Tuesday Takeaways: Jaguars @ Titans

The Jaguars fell to the Titans in a 4th Quarter Thriller that came down to the wire. Here's Jordan de Lugo's take on the game and the status of the Jaguars moving forward.

By Jordan de Lugo

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The Jaguars fell short for the second week in a row. Both losses came to teams that only had 2 wins coming into their matchup with the Jags, and in both losses the Jaguars’ defense was downright terrible. The Jaguars have been unable to find a balance between blitzing and rushing only four lineman in passing situations and it is costing them football games. There is no consistency in the pass rush or the pass coverage and until that consistency is found, this team is going to give up a ton of points. 

The Jason Myers saga is perhaps the most baffling thing I have ever seen. Since week 5 of this season, Myers has made 15 of the 16 field goals that he has attempted, including several from 50+ yards. Those numbers are absolutely fantastic, rivaling anything Scobee ever did for the Jaguars — yet he can’t make a freaking extra point to save his life. He missed two extra points against the Titans, likely costing the Jaguars the game. I don't know what the Jaguars will do or what they should do regarding Jason Myers, but they simply cannot contend for the playoffs with a kicker that can't make extra points. 
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Despite all this — Telvin Smith, Blake Bortles, and Allen Robinson all need to be in the Pro Bowl.
Telvin sits at third in the NFL in tackles after a game in which he recorded 9 tackles, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble. In only his second year he is already the Jaguars’ best defensive player and a true leader.

Blake Bortles is having by far the most exciting season that a Jaguars’ quarterback has ever had and he has the stats to prove it. Against the Titans this week Bortles threw 5 touchdown passes, shattering the franchise record for TD passes in a season, which is now at 27 and counting. On a day where he threw the ball 36 times he didn't have a single interception, an encouraging sign to be sure.

​Allen Robinson might be the best player on the team. He has a long way to go before his career can be compared to Jimmy Smith, but he might be just as talented as the Jaguars’ greatest receiver of all time. Amongst wide receivers, Robinson is now first in the NFL in receiving touchdowns (11), first in receptions of 20+ yards (24), and fifth in receiving yards (1,080). Against the Titans this week, he scored 3 touchdowns and recorded 10 catches for 153 yards, en route to becoming the first Jaguars’ receiver to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in a season since, you guessed it, Jimmy Smith. Not only did he pass the 1,000 yard milestone, but he also broke the franchise record for receiving touchdowns in a season.

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T.J. Yeldon is the real deal. He doesn't get enough carries, but he does make the most out of what is there. Finally, he was given the opportunity to punch it in on the goal line and he did. Yeldon should now be considered the goal line back moving forward. He may not reach 1,000 yards rushing as a rookie, but it does appear that he will surpass the 1,000 yards from scrimmage mark, as he now has 956 all purpose yards. 
Julius Thomas has finally found his groove. Thomas has now recorded a touchdown in three straight games. He may not be catching a ton of passes week in and week out, but he is making plays when it counts. 
With a broken defense and a kicker than can’t make an extra point, the Jags have a long way to go before they can be considered true contenders, but there is no doubt that the offense is built, something the Jaguars haven't been able to say in over 10 years.