Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans
Time: NOON (EST)
Spread: TEN -9
Total: 44
Odds c/o 5dimes
The Jacksonville Jaguars began its season with a 27-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. In Week 2, it travels to Nashville to face the much-improved Tennessee Titans as 9-point underdogs. The over/under for the affair is set at 44 total points, according to NFL oddsmakers at bookmaker 5dimes. The game will air at Noon (EST) on CBS.
JAX
Jacksonville defeated the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1, but it is hoping to stimulate its ground game this week. It gained just 91 yards despite 22 attempts last week, and Gardner Minshew had an outstanding game with his receivers, throwing 19 of 20 for completion with three touchdowns. Despite just 173 passing yards, it was a nearly flawless outing by Minshew. He spread the wealth among his top receivers with five catching for double-figure yardage, and Keelan Cole Sr. catching five for a team-best 47 yards, one touchdown, and a long-play of 22 yards.
Minshew is coming off a breakout season last year and over his career, he has a 62 percent completion ratio along with 24 touchdowns to just six interceptions. The former 6th round pick in 2019, Minshew has blossomed into a top-shelf QB over the past two seasons. Just 24, the Jaguars are positioned to add further talent around the Washington State product.
The Jaguars are also hoping to fortify its run defense, which had been something of an Achilles heel in the recent past. The Titans have secured victory the past six seasons at home against Jacksonville, as well, so this game serves as something of a statement for Jacksonville this week, in what many might view as an ordinary regular-season game.
Tennessee has made its own series of improvements, on the heels of a discarded quarterback who clearly just needed the right situation in his own right. Jacksonville has had this circled on its schedule for many reasons, but Tennessee is laced with more talent and home-field advantage this week.
TEN
The Tennessee Titans began the season 1-0 with a 16-14 win over the Denver Broncos. Stephen Gostkowski was just 1 of 4 on field goals, but he connected on a 25-yarder to seal the game. Ryan Tannehill threw 29 of 43 for 249 yards and two touchdowns, though he was sacked once. Overall, Derrick Henry added plenty of punch out of the backfield to Tannehill’s arm, rushing for 116 yards on 31 hauls. Tannehill managed 14 yards on three attempts, and the Titans rushed nobody beyond those two. Corey Davis caught seven passes for 101 yards, making good on 7 of his 8 targeted looks.
Jonnu Smith, in his third season out of FIU, caught 4 of 7 targeted passes along with a touchdown. At 6’3” 248, he brings enough size to the TE position despite perhaps being a tad short. Over his career, he has caught for 890 yards and nine touchdowns, and this season he is projected to be a major piece in the Titans’ attack. Henry also came out of the backfield to catch three passes for 15 yards, but he did not play a major role as a receiver in this one.
The Titans caught 29 of 40 targeted passes, but it had just two plays over 20-yards, so stretching the field should be a point of focus in Week 2, as well, perhaps making better on some longer plays to initiate more red zone opportunities, as last week the Titans managed to get in field goal range for its kicker to miss three of his four kicks.
Missed opportunities dotted Week 1, and Tennessee still got the ‘W,’ but with some improvement, it could win by a touchdown-plus, as it is favored to, against a Jaguars team that has not fared well in Nashville since 2013.
