Jaguars vs Titans Week 3 NFL Odds & Predictions
Tennessee Titans (1-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)
When/Where: Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET, TIAA Bank Field
Odds: Titans -2, O/U 40
TV: NFL Network
In this series between rivals Jacksonville and Tennessee, the Titans have had the upper hand, winning the last four meetings both straight-up and ATS. Mike Vrabel was Tennessee’s coach for the last two games while Doug Marrone was Jacksonville’s for all four.
After watching Sunday’s game, it seems clear that Marrone (bluntly nicknamed "Moron“ by much of the fanbase) is on his way out. Myles Jack, who was ejected from the season opener against Kansas City for fighting after a play, was still team captain. Jalen Ramsey, who put his hands on Marrone during an outburst on the sideline, was’t disciplined.
Currently, the team doesn’t have any sense of personal accountability, nor do the players seem to respect Marrone. Marrone is struggling to discipline his players, who collectively have the second-most penalties, with 19, and have the third-most penalties since he became head coach.
Marrone hardly seems like the right guy to help young players develop. No other unit on the team is younger and less experienced than the offense, which still seems as hapless and pedestrian as it did during Jacksonville’s 5-11 record last season. In comparing every team's active roster, Jacksonville ranks last or second-to-last in career passing yards, career rushing yards, and career receiving yards.
A significant portion of Jacksonville’s penalties comes from its offensive line, which features a left tackle in Will Richardson who barely has experience at the position, and a rookie at right tackle in Jawaan Taylor, who negated a huge passing play with a holding call.
This group failed to give running back Leonard Fournette any room to run, especially up the middle. Quarterback Gardner Minshew also lacked time to throw, which explains a few of his incompletions towards wide-open targets. Although, with his occasional tendency to hold on to the ball too long, he has to take part of the blame for the four sacks and six quarterback hits that he suffered.
Minshew promises to face a lot of pressure once again from a Tennessee defense that has accrued eight sacks through two games. He’ll need to hang onto the ball when pressure comes, as one of his three fumbles on Sunday helped Houston score its only touchdown. This year, the Titans are showing lessened necessity to blitz as they create more pressure with a four-man pass rush. Expect them to give Minshew many different looks so that thoughts about where Tennessee’s rush will come from distract him from trying to navigate Tennessee’s coverage.
In sum, this year’s rendition of Jacksonville shows nothing different in a positive sense from recent Jaguar renditions that scored 10 points or fewer in these teams’ last three meetings and 16 points or fewer in their last four.
On the other side of the ball, Jacksonville does still possess a pair of elite corners in Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Buoye, although the latter was ruled 'out‘ prior to Sunday’s contest in Houston and his hip injury has him listed as ‚questionable‘ for Thursday night.
But Tennessee is not a team to lineup with three wide receivers and pass the ball all evening. It lines up relatively rarely with 11 personnel and is one of the most frequent rushing teams by run play percentage.
This style bodes ill for a Jacksonville defense that suffers especially against the run and most especially against power running backs. Jacksonville’s front seven is spearheaded by speedsters like former safety Myles Jack. But it’s not the strongest group. Houston’s Carlos Hyde, for example, accrued 90 rushing yards on 20 carries, although his YPC average was definitely higher earlier in the game before Houston’s offense became more predictable with a comfortable lead. Like last year, Jacksonville’s run defense ranks middle-of-the-road in opposing YPC.
In terms of total, Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota is not one to push the ball downfield. Against the Colts, for example, two of his 28 pass attempts exceeded 15 yards. I expect Tennessee’s offense to grind and plod its way to victory, while it —and no less Jacksonville’s offense — lacks the firepower to exceed the posted total.
Picks: Titans -1.5 & under 40
Tennessee Titans (1-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)
When/Where: Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET, TIAA Bank Field
Odds: Titans -2, O/U 40
TV: NFL Network
In this series between rivals Jacksonville and Tennessee, the Titans have had the upper hand, winning the last four meetings both straight-up and ATS. Mike Vrabel was Tennessee’s coach for the last two games while Doug Marrone was Jacksonville’s for all four.
After watching Sunday’s game, it seems clear that Marrone (bluntly nicknamed "Moron“ by much of the fanbase) is on his way out. Myles Jack, who was ejected from the season opener against Kansas City for fighting after a play, was still team captain. Jalen Ramsey, who put his hands on Marrone during an outburst on the sideline, was’t disciplined.
Currently, the team doesn’t have any sense of personal accountability, nor do the players seem to respect Marrone. Marrone is struggling to discipline his players, who collectively have the second-most penalties, with 19, and have the third-most penalties since he became head coach.
Marrone hardly seems like the right guy to help young players develop. No other unit on the team is younger and less experienced than the offense, which still seems as hapless and pedestrian as it did during Jacksonville’s 5-11 record last season. In comparing every team's active roster, Jacksonville ranks last or second-to-last in career passing yards, career rushing yards, and career receiving yards.
A significant portion of Jacksonville’s penalties comes from its offensive line, which features a left tackle in Will Richardson who barely has experience at the position, and a rookie at right tackle in Jawaan Taylor, who negated a huge passing play with a holding call.
This group failed to give running back Leonard Fournette any room to run, especially up the middle. Quarterback Gardner Minshew also lacked time to throw, which explains a few of his incompletions towards wide-open targets. Although, with his occasional tendency to hold on to the ball too long, he has to take part of the blame for the four sacks and six quarterback hits that he suffered.
Minshew promises to face a lot of pressure once again from a Tennessee defense that has accrued eight sacks through two games. He’ll need to hang onto the ball when pressure comes, as one of his three fumbles on Sunday helped Houston score its only touchdown. This year, the Titans are showing lessened necessity to blitz as they create more pressure with a four-man pass rush. Expect them to give Minshew many different looks so that thoughts about where Tennessee’s rush will come from distract him from trying to navigate Tennessee’s coverage.
In sum, this year’s rendition of Jacksonville shows nothing different in a positive sense from recent Jaguar renditions that scored 10 points or fewer in these teams’ last three meetings and 16 points or fewer in their last four.
On the other side of the ball, Jacksonville does still possess a pair of elite corners in Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Buoye, although the latter was ruled 'out‘ prior to Sunday’s contest in Houston and his hip injury has him listed as ‚questionable‘ for Thursday night.
But Tennessee is not a team to lineup with three wide receivers and pass the ball all evening. It lines up relatively rarely with 11 personnel and is one of the most frequent rushing teams by run play percentage.
This style bodes ill for a Jacksonville defense that suffers especially against the run and most especially against power running backs. Jacksonville’s front seven is spearheaded by speedsters like former safety Myles Jack. But it’s not the strongest group. Houston’s Carlos Hyde, for example, accrued 90 rushing yards on 20 carries, although his YPC average was definitely higher earlier in the game before Houston’s offense became more predictable with a comfortable lead. Like last year, Jacksonville’s run defense ranks middle-of-the-road in opposing YPC.
In terms of total, Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota is not one to push the ball downfield. Against the Colts, for example, two of his 28 pass attempts exceeded 15 yards. I expect Tennessee’s offense to grind and plod its way to victory, while it —and no less Jacksonville’s offense — lacks the firepower to exceed the posted total.
Picks: Titans -1.5 & under 40
