The Tennessee Titans are aiming for their fourth win in the past five games when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. The surging Titans received a lift in their play after Ryan Tannehill replaced Marcus Mariota as starting quarterback.
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Tannehill has thrown eight touchdown passes over the four-game stretch, had led three game-winning drives and twice topped 300 yards passing. "Just trying to go out and play good football," Tannehill told reporters. "We've got good players on this team and good weapons on the outside, so just trying to distribute the football and throw it to the open guy. ... I think we've done a decent job at certain times of executing and being an efficient offense, and that's what we'll look to do." Jacksonville has dropped back-to-back games by a cumulative 59-16 score and has allowed an average of 240 rushing yards over the two defeats - 216 in a 26-3 loss to the Houston Texans and 264 in last week's 33-13 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts. "We're going through our journey right now," Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles told reporters. "Everyone wants you just to arrive at the end goal, but that's now how this thing works. We're in that tough time. This is where you get tested. ... This is where your culture is built."
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Titans -3.5 O/U: 41.5
ABOUT THE JAGUARS (4-6): Jacksonville defeated the Titans 20-7 at home in September when the defense sacked Mariota nine times and rookie Gardner Minshew was the quarterback with Foles sidelined with a broken clavicle. Foles returned for last week's loss to the Colts and completed 33-of-47 passes for 296 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. The leaky run defense (134.6 yards per game) ranks 29th in the NFL while defensive end Calais Campbell has only 5.5 sacks with three coming in the victory over Tennessee.
ABOUT THE TITANS (5-5): Standout runner Derrick Henry rushed for a season-best 188 yards in a 35-32 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 10 before the squad had a bye and few people have forgotten his career-best 238-yard, four-touchdown effort against the Jaguars last December that included a memorable 99-yard touchdown run. "I don't really think about that anymore. We played them (earlier this year) and they won the last game," said Henry, who had 44 yards on 17 carries in that loss. Second-year linebacker Harold Landry has recorded a team-leading seven sacks and his 11.5 career sacks rank third in franchise history through a player's first 25 games, trailing Jevon Kearse (17.5) and Anthony Cook (12).
EXTRA POINTS
1. The Jaguars have lost five straight visits to Nashville.
2. Tennessee DT Jurrell Casey (shoulder) is expected to return after a two-game absence.
3. Jacksonville RB Leonard Fournette, who ranks sixth in the NFL with 854 rushing yards, has totaled 63 on 19 carries over the past two games.
Prediction