This week the Tennessee Titans (8-4) return from their bye to host the AFC South rival Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10). Kickoff at Nissan Stadium (capacity 69,143) is scheduled for noon CST on Sunday, Dec. 12.
The contest marks the second of two annual meetings between the Titans and Jaguars, following their Oct. 10 clash in Jacksonville. Running back Derrick Henry rushed for three touchdowns, and safety Kevin Byard provided a touchdown on defense to help the Titans to a 37-19 victory.
THE BROADCAST
Sunday's contest will be regionally televised on CBS, including Nashville affiliate WTVF NewsChannel 5. The broadcast team includes play-by-play announcer Spero Dedes and analyst Jay Feely.
Fans can livestream the broadcast on their mobile devices from the Titans Mobile App (iOS and Android), as well as on desktop computers and mobile web at TennesseeTitans.com. Restrictions apply. For information and more streaming options visit TennesseeTitans.com or NFL.com/ways-to-watch.
The Titans Radio Network and Nashville flagship 104.5 The Zone will carry the game across the Mid-South with the "Voice of the Titans" Mike Keith, analyst Dave McGinnis, sideline reporter Amie Wells and gameday host Rhett Bryan.
TITANS HOLD DIVISION LEAD WITH FIVE GAMES REMAINING
The Titans exit their Week 13 bye with a grip on the AFC South lead and five weeks remaining in the regular season, including three games for the Titans at Nissan Stadium. They hold an edge in the standings and earned a head-to-head tiebreaker over the 7-6 Indianapolis Colts, who are off this week on their bye.
The Titans built their division lead by winning eight of their first 10 games, including a six-game winning streak, before dropping their past two contests to the Houston Texans and New England Patriots. Nevertheless, they have their biggest lead in the division standings through 12 games or later since 2008, when they began the season 11-1. Through Sunday, Dec. 5, the Titans were one of four 8-4 clubs atop the AFC, along with the Patriots, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, and pending a Monday night (Dec. 6) matchup between the Patriots and Buffalo Bills (7-4).
The bye came at a time that could prove useful to a Titans squad that has endured a significant rash of injuries. They have 18 players on injured reserve and one additional player on the reserve/COVID-19 list (as of Dec. 6). Already in 2021 they have used an NFL-high 86 players, and the Titans' 49 starters are tied with the Texans for the second-highest total in the league behind the New Orleans Saints (51).
THE JAGUARS
The Jaguars, who lost 37-7 on the road last week against the Los Angeles Rams, are in their first season under the direction of head coach Urban Meyer. Meyer built an 87-32 record as a college head coach, most recently at Ohio State from 2012 to 2018. He won a pair of national championships during his time at Florida (2006 and 2008) and one national title at Ohio State (2014).
While at Ohio State, Meyer's coaching staff included current Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. He retained Vrabel as the defensive line coach for the Buckeyes from 2012 to 2013 before the future Titans coach headed to the Houston Texans in 2014.
Meyer's hiring in Jacksonville preceded the arrival of quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who the Jaguars chose with the first overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. At Clemson University, Lawrence went 34-2 in three seasons as a starter, including a national championship in 2018. To this point in his rookie NFL campaign, Lawrence has passed for 2,514 yards with nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
