week and 9-15 ATS, which is a big reason why he is the 11th least profitable SU (straight up) QB since he was drafted.
The former first-overall pick has also struggled when facing lesser competition, going just 4-11 ATS when facing teams with a record at or worse than .500. Lawrence could continue to struggle this week against a team looking to find some footing in the division.
3. Eliminating Turnovers
One of the biggest keys for the Titans this weekend will be taking care of the Football. Through three games, Will Levis has shown flashes and also some poor decisions when looking to make a play. If there is a team that could look to take advantage of those bad decisions, it’s the Jaguars.
Through 10 weeks, the Jaguars are tied for the most takeaways in the NFL with 18. The Jaguars secondary has also been effective, ranking second in the AFC with 11 interceptions this season. It’s clear that Will Levis will have to limit his poor decisions and take care of the football this week if the Titans offense is to succeed
4. High Octane Jaguars
Since the Jaguars paired their young quarterback with head coach Doug Peterson, the Jaguars offense has been firing on all cylinders and at times, has been one of the more potent units in the league. The Titans’ defense will have to step up in a big way this weekend, as the Jaguars have been dominant against their divisional foes of late. In the last nine divisional battles, the Jaguars have outscored their opponents 229-166. Considering the Titans failed to find the endzone last week, the Titans’ defense will have to do a lot of the heavy lifting.
5. Titans OLine Doing Will No Favors
Since Will Levis was handed the keys last week by Mike Vrabel, the rookie has seen his offensive line continue to deteriorate due to injuries and poor replacement play. It’s made Levis’s ability to make plays extremely difficult and led to Will getting hit at a very alarming rate. Despite only starting three games, Will Levis has already been hit the 13th most this season among quarterbacks. It plants him right between Josh Allen and Dak Prescott, two quarterbacks who have played over TWICE as many games this season. The Titans’ offensive line will need to get better in a hurry if Will Levis is to succeed this year and beyond.
6. Hopkins Sets Sights on Milestone
Deandre Hopkins has been Will Levis’s favorite target as the young rookie continues to develop. It’s no secret that Levis will look to DHop early and often against the Jaguars secondary. Hopkins can continue his stellar second half and look to move up the record books on Sunday. If Deandre Hopkins catches one more pass in the end zone, he will become just the 40th player in NFL history to catch 75 touchdowns. If Hopkins goes off and is able to wrack up 111 receiving yards, the veteran would eclipse the 12,000-yard receiving mark. He would join the likes of Jerry Rice, Larry Fitzgerald, Marvin Harrison, and Brandon Marshall.
7. Lightning in a Bottle
Despite the preseason concerns, rookie running back Tyjae Spears has been as advertised. Spears brings speed and agility that perfectly complements Derrick Henry’s bullish rushing style.
Spears has been quite productive through the first 10 weeks, gaining a total of 400 yards from scrimmage this season, good for the fourth-best rookie in such a stat. Spears only trails the first-round talents of Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, as well as the surprise star Devon Achane.
8. Road Scoring Woes
This past Thursday marks the last time the Titans were on the road. Spirits were high for a Titans team coming off a convincing win over the Green Bay Packers. A year later, the Titans now are 3-13 in their last 16 games.Â
It’s been disheartening, but regression has to come at some point, right? A place the Titans could look to improve first on the road is simply getting into the endzone. The Titans have only scored twice on the road through five games this season. Will Levis and company have to find the endzone at least twice this weekend against a potent Jaguars offense if the Titans are to break the road losing streak.
9. Worth Every Penny
A cornerstone player for the Two-Toned Blue that has paid dividends for the team is defensive lineman Denice Autry. Since being acquired in free agency in 2021, Autry has racked up 23 sacks in his tenure as a Titan. It’s the fifth most all-time for the franchise from a player acquired by means other than the draft.
It’s safe to say Autry has been worth the investment and will have to come up big if the Titans want to get any pressure against Trevor Lawrence this Sunday.
10. Evan Engram
As the Titans prepare to face a Jaguars offense full of explosive playmakers, the player the defense will need to eliminate the most is Evan Engram. Engram had his coming out party last season against the Titans and has 15 receptions for 189 yards and two scores as a Jaguar against the Two-Toned Blue. Engram has not only been one of Lawrence’s favorite targets but has also been able to make plays after the catch. The tight end ranks second in the league among tight ends with 300 yards after the catch. Engram is also the only tight end to have 300 YACs and over 400 total receiving yards. The Titans will have to shut Engram down this Sunday in order to stop this potent passing attack.
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