When the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans, the season outlook for 2025 became a lot clearer. The Jaguars have had a rough 2024 season, and in week 17 against the Titans, they notched another win under their belt.
Jaguars Beat The Titans: Big Days From Jaguars Future Stars
Following the Jaguars’ fourth win of the 2024 season, there were three key areas where the future played at a high level. Those areas are the pass rush, the wide receivers, and the linebacker corps. When the Jaguars beat the Titans, these three position groups made the difference in a one-score win against a division rival. Each position group has value for the Jaguars, and in week 17, when the Jaguars beat the Titans, the pass rush was a major factor.
Pass Rush Comes Alive
One of the biggest areas of concern all season long has been the Jaguars’ inconsistent pass rush. Plenty of teams around the NFL have had pass-rushing units that haven’t played great, but those units typically are without top-end talent that the Jaguars have. Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, not to mention Arik Armstead, should be more than capable of generating consistent pressure.
Unfortunately, they have had an up-and-down 2024 season. Some weeks, Walker would have a massive day, while Hines-Allen always flirted with a big day. Hines-Allen couldn’t finish, thanks in part to the rest of the defense struggling in coverage and pass rush. One player can’t do it all on their own, even if they are the best at their position. For someone like Hines-Allen, who is an elite edge rusher but needs some help around him, the Jaguars pass rush in 2024 has been severely underwhelming.
Finally, when the Jaguars beat the Titans in week 17, the pass rush unit came into play. According to Pro Football Focus, while only getting three sacks, the team got 24 total pressures, the second most the Jaguars pass rush has had in 2024. Leading the way was Hines-Allen with nine pressures, one sack, one quarterback hit, and seven hurries. While Walker had six pressures, one sack, one quarterback hit, and four hurries.
When the Jaguars beat the Titans in week 17, the pass rush had one of the best days they’ve had all year. Armstead had two pressures, while Maason Smith had one pressure and a sack. With the interior defensive line being a revolving door, the re-emergence of Armstead can play a huge role in 2025, while Smith could earn more playing time as he develops into a full-time starting interior defender.
Another young player to keep an eye on, especially in the final week of the season, is another rookie defensive tackle, Jordan Jefferson. Like Smith, his playing time has been sparse all year, but he’s recently been getting a lot more opportunities and been making the most of it. In just six snaps, Jefferson had one pressure and one quarterback hit. While he still has a way to go, Jefferson played a factor when the Jaguars beat the Titans in week 17 and should continue to come alive like the rest of the defensive line.
Young Receivers Continue To Thrive
Other than the defensive front coming alive, the main reason why the Jaguars beat the Titans was thanks to the wide receivers coming to play. All season long, Brian Thomas Jr. has been the Jaguars’ most talked-about player, and for good reason. He’s having one of the best rookie seasons from a wide receiver, and he’s continuing to improve throughout the season.
Thomas has been playing at an elite level all year, is among the best receivers in the NFL, and has been the best rookie receiver to boot. He was one of three future stars to watch against the Titans back in week 14, and he once again stole the show in their second matchup. How the Jaguars beat the Titans can be boiled down to Thomas’ offensive production. He had 91 yards on seven receptions and a touchdown that put the Jaguars up two scores in the fourth quarter.
His production is among the best in the NFL, as he’s ranked fourth in receiving yards behind only Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and CeeDee Lamb. Thomas is also tied for the fifth most receiving touchdowns with ten. These numbers are even more impressive, considering he is 16th in targets, meaning his efficiency is among the best in the NFL, along with the fact that he’s the main reason why the Jaguars beat the Titans.
His production isn’t empty or meaningless, as he’s the difference between a win or a loss. Thomas’ production is also encouraging due to Mac Jones being the quarterback. Having a backup and still producing at elite levels is a huge sign of encouragement, especially for a rookie. Among rookie wide receivers, Thomas leads the 2024 class in receiving yards and touchdowns. He is producing at an elite level with a backup quarterback as a rookie on a team sitting at the bottom of the league. The sky is the limit for Thomas in 2025.
Another piece of the receiver room is Parker Washington. While his impact is not nearly as huge as Thomas’s, he did have a pivotal touchdown grab that let the Jaguars beat the Titans. He made a great catch, leaping into the air and coming down through traffic, barely getting both his feet in bounds. Washington won’t be a major part of the offense in 2025, but he will contribute, and his performance in week 17 is a sign that he’s capable of playing a supplementary role to Thomas and another playmaker on offense.
Linebackers Are Strong And Steady
With Thomas and Hines-Allen taking over, a lot of the other players on the roster are under-appreciated. Two players went undersold, and it’s both of the starting linebackers. Foyesade Oluokun and Devin Lloyd had good days at the office and were a major reason why the Jaguars’ defense could function at a high level against the Titans.
Lloyd had the biggest play, getting a tip-drill interception from a Jefferson batted pass, which gave the Jaguars a short field, leading to the first touchdown of the game. The Jaguars beat the Titans, thanks to this interception. Lloyd was also tied for second among the Jaguars players with six tackles, four solo, and two assists. Lloyd wasn’t the only contributor from the linebacker corps, as Oluokun also made his mark.
Despite not having gaudy stats like sacks, interceptions, or forced fumbles, Oluokun played a well-balanced game, which helped the rest of the defense. Per PFF, Oluokun was the highest-graded defender for Jacksonville and had the highest grade against the run, was third in coverage grade, and had one pressure. Oluokun was credited with 11 total tackles, three solo, and eight assists.
While he didn’t make a splash play alone, his presence on the field helped to facilitate an overall good day from the Jaguar’s much-maligned defense. For a linebacker that ability is a huge part of what makes a linebacker good. Being able to clean things up and help make tackles, all while playing solid coverage, is a sign of a great linebacker. For Oluokun, this is another performance as a Jaguar that highlights his incredible play and should be just another notch to his belt.
With a four-year extension signed back in May, the Jaguars’ star linebacker will be around for the long haul. Between Oluokun and Lloyd, the Jaguars linebacker duo is among the best and most underrated in the NFL. Keeping them together for 2025 and beyond is imperative for defensive success, especially after they helped the Jaguars beat the Titans.
Ramifications For The Future Following A Win
The Jaguars beat the Titans in week 17 and hurt their draft position. Fortunately, multiple other teams at the bottom of the NFL won, leading to a crowded field competing for the top selections in the 2025 NFL draft. After week 17, the Jaguars sit at fifth overall, still within reach of a top player on either side of the ball. While the Jaguars beat the Titans, multiple other teams also won games their fanbases wish they had lost.
All in all, the Jaguars are in good shape to not only secure a top-ten pick but also be in a prime position to take a player that will make a huge difference in their future. Whether it’s a defensive back, another elite receiver, or a defensive lineman, the Jaguars have a shot to make another impact selection in the draft. However, there is still something that the Jaguars need to do: fire Doug Pederson and Trent Baalke.
So many teams make the mistake of having lame-duck head coaches or general managers. The Chicago Bears squashed their chances in 2024 thanks to Matt Eberflus lingering around as head coach, while the New York Giants are mulling over keeping their coach and general manager together despite no encouraging signs all year. If the Jaguars sit on their hands and Shad Khan brings back either Pederson or Baalke, it’ll be a complete disaster.
When the Jaguars beat the Titans, there was plenty of celebration among the players, but as is customary with any team at the bottom of the league, some fans were frustrated with the win. A loss would’ve put the Jaguars much higher in the draft, while the win puts the Jaguars at risk of falling outside of the top players’ range. But the scariest part from when the Jaguars beat the Titans is the potential that Khan wants to bring Pederson and Baalke back.
The success of the team at the end of the year could leave Khan with the idea that Pederson needs another year. Thomas being an elite rookie, combined with the rest of the Jaguars 2024 draft class being solid, could also save Baalke’s job. It would be a colossal mistake if both returned or if just one returned. Jacksonville needs a reset, and 2025 is the perfect time.
Between the Jaguars’ offensive personnel, some of the key pieces on defense, and the draft capital, the Jaguars’ coaching and general manager spots would be among the most appealing. A top head coaching candidate could choose Jacksonville over another gig due to the assets the Jaguars have, not to mention the AFC South being one of the worst divisions across the NFL.
The top candidate is Ben Johnson from the Detroit Lions, who would be one of the 2024 NFL Coach of the Year candidates if coordinators were included. The Jaguars situation could be the most appealing for Johnson, and if the Jaguars retain Pederson instead of opening the door for Johnson, it would be an organizational disaster.
The Jaguars beat the Titans, and there are a ton of positives and negatives to take away from week 17. A lot of the main pieces for the Jaguars’ future played well, but the risk of keeping the head coach and general manager could pour cold water over a promising future. The Jaguars’ loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in week 16 was a great example of a team facing those conflicting feelings following a win. The Raiders looked good against the Jaguars, but their draft slot was drastically affected. Following another win in week 17, the Raiders are in a much worse situation for their future than two weeks ago.
A lot is at stake for the Jaguars, and when the Jaguars beat the Titans, a lot was impacted. The future for Jacksonville is unclear, and there are two paths. A bright one, where the Jaguars clean house and bring in a new coaching staff and front office, or a dark one, where the head coach and or the general manager return for 2025. The Jaguars are at a crossroads, and when the Jaguars beat the Titans, things only got more complicated for the future of the organization.
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