Titans (7-9) at Jaguars (8-8)
Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET, TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Fla. TV: ESPN and ABC
Tipico Sportsbook line: Jaguars
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Titans’ keys to victory: Tennessee is reeling after six losses in a row and appears set to start QB Joshua Dobbs again. It would be wise to lighten his role by leaning heavily on RB Derrick Henry, who has 16 touchdowns in 12 games against the Jaguars. A short passing game that highlights TE Chigoziem Okonkwo could also keep the defense off balance. On defense, Tennessee needs a big game from the trio of DE Denico Autry, DT Jeffery Simmons and DE DeMarcus Walker to bottle up the Jaguars run game and disrupt the pass game.
Jaguars’ keys to victory: The ascending Jaguars offense has been a buzz saw as of late. A steady diet of RB Travis Etienne Jr. can free things up for QB Trevor Lawrence to pick apart the Titans defense with throws to a bevy of weapons that features WR Christian Kirk, WR Zay Jones and TE Evan Engram. The most important aspect of the game will be shutting down the Titans run game by minding the gaps if the Jaguars hope to keep Henry in check.
Matchup to watch: Titans’ Henry vs. Jaguars LB Foye Oluokun. The NFL’s leading tackler, Oluokun is a force against the run and manages to find a way to be around the ball. If he can lead the way in shutting down Henry, it could be a long day for the Titans. If he gets the better of the matchup, Tennessee could grind to an upset.
Who wins? The Jaguars are playing efficiently on both sides of the ball. The Titans are not. As long as Jacksonville avoids massive mistakes, it’s hard to see Dobbs outplaying Lawrence.
Jaguars, 27-13