Here are some predictions for what we’ll see today when the 6-2 Jacksonville Jaguars take on the 1-7 Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the good guys are favored by 10.5 points.
Prediction #1
The NFL is a week-to-week league. A limited number of plays leads to extreme unpredictability. One or two specific matchups can determine a win or a loss. And because of the sport’s physical nature, injuries cause constant attrition.
In today’s game between Jacksonville and Tennessee, both teams
will be without their top safety.
The Jaguars lost Eric Murray for the season to an elbow injury. They secured not just a replacement, but an upgrade by trading for Jessie Bates III — although the team is resting him today to give him an unofficial bye week. That means another start for Rayuan Lane III.
The Titans lost their leader in the secondary, Amani Hooker, by trading him to the Buffalo Bills after Brandon Beane whiffed on Bates.
It sounds like Hooker will be missed.
When the Jaguars played in Nashville last season, Trevor Lawrence threw 2 touchdown passes against rookie safety Kevin Winston Jr.
Today, while Winston won’t be safe himself, expect Lawrence to mostly go after Tony Adams.
He was signed to a one-year flier this offseason after spending his first three NFL seasons with Robert Saleh’s New York Jets. With his experience under Saleh, the Titans shouldn’t be immediately busting coverages now that Hooker is gone. That said, Winston and Adams aren’t exactly a fearsome safety tandem.
The prediction: Brenton Strange records his first 100-yard game
Strange’s receiving prop is set at 35.5 yards on FanDuel.
Prediction #2
Like Bates, new Jaguars defensive tackle Jordan Davis will be inactive today. The entire locker room will appreciate Liam Coen’s decision to put the players first.
While we’ll have to wait a week for our first glimpse of Bates and Davis in black and teal, today will be Davon Godchaux’s first game as a Jaguar.
The former New Orleans Saint is an immediate substitute for DaVon Hamilton as an early-down run-stuffer who can man two gaps at once. Don’t get me wrong — nobody will ever replace Ham — but even without him or Davis, Jacksonville should be well-equipped to slow Tennessee.
Tony Pollard has been balling out for the Titans lately. He has 5 rushing touchdowns in the past two weeks! With that said, in the six weeks prior, he scored once while ranking sixth-worst in success rate (34.5%) and 12th-worst in explosive run rate (8.0%) among qualified running backs, per NFL Pro. Is the 29-year-old really going to keep up this recent spike in performance?
The prediction: Jacksonville’s rushing defense gets back on track
Pollard’s rushing prop is set at 58.5 yards on FanDuel.
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Prediction #3
I like Strange to have a good game today, partly because of the matchup, and partly because he’s due. The guy has 2 catches in consecutive games.
Another Jaguar who’s been quiet is rookie receiver Josh Cameron. He notched a career-best game in Week 5 with 3 catches for 43 yards (and a negated kick return touchdown), but since then, the Baylor product has logged 1 catch for 6 yards.
Despite the lack of receiving production, Cameron’s top three games this season by offensive snap rate have come in each of the past three weeks — because the dude is a killer in the run game.
Even with Brian Thomas Jr. still in the fold, Cameron will continue seeing critical snaps thanks to his unique role in Coen’s offense.
The prediction: Josh Cameron records his first 50-yard game
Cameron’s receiving prop is set at 6.5 yards on FanDuel.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
