The Jacksonville Jaguars just blew it. The team lost to the lowly Tennessee Titans in a Week 18 battle that the Jaguars desperately needed to win. With the loss, the team is out of the AFC playoffs and the Jaguars just let the AFC South slip through their fingers, losing five of their last six games. The Jaguars have only themselves to blame for this defeat and ultimate season meltdown, and there are several reasons why.
TREVOR LAWRENCE WAS BACK…SORT OF
The Jaguars won a Week 17 game against the Carolina Panthers without Trevor Lawrence under center. The quarterback had been nursing a shoulder sprain and ultimately was held back from that game. The plan was to keep Lawrence on the sidelines with the possibility of having the young quarterback back in the lineup for the Titans game in Week 18.
The Jaguars' plan worked. C.J. Beathard got the Jaguars past the Panthers, and Lawrence was back in the lineup for the Titans matchup. Lawrence had been able to participate in practice during the week, and was healthy enough to throw. The team should have won the game with him under center, but the offense couldn't get the job done.
Lawrence struggled in his return to the lineup. While he did pass for 280 yards and two touchdowns against the Titans, Lawrence also threw two interceptions. They were costly. One pick came on a tip-drill play, as Lawrence was trying to find his tight end Evan Engram. The second was even harder for the Jaguars to stomach, as it came on the Jaguars' next possession. Two picks on two straight possessions took the Jaguars' high-powered offense and slammed them back into the zoo cage.
DERRICK HENRY WENT WILD ON JAGS D
The Jaguars' rush defense was not much better. The Jaguars let Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry run all over the field at will. The 247-pound bruiser set a franchise record for the Titans with his 41st career rushing game of more than 100 yards, passing Earl Campbell for the most in the Titans/Oilers franchise.
Henry broke loose for a key 69-yard run in the third quarter that seemed to break the back of the Jaguars defense. He finished the game with a season-high performance, powering his way like a wrecking ball for 153 yards rushing on only 19 carries, with a touchdown. The Jaguars allowed 175 total rushing yards, and allowed the Titans to gain about 6 yards per play on offense. The Titans also got 327 yards of total offense on only 55 plays, while the Jags used 66 plays to gain 362 yards. The Titans offense was just better, as the Jaguars defense couldn't find the key to getting their defense off the field.
JAGUARS' MOUNTAINS OF MISTAKES
The Jaguars simply had the most to play for in this game. The Titans were 5-11 and the team with the worst record in the AFC South. Jacksonville was 9-7, having lost four of their last five games after starting the year with promise and a 8-3 record. The team just frankly limped their way into the Titans game following a colossal struggle over the last month or so.
Despite this, the Jaguars still were in position to win the AFC South. They were still in position to head to the AFC Playoffs. They just needed to find a way to win one game against a losing team. They didn't, and at times the game was verging on a blowout, as Jacksonville needed a fourth-quarter charge just to make the contest respectable. The Jaguars lost 28-20 in a game that didn't seem as close as that. The Jaguars would somehow find a way to lose for the fifth time in their last six games. The Steelers and Bills are headed to the playoffs instead, per Yahoo Sports.
The Jaguars, ultimately, have no one to blame but themselves for a once-promising season that turned into a nightmare.
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