The Jacksonville Jaguars needed a win against the AFC South’s last-place Tennessee Titans to secure the division title and reach the playoffs. That didn’t come to fruition, though.
Instead, a Jaguars season that started with high expectations ended with a frustrating 28-20 loss to their oldest rival.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who missed the team’s Week 17 game due to a shoulder sprain, had a relatively strong performance in his return. The third-year passer threw for 280 yards with two touchdowns. While he threw two interceptions, one ricocheted off the hands of tight end Evan Engram on what should’ve been a third down conversion.
The biggest culprit in the loss was a Jacksonville defense that struggled to keep the Titans offense in check. Derrick Henry ran wild and Tyjae Spears had 66 yards and two touchdowns on six touches. Tennessee hadn’t scored more than 28 points all season, but reached that total just minutes after halftime.
Here’s how the Jaguars’ season-ending Week 18 loss went down:
Jaguars' MVP of the game: WR Calvin Ridley
Ridley had an up-and-down first season with the Jaguars, but he capped it with a pretty solid day. He hauled in six receptions for 106 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown early in the game. He was, however, unable to make a season-saving touchdown grab late. Ridley finished the year with 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns.
Titans' MVP of the game: RB Derrick Henry
KING ON THE LOOSE
📺: Watch #JAXvsTEN on @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/huAz2Ym3Ed
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) January 7, 2024
In what was likely his last game with the Titans, one of the best players in the franchise’s history had a vintage performance against his favorite team to beat up. Henry finished with 153 rushing yards and scored his 17th career touchdown against the Jaguars, five more than he has against any other team.
Jaguars play of the game: Lawrence to Ridley for 59-yard touchdown
Lawd have mercy 😍@Trevorlawrencee | @CalvinRidley1 pic.twitter.com/MqIa0E2gvt
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) January 7, 2024
Early in the second quarter, Lawrence gave the Jaguars the lead when he uncorked one of the pretty deep balls of his career. The bomb couldn’t have been placed any better into the hands of Ridley who cruised into the end zone for his eighth touchdown of the season.
It was over when ... the Jaguars turned the ball over on downs late
the Titans are leading by 8 with 2 minutes to play and their safeties have decided it's totally cool to let Calvin Ridley run free behind them pic.twitter.com/nvRGfMlQMa
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) January 7, 2024
Just after the two-minute warning, Lawrence uncorked a rocket deep to Ridley. What could’ve been a season-saving 67-yard touchdown instead went off the receivers’ fingertips. Two incomplete passes later, the Jaguars season went down in flames.
Stat that says it all: 7.7 yards per carry for Titans
It was never a secret what the Titans wanted to do Sunday. Like always, it was the Henry show. But even though Josh Allen said the Jaguars’ entire focus was stopping the run, the Titans bullied their way to 178 rushing yards on the day.
What's next?
That’s all, folks.
While 9-8 was enough to get the Jaguars into the playoffs last year, it didn’t cut it this season. Jacksonville will enter the offseason with some tough decisions to make and the team is currently slated to pick 17th in the 2024 NFL draft.
