The Tennessee Titans got back in the win column after a two-game losing streak by shutting out the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 14. The 20-0 victory not only demoralized the Jaguars, but it likely helped get their coach fired, along with the myriad of Urban Meyer missteps.
The Titans took Jacksonville’s soul on Sunday. Now, that is something we have grown accustomed to seeing, but usually it is a result of several Derrick Henry stiff arms. This time, however, it was all about confusion.
If you are Jaguars Owner Shad Khan, the most frustrating part of the day had to be watching your young rookie quarterback and No. 1 overall pick look like a fool.
The Titans had Trevor Lawrence’s head spinning and he was lost all day, leading to four interceptions, the first time the Titans have reached that mark in a game since 2012.
It wasn’t just the interceptions, though; Lawrence was sacked three times, took plenty of other hits and had his lowest passing rating of the season.
In fairness, you can’t blame this all on Lawrence, as the game was an exercise in how to not support your rookie quarterback.
Only eight rushing attempts for the Jags after running for almost 200 yards in the Week 5 matchup with the Titans is egregious. That lack of support and inability (or unwillingness) to run the ball led directly to the Titans’ success in creating turnovers.
When the offense you’re facing is consistently in third-and-long, an obvious passing situation, it opens up the defensive playbook and increases the amount of creativity you can have with your play calls. Add in a poorly coached rookie quarterback and the result is what we saw Sunday.
What exactly did that confusion look like and how did the Titans’ defense turn that into four interceptions? As we do every week, let’s step into the film room and see how they did it.
