The Jacksonville Jaguars walked away with a victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 10, with a 40-23 win despite having some issues throughout the game. The Jaguars are now 7-2, and have widened their lead over the Houston Texans in the AFC South.
There were some areas of concern during the game; Jacksonville struggled to finish several drives, the defense looked lackluster at some points, and the game looked much closer than it should have, considering how poorly the Titans have been playing this season. Still, a win is a win, and dominated in the fourth quarter to bring home a victory.
Here are five things learned after the game.
It's time for Parker Washington to get paid
Washington had a huge game, surpassing 100 yards before the first half was even over. He ended the day with seven
catches for 152 yards and one touchdown, and was easily Trevor Lawrence's most productive target. It is the biggest game of his career yet, and is only further proving that the Jaguars offense needs him. He had a seriously impressive 50-yard catch-and-run during the second quarter, and repeatedly came through in difficult situations, making contested catches and finding ways to get open when Lawrence needed him most. His performance was so dominant that head coach Liam Coen called him the best player on the field today.
With Washington set to be a free agent in 2027, it's becoming more clear with each week that Jacksonville needs to find a way to come to terms and keep Washington here. And the longer the Jaguars wait, the more expensive keeping him could become.
Washington has earned his payday. Jacksonville needs to make sure no one else is writing the check.
Parker Washington or Peter Parker?
— NFL (@NFL) November 15, 2026
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Brian Thomas Jr. might be showing signs of a comeback
It's been a disappointing season for Brian Thomas Jr., who has struggled to replicate his explosive rookie season. And despite high hopes in the offseason, he's continued to underperform, so much so that trade rumors were swirling ahead of the deadline. The Jaguars insisted he wasn't going anywhere, and he responded with a reassuring game. It wasn't a breakout performance; he finished with just three receptions for 29 yards, but it was an encouraging performance all the same.
Thomas caught three of his four targets, including an impressive contested reception in the fourth quarter. With a defender providing tight coverage, Thomas secured the football and held on through contact to pick up an important first down. There was also an 11-yard catch during Jacksonville's final possession of the first half, helping the Jaguars move into scoring position.
These aren't necessarily remarkable individual accomplishments, particularly for a receiver as talented as Thomas is. But after an extended period of inconsistency, even small improvements are worth recognizing.
Travis Hunter's All-Pro campaign is in full swing
Travis Hunter continues to demonstrate why Jacksonville was willing to gamble so much to get him. The second-year cornerback recorded his third interception of the season Sunday, picking off Cam Ward in the first quarter after Tennessee had extended its possession with a fourth-down conversion. It was an important play, denying the Titans another scoring opportunity and giving Jacksonville the ball back with a 7-3 lead.
But Hunter's development goes well beyond his interceptions.
After an injury-shortened rookie season in which he split his responsibilities between offense and defense, Hunter has become a much more consistent presence at cornerback in 2026, and the results have been impressive.
Through the first four games of the season, Pro Football Focus ranked Hunter seventh among qualified cornerbacks in coverage grade, and second in man coverage. He also held opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating of just 58.2. Those numbers proved that Hunter was developing into a legitimate shutdown threat, rather than simply an athletic playmaker capable of generating occasional highlights.
It's too early to say that Hunter deserves All-Pro recognition; the competition at cornerback is fierce, and Hunter will need to continue playing at a high level through the rest of the season. But considering how quickly he's developed, it's no longer unreasonable to start asking the question.
Travis Hunter is that guy.
— NFL (@NFL) November 15, 2026
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Jacksonville's defense still has problems to solve
Despite the final score, the defense wasn't as dominant as it has been earlier this season. It wasn't all bad; the Jaguars held Tennessee to 327 total yards and limited the Titans to just two third-down conversions on 11 attempts. They also generated consistent pressure on Ward, forcing several hurried throws.
But there were still issues. Tennessee repeatedly found ways to exploit Jacksonville's defense with explosive plays and missed tackles.
In the second quarter, Ward connected with Elic Ayomanor for a 50-yard gain, setting up a two-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Bellinger. Ward also caused problems with his mobility, escaping pressure for an eight-yard fourth-down conversion in the first quarter and a 26-yard scramble in the third. An unnecessary roughness penalty against Ventrell Miller also gave Tennessee an additional 15 yards.
Tackling concerns became particularly noticeable in the fourth quarter. After Jacksonville extended its lead to 30-16, Tennessee needed just four plays to answer. Ward found Tony Pollard on a short pass, and Pollard turned it into a 32-yard touchdown, with several missed tackles helping him get to the end zone. It was exactly the kind of defensive breakdown Jacksonville cannot afford against stronger opponents.
To their credit, the Jaguars responded when it mattered. Dennis Gardeck's fourth-down stop of Pollard late in the fourth quarter gave Jacksonville excellent field position, eventually setting up Bhayshul Tuten's six-yard touchdown run. But the inconsistencies are concerning.
Fortunately, help is on the way. Safety Jessie Bates and defensive tackle Jordan Davis were both inactive Sunday, with head coach Liam Coen letting Week 10 serve as an unofficial bye week for them. Both should provide important reinforcements to a defense that has struggled at times with containment, tackling, and explosive plays.
Penalties are finally becoming less of a problem
One of Jacksonville's most frustrating issues earlier this season was the number of penalties called week after week. The Jaguars committed 13 penalties for 125 yards against Cincinnati, followed by another 13 for 100 yards against Philadelphia. Despite winning both games, Jacksonville repeatedly put itself in difficult situations with avoidable mistakes.
That trend appears to be changing.
After committing eight penalties against Indianapolis, the Jaguars were flagged just four times for 24 yards against Baltimore. And Week 10 was even better; Jacksonville committed only two penalties for 20 yards against Tennessee, and the fact that there were only two penalties throughout the entire game represents major progress for a team that was constantly undermining itself earlier in the season.
The Jaguars have now reduced their penalty totals in three consecutive games, an encouraging sign that the coaching staff's emphasis on discipline may finally be paying off.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 5 things learned after Jaguars victory over Titans in Week 10
