This week the Jacksonville Jaguars travel to Nashville to face off against their third consecutive division rival: the Tennessee Titans. After falling to the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts the last two games, the Jags are hoping to turn things around against a Titans team on a hot streak. New quarterback Ryan Tannehill has brought back life into the Titans team and looks to have them back in the playoff hunt.
If Jacksonville has any hope of getting back into the playoff picture, it starts here. Here are some key players to watch in this matchup that may just turn the tide in favor of the teal and black:
Center Brandon Linder
Brandon Linder has been a team leader since his early days with the Jags when he was one of the league’s top offensive lineman. Unfortunately, as of the last two seasons, he has been largely inconsistent and doesn’t look like the dominant force we have all come to know. The running game has struggled as of late and penalties have plagued the line all season.
Through the first eight games, Leonard Fournette was on a record pace as a rusher. Since, the back has seen just 19 carries and the offense has similarly struggled to get going. Whether it is the fault of play-calling or execution, the offense needs to get back on its feet and the offensive line is the key. With Jurrell Casey posing a threat on the other side of the line of scrimmage, Linder will need to play his best ball.
CB Tre Herndon
After the trading of star corner Jalen Ramsey, many felt the Jags’ biggest need would shift to the cornerback position. However, both A.J. Bouye and Tre Herndon have stepped up in a big way. Herndon is still going through the growing pains of a new starter but he has played some of the best ball on the defensive side of the ball. Hopefully, he can keep it up against this re-energized Titan offense as he’ll see time against Corey Davis and rookie A.J. Brown.
Just check out this stat below:
Taven Bryan
Taven Bryan has likely had the quietest quality season from any Jaguars player. He was the Jags’ second-highest graded player overall on the defense two weeks ago per Pro Football Focus and is now the third (with a 75.1) as nickelback D.J. Hayden (77.0) has moved past him. He’s lived behind the line of scrimmage, disrupting plays and pressuring the quarterback. The second-year lineman from Florida gets a lot of grief because of the Jags having other needs when he was drafted, however, he is playing at a high level nonetheless. Fans should come to terms with the solid player Bryan has become.
As seen above, he’s especially been strong against the run. With Derrick Henry in the backfield, the Titans will look to do a lot of that, which sets up for Bryan to have a good day as he did Week 3 against the Titans and has done all season.
