NASHVILLE, TENN. — Tennessee Titans safety Chris Hope said the Jacksonville Jaguars were “insulted” by his team’s season-opening win in Florida. On Sunday, the Jaguars responded in kind, embarrassing the Titans 28-13.
The Titans’ NFL-leading run defense was punished by Jacksonville’s rushing attack while the visitors’ defense extended a frustrating stretch for Tennessee’s offense. The combination went a long way in exorcizing any lingering pain from the teams’ earlier meeting, a 13-10 Titans win.
“We were much better at the line of scrimmage, much better tackling, much better at swarming the ball,” Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. “All the fundamentals that we believe in, we were better at today.”
The win improved Jacksonville’s record to 6-3, the same mark as the Titans, who visit Denver to face the Broncos next Monday. But were it not for a favorable schedule – Tennessee has only two games remaining against teams currently with a winning record, San Diego and the season finale at Indianapolis – as well as the shaky nature of the AFC, one could certainly question the Titans’ postseason viability.
Tennessee was missing defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who has had a Pro Bowl-caliber season. That may have been a factor in the team allowing 166 rushing yards Sunday, a full 100 more than its average entering the contest. In addition, Jacksonville was able to convert on 9-of-21 attempts on third and fourth down.
The tone was set right from the start when the Jaguars marched 80 yards in 13 plays, scoring on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Quinn Gray to Greg Jones.
“We’ve done a good job throughout the year getting off on third downs,” Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch said. “Today, we gave up long drives in the first half; that wears on a defense. We needed the big plays and we just didn’t get them.”
That would be true on both sides of the ball. The Titans outgained the Jaguars 292-262 but were still largely ineffective.
Denver native LenDale White opened the game with a 4-yard run, but added just 8 more the rest of the day. White left the game early in the third quarter with what coach Jeff Fisher said was a minor knee injury.
The ineffective rushing attack only added more pressure to a passing game that has been inconsistent all season. Vince Young completed 24-of-41 passes for 257 yards, but he was sacked four times and threw two interceptions. He also couldn’t come up with the snap from center on a fourth-and-1 in Jacksonville territory early in the third quarter when a score might have made things more interesting.
Having been chastened on their home field, the Titans expressed hope of doing the same to the Broncos.
“It’s a chance to showcase what kind of team we are,” Vanden Bosch said. “We don’t get many nationally televised games. We feel like we’re a really good team, right up there with the best. A Monday night game is a chance to show that to everybody.”
Anthony Cotton: 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com
