Titans desperate to keep playoff hopes alive against Jaguars
NASHVILLE, TENN. (AP) >> The Jacksonville Jaguars already have fallen quickly, from being a win away from their first Super Bowl berth in January to last in the AFC South in December.
The Tennessee Titans desperately want to avoid joining them as a one-and-done playoff team, especially after sweeping the Jaguars last season.
“That’s something we can’t allow to happen,” Titans defensive lineman Jurrell Casey said. “We want to keep them where they’re at — at the end of the division and leave them there. We got to make sure we take care of our part. At the end of the day, we can’t worry about them. We have to worry about ourselves because we ain’t played so hot this year ourselves.”
That’s very true. The Titans (6-6) had to rally from 16 points down to beat the Jets 26-22 to snap a two-game skid. Tennessee likely needs to win out and get some help with four teams between the Titans and the second AFC wild-card berth they earned last season.
The Jaguars (4-8) may not be mathematically finished just yet after snapping a seven-game skid with a 6-0 shutout of Andrew Luck and the Colts last
end. Cody Kessler now has a start under his belt, and running back Leonard Fournette will be back from suspension, too. But the Jaguars have lost three straight and five of the last six to Tennessee.
“Three straight times?” Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith said. “Dang. We’re going to go out and make sure we get the win. That’s all we’ve got to focus on.”
Some things to know about the Jaguars and Titans:
FOURNETTE RETURNS
Yes, Fournette is back after a one-game suspension without pay , which cost the second-year pro nearly $100,000. Getting that extra time off could pay dividends considering most everyone else on the field played four days earlier. The Titans also have allowed 281 and 156 yards rushing over the past two games.
“Fournette should be very fresh and have a little pep in his step, and hopefully he can give us a spark that we need,” Jaguars defensive tackle Calais Campbell said.