The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Tennessee Titans on the road in a low-scoring battle. The Titans tried to establish the run early but left points on the board in the red zone. The Jaguars’ defense kept Will Levis under 200 yards and allowed the offense to stay in the game until they cashed in the fourth quarter. Mac Jones threw two interceptions but hit some timely passes to Brian Thomas Jr. to get the offense going. The New York Jets come to town after losing a heartbreaker against the Miami Dolphins in overtime. Who will win this game of underachieving teams?
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Jets Game History
Sunday will be the 18th time the Jaguars and Jets have met. The Jaguars lead the series 9-8 over the Jets. The last meeting was in 2022 when the Jaguars beat the Jets 19-3. The Jaguars have won the last two meetings in this series.
Key Players for the Jaguars
Mac Jones led the Jaguars to victory, but he did not play overly well. One interception was on a tipped pass at the end of the half, but he struggled to make explosive plays.
Tank Bigsby has taken over as the leading running back and out touched Travis Etienne 19 to 8. The running game was not overly effective but Bigsby has been more effective running between the tackles. The Jets only allow five targets to running backs per game, so Etienne will have a tough time this week.
After a big game last week, Parker Washington did very little against the Titans which was very disappointing.. Evan Engram was the third-leading receiver for the game but only had four catches for 33 yards. His disappointing season will be over as Engram has season-ending shoulder surgery. Brenton Strange will now get his chance to end the season but the Jets defense gives up the ninth least in yards to tight ends, so it is a tough matchup.. Brian Thomas Jr. is the go to receiver and the offense has been getting him the ball more the last two games. He had 22 targets in that period and would be the main defensive focus of the Jets.
The Jaguars’ defense played one of their better games of the season. They did not allow Will Levis to get comfortable and Calvin Ridley was limited in his revenge game. Tony Pollard ran for 100 yards but it took him 21 carries to get there. Josh Hines-Allen has been coming on later in the season with sacks in back-to-back games. The emergence of Ventrell Miller has given the Jaguars more flexibility with their linebackers. Tyson Campbell played like a number one corner and will be important this week against the talented Jets receivers. Jarion Jones has been a pleasant surprise and had a sack in a blitzing role last week.
3. Tyson Campbell – 75.0%
The best defenders at preventing separation in Week 14:https://t.co/YDy3DupL8h
— PFF JAX Jaguars (@PFF_Jaguars) December 11, 2024
Key Players for the Jets
The Jets yet again were able to get a lead but could not finish in the fourth quarter. Breece Hall did not play and the running game could only muster 83 total yards. Aaron Rodgers had his first 300 yard game of the season but it was not enough to come away with a victory. Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson both had over 100 yards so the Jaguars secondary will have a big challenge. The Jaguars give up the seventh highest yards per catch to tight ends, so Tyler Conklin could play a big role this week.
The Jets defense has given up 26 or more points in four straight games and has not lived up to expectations this year. Jamien Sherwood has become more involved and has two games with double digit tackles in his last four games. Sauce Gardner missed last week but it looks like he will be there for a big matchup against Brian Thomas. It will be a premier matchup but Gardner will need to be strong on his tackling to prevent big plays. The Jaguars offensive line has been up and down so Haassan Reddick could finally get his first sack of the season.
Jacksonville Jaguars – Keys to Win the Game
It is a broken record but can the Jaguars finally start fast? They have shown they are able to come back and fight tough in games. Mac Jones has to stop the turnovers and needs to get the ball in playmakers hands. Thomas Jr. needs the ball but there are so many playmakers they must spread the passes around. Bigsby needs to set the tone as the Jets have struggled against the run at times this year.
The defense played better last week but the secondary is still lacking talent. The defensive line must get pressure on Rodgers and not allow him to pick them apart with Adams and Wilson.
Both teams are underachieving, but which team still has some fight left?
Brandon Haye
Brandon grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and works as a health insurance data analyst. He has no children, but two fur babies - Squirt and Brownie. He and his wife, Katie, spend their time playing poker and enjoying time with their pups. Brandon is a huge Michigan Wolverine and Jacksonville Jaguars fan. He at one time was in 77 fantasy leagues and loves the game of football. Brandon started writing for The Leauge Winners in 2021.