After nearly a full month of losses, the Jacksonville Jaguars finally got back in the win column in Week 17. And if things go as planned, they’d add one final win when they travel to Nashville this week.
Jacksonville and Tennessee already played once this season in Week 11, and the Titans never stood a chance. But Tennessee head coach Mike Vrabel and his team never go down without a fight.
The Titans would surely love to hand the Jaguars a season-ruining loss in the final week of the regular season, and Vrabel will likely have his players ready to play Sunday.
Here are five Titans players who could cause problems for the Jaguars in Week 18:
QB Will Levis (or QB Ryan Tannehill)
Last time the Titans and Jaguars met, quarterback Will Levis was still finding his footing in the starting lineup. Now, he’s spent more than half of the season in the role and gets to host Jacksonville to end the regular season.
However, Levis isn’t a sure bet to play this Sunday. He’s working his way back from a foot injury and practiced for the first time this week Thursday.
If he doesn’t suit up, Tennessee has a more than capable backup in former starter Ryan Tannehill.
OT Peter Skoronski
The Titans’ offensive line has struggled as a whole this year, but at least they have one spot they don’t need to worry about upgrading.
Rookie offensive guard Peter Skoronski was a top pick in this year’s draft. Tennessee moved him inside to start his career after he played the tackle position at Northwestern.
He’s been solid so far as a rookie. He’s given up five sacks and committed one penalty in his 808 snaps, giving him a 61.2 Pro Football Focus grade for this year.
The Jaguars’ interior defensive line hasn’t been a strength, but needs to have a good day against the rookie to bottle up the Titans run game.
RB Derrick Henry
Running back Derrick Henry can never be counted out, especially not against the Jaguars.
When the team met in Week 11, Henry had a forgettable performance. He rushed the ball 10 times for 38 yards and caught a pass for six yards.That’s not the Henry that Jaguars fans have nightmares about.
While Jacksonville had an answer for him last time, the team can’t get too relaxed. If Henry gets going, he can feel impossible to stop. And when he’s clicking, so is the Tennessee offense.
DE Denico Autry
Unless you watch Titans games, it may have slipped through the cracks that defensive end Denico Autry is having his most productive season in the NFL.
Autry, who is in his tenth season in the league, achieved his first-ever double-digit sack season. He’s currently sitting at 11.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles.
Against a streaky Jaguars offensive front, Autry has the opportunity to add to his career-best numbers.
LB Azeez Al-Shaair
Add linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair to the list of under-the-radar Titans players.
Al-Shaair is leading the team in tackles by a wide margin. His 153 tackles are more than 50 more than the next best total on the team. He’s also contributed eight tackles for loss, four deflected passes, and two sacks.
While the linebacker may not be a superstar, he’s a solid player who could help Tennessee slow the Jacksonville offense. He had only five total tackles last time the Jaguars and Titans played each other, but don’t count on that number being low again.
