To Build upon a Jacksonville Jaguars win vs the Tennessee Titans, these three players need to continue their great play and get more opportunities to touch the ball. The Jaguars beat the Titans ten to six in a close, ugly game, that went down to the wire. It was the Jaguars’ first win since their October week seven matchup against the New England Patriots.
Beating a division rival is always something to cheer for, even though it’s at the expense of a higher draft pick. With the win over the Titans, the Jaguars draft selection is outside the top three, falling the fifth overall. But, the most important thing for the Jaguars should be seeing their current players develop and play well. From the Jaguars vs Titans’ week 14 matchup, three key players stood out as instrumental in the victory over Tennessee.
Jaguars Win vs The Titans: Three Performances To Build Upon
Of the Jaguars players on Sunday, most of the highlights come on the defensive side of the ball. Players like Tank Bigsby, Evan Engram, and Travis Etienne Jr. all played roles in the Jaguars victory, but they were outshined by their defensive counterparts. While two defensive players deserve their flowers, there is one offensive player for the Jaguars that needs further discussion.
Continued Dominance For A Rookie Wide Receiver
It’s been a season full of frustration for the Jaguars, with both the offense and defense going through stretches where everything wasn’t working. But on offense, there has been one constant despite all of the changes and adversity; it’s the ascendance of Brian Thomas Jr.
In the matchup against a banged-up Titans defense, Thomas put up 86 yards on eight receptions. While he couldn’t find the end zone, Thomas did add to his receiving yards total on the year with another high-yardage game. This marks Thomas’ seventh game with over 75 receiving yards, only Justin Jefferson has more. Among rookies, Brock Bowers is second with five, and Ladd McConkey is third with four such games. Thomas has been the most consistently dominant rookie receiver, and he continued his great rookie campaign with another great performance against the Titans.
This season of dominance, amongst a struggling year for the Jaguars offense overall, is incredibly encouraging. With Trevor Lawrence returning from injury, and a new coaching scheme that can aid the offensive output, the sky is the limit for Thomas in 2025. Thomas has been the MVP of the Jaguars offense in 2024 and should earn some Offensive Rookie of the Year votes as well.
A Future Star Breaks Out
Heading into week 14, there were three future stars to watch in the Jaguars vs Titans matchup. Thomas was the headliner, but there was a player on defense that not many had been paying attention to; rookie defensive back Jarrian Jones. The rookie has taken over the slot cornerback role and had been coming off a game in which he was ejected for standing up for his quarterback who took a dirty hit from Azeez Al-Shaair of the Houston Texans. He wasn’t suspended like Al-Shaair, so he was able to suit up for the Jaguars vs Titans game.
Jones was the defensive MVP for the Jaguars against the Titans and has his best game as a professional by far. His box score was impressive, and he single-handedly managed to stop a Titans drive in its tracks thanks to two key plays. The first was one of his two pass breakups. The very next play, Jones on his only pass-rushing snap, bent around the right tackle and took down Will Levis.
He made his mark as a coverage defender, and he made a huge play as a pass rusher. During the season, Jones has been one of the best rookie defensive backs in the NFL but has gone unnoticed due to a plethora of standout rookies across the NFL. But, Jones deserves his flowers and should remain an integral part of the Jaguars’ defensive success going forward. His coverage continues to evolve, and his run defense is graded the second highest on the Jaguars according to Pro Football Focus. The sky is the limit for Jones, as he continues to grow as a player amid a breakout rookie campaign.
A Veteran Stalwart Returns To Form
The talk of the town has been the Jaguars rookie class, mainly Thomas and Jones, but there are still plenty of individuals who could make a difference each week. There might be no more impactful player for the Jaguars than veteran outside linebacker Josh Hines-Allen. In his first year of his new deal, Hines-Allen has had his ups and downs like the Jaguars as a team have had. But this week, Hines-Allen put together another great day.
Against the Titans, Hines-Allen has three pressures, two quarterback hurries, and one sack. His one sack came on the last play of the first half, and he came screaming off the edge and destroyed Levis from behind, forcing a fumble which the Titans were fortunate to recover. Hines-Allen was the highest-graded defender according to PFF, and his pressure on Levis and overall penetration helped lead the Jaguars to their best defensive performance of the year.
On the year, Hines-Allen has the tenth most pressures at 51 and is ninth according to Pro Football Focus in pass rush grade. Overall, he’s been one of the best edge rushers in the NFL, and is earning his paycheck week in a and week out. As long as he remains rushing the passer, the Jaguars defense will have a chance to succeed. His role as both a veteran mentor and defensive presence is instrumental for the Jaguars’ long-term defensive success.
Building Upon The Jaguars Win vs The Titans
Following the Jaguars’ victory over the Titans, the Jaguars are now three and ten, looking to salvage anything from a disastrous 2024 season. One of the most important things for the last few weeks of the season will be to get a longer look at some of the younger players on the roster. Self-scouting is something that can drastically alter the Jaguars’ offseason plans, and with a plethora of young players on both sides of the ball, the focus should be getting extended looks at these young players.
Jones and Thomas Jr. are two great examples of players who if their end-of-season output is strong, could affect how the Jaguars treat the offseason. Wide receiver might not be a high priority, and cornerback could be in the same boat, especially if Montaric Brown proves himself to be more than just a solid backup corner.
While the playoffs are out of reach, and wins can only hurt the Jaguars offseason draft capital, the Jaguars can still piece together a string of games that can give great insight into the Jaguars 2025 season. Whether it’s deciding to invest a lot of capital into the running back position with the recent running back surge across the NFL, or spending money to add another defensive back, the Jaguars will be able to get insight into their offseason based on how some of their players perform down the stretch of the season.
With the young players, rookies, and second-years alike, breaking out for the Jaguars, there is still hope for a future resurgence in Jacksonville. A lot of the pieces are already in-house, and if a new general manager and coaching staff come in and stabilize the Jaguars’ sinking ship, Jacksonville can once again challenge for the AFC South.
Main Image: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images
