Jaguars Up-Down drill: the good, the bad and ugly from Tennessee Titans game

Jaguars Up-Down drill: The good, the bad and ugly from the Jaguars’ 20-16 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Up: Electric atmosphere

A sellout crowd of 70,050 was the most boisterous home-field advantage the Jaguars have enjoyed in a long time. A lot had to do with the AFC South title stakes and the fact the opponent was the hated Titans, but it was clear from the get-go that fans were ready to make TIAA Bank Field almost as loud an environment as Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

An hour before kickoff, fans were enthusiastically waving “It Was Always the Jags” teal and white towels given out to the first 60,000 people through the turnstiles during team warmups.

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Up: Trevor saluting fans

While the Jaguars’ offense had its second-lowest yardage total of the season (222 yards) and didn’t put on a great show, Trevor Lawrence wasn’t too despondent.

First of all, he eclipsed the 4,000-yard passing mark, only the third Jaguars quarterback to reach that plateau, joining Mark Brunell and Blake Bortles.

Furthermore, Lawrence could hardly contain his excitement about the atmosphere he witnessed over a three-hour period, saying: “To see the stadium packed tonight was awesome. One of the best game environments I’ve been in, honestly. It was special. They were loud all game. It was a cool experience. I’ll always remember that.”

Down: Running game grounded

One thing that didn’t change much from the teams’ last meeting in Nashville was the Jaguars struggled even moreso to run the ball.

They had a season-low 19 rushing yards, also the fewest in franchise history when winning the game. Travis Etienne, who had 1,108 yards rushing entering the contest, had just seven carries for 17 yards.

Up: Jenkins cowboys up again

Cornerback Rayshawn Jenkins, who secured a 40-34 overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys with a 52-yard interception off Dak Prescott for a touchdown, played hero in a different way this time.

The Jaguars’ safety came on a blitz unblocked and forced a fumble by the Titans’ Joshua Dobbs, which Josh Allen ran back 37 yards for the game-winning TD.

No Jaguar was named to the Pro Bowl this year, but Jenkins has come as close as anybody on Doug Pederson’s team to playing like one.

Up: Prime time exposure

For the first time in Jaguars’ history, they had the national stage to themselves on a Saturday night regular-season game.

By winning the AFC South, further enhancing a remarkable franchise turnaround, the Jaguars will undoubtedly line themselves up for more prime time games in 2023 beyond the obligatory “Thursday Night Football” telecast and likely get some exposure on Sunday night and Monday night.

The win over Tennessee was the Jaguars’ first weekend prime time victory at TIAA Bank Field since beating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 on Sunday night on Oct. 9, 2005.

Up: Bump for Kirk bank account

Wide receiver Christian Kirk, who signed a four-year, $72 million contract in March, made himself another $500,000 with his performance against the Titans.

His six catches for 99 yards, which included a 25-yard TD reception that Lawrence dropped right in-between defenders Roger McCreary and Joshua Kalu, allowed him to surpass 1,100 yards for the season. Hitting that milestone triggered a contract incentive paying him an extra $500K.

Down: Gamble backfiring

On their second possession, the Jaguars put together one of their better drives and had a first down at the Tennessee 22. But on that play, Doug Pederson called for a risky reverse that ended in disaster.

Lawrence pitched the ball too high for Jamal Agnew, and the ensuing fumble was recovered by Titans’ outside linebacker Rashad Weaver.

It proved costly as Tennessee drove 69 yards for its only touchdown and a 10-0 lead.

Up: Thriving in tough situations

After five consecutive one-score losses in October, the Jaguars have turned into arguably the NFL’s most resilient team in the second half of the season.

They overcame fourth quarter deficits against the Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys, then pulled it off again.

This time, they trailed 16-10 entering the fourth quarter. But Mike Caldwell’s defense got two turnovers and the Jaguars converted them into a field goal and TD to win the AFC South division title and secured a home playoff game in next week’s wild-card round.

Up: Special teams were special

Two of the Jaguars’ most reliable special team players, returner Agnew and punter Logan Cooke, both had performances worthy of a game MVP.

Agnew took a kick four yards deep in the end zone and brought it back to midfield, which set up the Jaguars’ only offensive TD of the game.

Cooke had four punts with a whopping net average of 50.5 yards. His last three punts were downed at the Tennessee 9, 6 and 10-yard lines, allowing the Jaguars to win a battle of field position that were critical in winning the game.

Up: Honoring Damar

Like all NFL teams, the Jaguars were all in on supporting Buffalo Bills' safety Damar Hamlin, who had to be revived on the field in Monday night's game against the Cincinnati Bengals after going into cardiac arrest. Several Jaguars, including Lawrence, sported T-shirts to show their compassion and support for Hamlin, who continues to improve each day in his recovery at a Cincinnati hospital.

The Jaguars and other clubs outlined the number 3 (Hamlin's number) on each 30-yard line in Bills' colors, either blue or red. The Jaguars chose red because they had the paint scheme that more closely resembled one of the Buffalo colors. Players from both teams knelt at midfield before the game to pray for Hamlin.

Up: Memorable anthem

With fans at TIAA Bank Field already stoked for a high-stakes game, performer Paul Wane only made things better with a rousing rendition of the national anthem.

Wearing a teal No. 23 jersey with his name on the back, Wane — leader of a local band “Duval County Line” and founder of “Guitars for Kids/Rising Stars” — got the crowd even more fired up as the sound from his guitar provided another reason for them to get excited.

Up: Dependable bodyguards

Though the offensive line didn’t open up holes for Etienne or anybody else, Phil Rauscher’s unit did a solid job of protecting Lawrence.

He was sacked only once by tackle Teair Tart, who immediately got by guard Brandon Scherff to put Lawrence down for a 9-yard loss to start a fourth quarter possession.

Dating back to the first Titans’ meeting, Lawrence has been sacked only five times in the last five games.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars Up-Down drill: the good, bad and ugly from Tennessee Titans game