The AFC South is wide open. Two of the division's traditional bottom feeders can rise from the depths and begin their march to a playoff spot when the Jacksonville Jaguars head north to Nashville for a Thursday Night Football showdown against the Tennessee Titans.
Jaguars vs. Titans 2016: Time, live TV schedule, and team news for ‘Thursday Night Football’
Tennessee is coming off another heartbreaking loss after blowing a late lead against Indianapolis. The Titans can rebound against their recent AFC South basement-mates when Jacksonville comes to town.
Tennessee missed an opportunity to rise to the top of the division on Sunday when a home win over Indianapolis slipped through its fingers. The Titans led 23-20 at the two-minute warning before the Colts rallied for 14 points in just eight seconds to win their 10th straight game against their divisional rivals. A Marcus Mariota fumble highlighted his team's struggle to keep its quarterback upright, and Robert Mathis rumbled 14 yards into the end zone to effectively end any hope of a Tennessee comeback at Nissan Stadium.
The game presented a microcosm of Mariota's sophomore struggles. The talented young passer utilized every piece of an undermanned receiving corps to put his team in a position to win, only to fall agonizingly short in front of a decreasingly disinterested home crowd. The Heisman winner has been equal parts promising and disappointing in a season where he's completed less of his passes for fewer yards per attempt than an up-and-down rookie campaign.
While DeMarco Murray has been an asset when it comes to the Tennessee offense, the team’s young quarterback hasn’t been consistent enough to separate the Titans from mediocrity.
A win on Thursday could change that. Mike Mularkey hasn't won more than three games as an NFL head coach since he was leading the Buffalo Bills back in 2005. The AFC South, led by a 4-3 Houston team with an alarming negative-37 point differential, is still there for the taking. Week 7's loss was a step in the wrong direction, but it doesn't have to derail Tennessee's season.
The Jaguars just might, however. Jacksonville is only 1.5 games out of the South’s top spot and have been perfect against divisional competition -- albeit with a single home win over the Colts. Blake Bortles has served as a cautionary tale for Mariota’s development, proving solid statistical output rings hollow if it can’t be supported by wins. The third-year quarterback threw for 4,400 yards and 35 touchdowns last season but did most of his work playing from behind in pass-heavy offenses. The Jags’ predilection for losing put a major caveat on Bortles’ big season, and his work in 2016 has proven he’s yet to become the team’s offensive savior.
Bortles has regressed in year three, throwing for fewer yards per pass attempt despite completing more of his passes. He’s had less success downfield and struggled to connect with Pro Bowl receiver Allen Robinson, who is on pace to gain just over half the yardage of his breakout 1,400-yard 2015 campaign. As a result, Jacksonville is turning the ball over more and moving it less. With nine interceptions this season, Bortles has been equally likely to find the end zone or an opposing player’s hands.
He’ll have the opportunity to improve that record against a Tennessee defense Andrew Luck carved up for 353 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday. Bortles has thrown for over 1,000 yards in four matchups against the Titans and has a solid 8:2 TD:INT ratio against Tennessee. A game in Nashville could be just want the young passer needs to get his 2016 season on track.
How to watch Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans
Time: 8:25 p.m. ET
Place: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.
TV: NFL Network
Announcers: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson
Online: Sunday Ticket
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