The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Tennessee Titans in a win-and-you're-in AFC South showdown Saturday night, 20-16, and punched their ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2017. The Jaguars are the first team since the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs to reach the postseason after selecting No. 1 overall in the draft, and are the first team since the 2008 Miami Dolphins to win their division the season after posting the league's worst record.
This matchup came down to the fourth quarter, as Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins stripped Titans quarterback Joshua Dobbs from behind, and Josh Allen picked up the loose ball and ran it back 37 yards for the game-winning score with 2:51 remaining in the fourth quarter. It was part of a 13-3 second-half run which eventually earned Jacksonville the division crown.
Trevor Lawrence completed 20 of 32 passes for 212 yards and one touchdown, while Christian Kirk was his leading receiver with 99 yards and a touchdown on six catches. The run game was virtually nonexistent, as Travis Etienne rushed for 17 yards on seven carries.
Dobbs completed 20 of 29 passes for 179 yards, one touchdown and one interception in his second career start. Derrick Henry was again Tennessee's main weapon on offense, as he rushed for 109 yards on 30 carries. Ultimately, Tennessee's offense just couldn't do enough.
Let's take a look at what went down in Jacksonville on Saturday night.
Why the Jaguars won
Week 18 wasn't a perfect outing for the Jaguars, there's no doubt about it. But Jacksonville got the W, and that's all that matters. Lawrence and the offense flashed at times, but the game-winning touchdown came from the defense, which played out of their minds in the second half.
In the final two quarters, the Jacksonville pass rush upped the ante against Tennessee's offensive line, and held Dobbs to just 65 yards passing, and Henry to just 38 rushing yards.
The Titans put together a 10-play, 45-yard drive on their first possession of the third quarter, but their remaining drives went like this: Interception, three-and-out, three-and-out, fumble that was returned for a touchdown and then turnover on downs. Ultimately, this defense gutted out a win in what was a very close game, and this is a good sign for the Jaguars as they prepare for the playoffs.
Why the Titans lost
Titans fans have unfortunately seen this movie before. Tennessee worked to earn a lead at the halftime break, but then the offense went flat in the second half. The Titans scored just three total points in the final two quarters.
Entering this matchup, Tennessee had a -95 point differential in the second half this season, which ranked worst in the NFL. That statistic proved to be an accurate representation of what this offense is. Coming into this matchup, the Titans averaged just 5.7 points per game in the second half. It's the fewest by any team since the 2014 San Francisco 49ers. The Titans finish the 2022 season having not scored 28 points in a single game. It turns out not scoring many points hurts your team, as only five teams since the merger were able to reach the playoffs without scoring 28 or more points in a game.
While it's easy to criticize the Titans offense, they were starting a practice-squad quarterback who had been with the team for just a few weeks, and was playing behind an offensive line that had three of their best players on injured reserve. The adversity was too much to overcome this season, as Tennessee ends the 2022 campaign with a seven-game losing streak.
Turning point/Play of the game
Down three points with time winding down in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars defense needed to make a stop. They did more than that, as defensive back Rayshawn Jenkins came flying around the left side and hit Dobbs from behind, knocking the ball loose at the very last moment.
Josh Allen picked up the ball, and ran it 37 yards in the other direction for the game-winning touchdown.
Another Derrick Henry stiff arm
Henry's stiff arms have become a thing of legend, and he recorded another violent throw-down in the first half against the game's eventual hero, Jenkins. The Jaguars safety came in ready to aggressively swipe at the ball, but ended up being flung to the ground.
What's next
The Jaguars will watch Sunday's action and await the eventual No. 5 seed. Either the Los Angeles Chargers or Baltimore Ravens will travel to Jacksonville for the wild card round. As for the Titans, they return to Nashville, and will turn their attention to 2023.