It’s a stat line the Jaguars would like to forget heading into this weekend’s tilt with the Tennessee Titans.
Running back Derrick Henry has run for 714 yards in eight games against his hometown team. In a sport where numbers don’t lie and the use of social media has made a mockery of the team’s inability to stop one of the better running backs in the NFL, Henry will be the focal point of Jacksonville’s defense this weekend from Nissan Stadium.
The concept is simple – stop the Tennessee Titans’ running game and you stand a better chance of winning your second straight game in 2020.
It’s a tall task for this defense. After looking better in the first game of the 2020 season, Henry hosts his hometown team. And the thought of another bulldozing performance has to be on the minds of defensive coordinator Todd Wash and his staff.
The Jaguars have not won on the road at Tennessee since 2013. That’s a hard stat to swallow. With a different roster of players and the excitement of the win last week, does this cast of players ride a wve of momentum into the first road game of the season?
Prayers and well wishes are welcomed.
“You’re talking about a team that went to the AFC Championship Game, and another team that’s picked to go a long way this year,” head coach Doug Marrone said when he met with the local media on Wednesday.
“They’re just getting more and more pieces together for themselves. It’s a challenge. They have a lot of pieces in all three phases.
“They have a heck of a football team. They play extremely well.”
And the Jaguars, a team that came from behind to beat Indianapolis, still have plenty to improve on despite the frenzy of a win and the second division game coming up this season. It’s a tall task, but not insurmountable.
Things must fall into place early in the game so Jacksonville can establish consistency. Stopping the run early is the primary focus. Having the same kind of balance on offense is something offensive coordinator Jay Gruden will be charged with after a successful debut last week.
Here are three things to watch on Sunday from Nashville.
How the Road Changes Things
The Jaguars came from behind on four different occasions last Sunday before nailing down the victory. They were one of only two teams last week to have fans in the stands. This weekend will be different for many reasons.
Fans won’t be in attendance. The Titans won a close game at Denver and their roster in my opinion, is better than Jacksonville’s right now. But it’s not as wide a gap as you might think. How does a young team coming off an emotional victory handle a tough road test?
I don’t think this is a blowout game, and the Jaguars have a chance to win if they can control the line of scrimmage. Henry is going to get his yards, but the defense cannot allow him to run wild late in the game.
If Ryan Tannehill is forced to beat Jacksonville, I really like their chances.
Time on the Field
The Jaguars defense spent a lot of time on the field in the third quarter. Can this unit get off the field and give the ball back to Gardner Minshew and Jay Gruden?
Also, the running game looked solid in the field half last week, but James Robinson did not make an impact after halftime. I suspect there will be more plays for Chris Thompson this week. We may also see Laviska Shenault in situations where he is handling the ball besides in passing situations.
Gruden said this offseason he wanted to see how he could use weapons on offense in different situations to change things up. This might be the game we see that happen.
Last week’s game plan was a simplification of the offense. It worked to Minshew’s advantage, but he still threw for under 200 yards. If the Jaguars are truly going to be a passing team, Gruden must find a way to incorporate more yardage down field while protecting the quarterback on obvious passing downs.
Minshew did a better job of staying in the pocket last week, but suffered four sacks in the process.
Pressure the Quarterback
The Jaguars don’t have Calais Campbell or Yannick Ngakoue on the field anymore. It really showed last week. Josh Allen is a beast and rookie K’Lavon Chaisson had his moments. But if this team is going to prove it is BETTER without proven talent, there must be a commitment to getting to the quarterback.
It’s also a Catch-22 because defensive coordinator Todd Wash knows Tennessee is going to run right at the middle of the team’s defense. That means rookie DaVon Hamilton, Abry Jones and Taven Bryan will be the centers of attention to try and stop a bigger back than they faced last week.
This game is a true test of how the Jaguars defense has improved over last year. If they can shut down Henry early, they force Tannehill into passing situations. I like the secondary’s chances this week and think there will be continued improvements at linebacker.
The bottom line is, shut down Henry and the Jaguars should win this football game.
