At 1-0 for home opener, Jaguars still underdogs
JACKSONVILLE — Sometimes Las Vegas forces us to scratch our heads.
The Jaguars enter Sunday off a 22-point win at Houston and are playing their home opener.
The Titans lost by 10 points at home to Oakland and are playing a division road game, traditionally the toughest to win in the wise guys’ eyes.
But Tennessee opened as a 11⁄2-point favorite and Bovada.lv lists the Titans minus-2. What gives, Vegas? “On paper, the Titans are still the better team while the Jaguars beat a Houston team that could barely move the ball on offense,” Bovada.lv sports book manager Kevin Bradley wrote in an email to the Times-Union. “As it stands, 70 percent of the money is on the Titans. We try and not over-adjust the line based on one game.”
The Jaguars’ team odds did improve — from 7-1 to 11-4 to win the division, from 40-1 to 25-1 to win the conference and from 100-1 to 50-1 to win the Super Bowl. corps since March 2016. They signed Rishard Matthews away from Miami last year. This year they drafted Corey Davis fifth overall (FBS careerrecord 5,278 receiving yards at Western Michigan) and signed veteran Eric Decker (career 388 catches, including 52 touchdowns). They combined for 14 catches totaling 150 yards against Oakland.
“Early on, you can see Corey Davis has speed,” Jaguars coach Doug Marrone said. “He can get by you. … [Decker] is an outstanding football player. They have very good players on the perimeter.”
Meanwhile, Jags rookie receiver Dede Westbrook, who was placed on injured reserve last week, underwent core muscle surgery in Philadelphia on Tuesday. Westbrook is eligible to return in seven weeks. signed to be the team’s fullback, entered the game with 17 career receptions and 21 career carries but had not visited the end zone.
On the play, the Jaguars were in “23” personnel (two back/three tight end) for the first-and-goal play. At the snap, Bohanon acted like he was going to stay in pass protection. He then darted to the right flat. Texans linebacker Zach Cunningham was late to react and pass rusher Whitney Mercilus ran past Bohanon to try to pressure Blake Bortles.
“It’s a play we’ve practiced since Day One down at the goal-line,” said Bohanon, who kept the football. “That’s a play you hide out as much as possible [in the backfield] and hopefully the defenses lose you when you get to the flat.”
Bohanon scored 10 touchdowns at Wake Forest, including five as a senior in 2012 when he was an H-back. The Jaguars’ usage of him against Houston could provide future clues that he will be more involved than a traditional fullback. Bohanon played 26 snaps in Week 1.