NASHVILLE, Tenn. — This week the Tennessee Titans (5-9) play their final road game of 2013, traveling to face the AFC South rival Jacksonville Jaguars (4-10). Kickoff at EverBank Field (capacity 67,246) is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST/noon CST on Sunday, Dec. 22.
The Jaguars are the Titans' longest-standing division rival. In 38 all-time meetings, including playoffs, the Titans hold a 21-17 advantage.
On Nov. 10 of this year, however, the Jaguars took the first of their two annual meetings, winning 29-27 at LP Field. The Jaguars scored 17 points off turnovers and two points on a fourth-quarter safety to preserve their victory. Also in the game, Titans starting quarterback Jake Locker was lost for the remainder of the season with a foot injury.
THE BROADCAST
This week's game will be televised regionally on CBS, including Nashville affiliate WTVF NewsChannel 5. Andrew Catalon will handle play-by-play duties while Adam Archuleta provides analysis.
The Titans Radio Network, including Nashville flagship 104.5 The Zone, will broadcast the game across the Mid-South with the "Voice of the Titans" Mike Keith, analyst Frank Wycheck, sideline reporter Cody Allison and gameday host Larry Stone.
LAST WEEK AGAINST THE CARDINALS
The Titans played their first home game in 31 days last week, welcoming the Arizona Cardinals to LP Field. After battling back from a late 17-point deficit, the Titans fell in overtime by a final score of 37-34.
The Cardinals took a 34-17 lead with just over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter after Antoine Cason returned an interception 20 yards for a score. But Titans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick bounced back to lead the team on three consecutive scoring drives in the hurry-up offense, two of which ended on touchdown receptions by first-year wideout Michael Preston.
In the overtime, however, another interception by Cason led to an eventual game-winning field goal by Arizona's Jay Feely.
Fitzpatrick, starting his fifth consecutive game since Locker went on injured reserve, set career highs against the Cardinals with 58 pass attempts, 36 completions and 402 yards, and he tied a career high with four touchdown passes. The last Titans quarterback to have either 400 passing yards or four passing touchdowns in a game was Billy Volek, who accomplished both at Oakland on Dec. 19, 2004.
Titans wide receiver Kendall Wright also established career marks in the game against the Cardinals, posting 12 receptions for 150 yards. His reception total was one shy of tying the team record for a single game and gave him 85 catches in 2013, the best for the team since Derrick Mason's 96 in 2004. Wright's effort against the Cardinals also put him over the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the first time in his career.
*THE JAGUARS *
The Jaguars are in their first season under head coach Gus Bradley, who spent the last four seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. There, his defensive unit led the NFL in 2012 by allowing only 15.3 points per game. Prior to his time in Seattle, Bradley was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for three years.
Since beginning the 2013 season with eight consecutive losses, the Jaguars have fared remarkably better in the second half of the season. They have won four of their last six contests, starting with their victory over the Titans.
Jacksonville's offense features three-time Pro Bowl running back Maurice Jones-Drew. The former second-round pick from UCLA is in his eighth NFL campaign and ranks second in franchise history with 7,987 rushing yards, trailing only Fred Taylor. He is the team's all-time leader in rushing touchdowns (68).
Sixth-year veteran quarterback Chad Henne has started 11 of Jacksonville's 14 games this season, including the nine most recent contests. In his second year in Jacksonville, he has completed 251 of 418 passes for 2,673 yards and 10 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.
