In a battle of the AFC South's basement, the Tennessee Titans made big plays that belied their 5-10 record. With three defense and special teams touchdowns, the Titans overcame an early Jaguars lead to win, 38-20. A hot start by Jacksonville quarterback Chad Henne was undone by two pick sixes among three total interceptions and the Jaguars blown special teams coverage.
Jaguars vs. Titans results: Tennessee rolls over Jacksonville, 38-20
Big plays on defense and special teams sparked the Titans for the sixth win on the season
Chris Johnson got in the end zone on Tennessee’s first possession, then celebrated the Titans’ post-season berth mid-round draft pick.
The Jags responded with two Chad Henne touchdown passes to take a 14-7 lead, but that was the ends of the warm-and-fuzzies for Jacksonville. In the waning minutes of the first half, Zach Brown and Darius Reynaud each returned Henne interceptions for TDs, 79 yards for Brown and 69 for Reynaud. The second half began in an eerily similar fashion, with another Brown pick-six and an 81-yard punt return touchdown for Reynaud in the first three minutes.
Jake Locker played game manager, allowing the Titans' other units to provide the scoring. The sophomore QB went 9 of 15 for 152 yards in the win.
The big winner: Reynaud. The fourth-year journeyman scored his second and third touchdowns on the season, having returned a kickoff earlier this season.
The big loser: Henne. In what was his final audition for an NFL job, Henne showed the best and worst of his talents. Two early TDs were wiped out by three interceptions, two of them backbreakingly returned for touchdowns. The former Miami Dolphin may still find a job, but could have lost a year or two on a contract and some dinero.
Best stat of the game: 71-51. The Titans needed just 51 plays to put a whooping on the Jaguars, while Jacksonville ran 71 offensive plays and managed just 20 points.
What’s up next: The draft. If Kansas City can win in Denver, the Jaguars will get the No. 1 overall pick. More likely is the Jags getting the No. 2 pick in a draft loaded with lineman on both sides of the ball. The Titans will wait for the rest of Sunday’s results to shake out before knowing their slot, but it should be near the top 10.
Gambling: Tennessee easily covered the six points they were giving, with Jacksonville’s late score not making anyone nervous. The game easily went over the total of 42.5, with the Titans nearly breaking that figure themselves.
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