Tennessee Titans (5-6) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-5)
Sunday, December 5th, 2010 • Noon CST • LP Field • Nashville, TN • TV: CBS
Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Titans (5-6) host the Jacksonville Jaguars (6-5) this week in the first of three consecutive home games against division opponents. Kickoff at LP Field (capacity 69,143) is scheduled for noon CST on Sunday, December 5th.
The Titans play four of their last five games this season against AFC South foes. After this week, they host the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday, December 9th, and the Houston Texans on Sunday, December 19th. The Titans conclude their season with games at Kansas City on December 26th and at Indianapolis on January 2nd.
At 5-6, the Titans are tied with the Texans for third place in the division. However, they are still within one game of the 6-5 Jaguars and Colts, who are tied atop the AFC South standings. The Texans travel to face the Philadelphia Eagles this week, while the Colts host the Dallas Cowboys.
A win this week would not only even the Titans’ and Jaguars’ records, it would give the Titans the head-to-head edge in a tie-breaker. Earlier this season, the Titans won the first matchup with the Jaguars at Jacksonville on Monday Night Football.
The Titans have won two consecutive games in the series and six of their last eight contests against the Jaguars.
The Broadcast
This week’s game will be televised regionally on CBS, including Nashville affiliate WTVF News-Channel 5. Gus Johnson will handle play-by-play duties, while Steve Tasker will provide 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.
Additionally, Westwood One Radio Sports will carry the national radio broadcast. Howard David (play-by-play) and Tony Boselli (analyst) will provide the call.
The game can be heard locally on 1400 AM, WJZM.
Last Week
Last week at Houston, the Titans suffered a 20-0 shutout defeat to the Texans. Rookie quarterback Rusty Smith made his first NFL start and completed 17 of 31 passes for 138 yards. However, he was intercepted three times by Texans cornerback Glover Quin, and the Titans were unable to put points on the scoreboard for the first time since being shut out at New England on October 18th, 2009.
The Jaguars
Since the Titans defeated the Jaguars in a Monday night game on October 18th, the Jaguars have won three out of five games to gain a share of the division lead. They won three consecutive games before last week, when they traveled to New York and lost to the Giants by a final score of 24-20. The Jaguars built a 17-6 halftime lead, but the Giants scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to take the victory.
The Jaguars feature one of the NFL’s best rushing offenses. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew ranks fourth in the NFL with 991 rushing yards this season and has hit the 100-yard mark in four consecutive games.
Toys For Tots
Prior to the game, fans are encouraged to participate in the annual U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Drive. New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off with members of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve stationed outside each gate at LP Field. All toys collected during the drive will be used in the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program and distributed to children in middle Tennessee.
Titans-Jaguars Series At A Glance
- Overall series (regular & postseason): Titans lead 19-13
- Regular Season Series: Titans lead 18-13
- Postseason Series: Titans lead 1-0
- Current streak: Two wins by Titans
- Titans at home vs. Jaguars: 8-7
- Titans on the road vs. Jaguars: 11-6
- Last Time at LP Field: Jaguars 13 at Titans 30 (11/1/09)
- Last Time at EverBank Field: Titans 30 at Jaguars 3 (10/18/10)
- First Time: Oilers 10 at Jaguars 3 (9/3/95)
- Jeff Fisher’s Record vs. Jaguars: 19-13
- Jack Del Rio’s Record vs. Titans: 6-9
- Jeff Fisher’s Record vs. Jack Del Rio: 9-6
What To Look For This Week
- K Rob Bironas can extend his streak of 15 consecutive field goals without a miss. The streak currently ranks fifth in franchise history, five behind the record shared by Bironas (20 in 2007-08) and Al Del Greco (20 in 1998-99). Three field goals without a miss this week would tie Bironas for fourth place all-time (18 by Del Greco, 1995-96), and four field goals would tie for third (19 by Bironas in 2007).
- S Michael Griffin (102 tackles) needs seven tackles to set a new career high for a single season (108 in 2009).
- The game features two of the AFC’s top four rushers—Tennessee’s Chris Johnson (fourth with 973 yards) and Maurice Jones-Drew (third with 991).
- With 27 rushing yards, RB Chris Johnson (973 rushing yards in 2010) will become the third player in franchise history with three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons (Eddie George, Earl Campbell).
- RB Chris Johnson will attempt to record the 23rd 100-yard rushing game of his career and seventh of 2010.
- WR Randy Moss can become the first player in NFL history to catch a touchdown pass with three different teams in a single season.
- WR Randy Moss (14,827 career receiving yards) needs 108 receiving yards to pass Tim Brown (14,934) for fourth in NFL history.
- WR Nate Washington looks to record his third 100-yard receiving performance in a five-game span. A third 100-yard game in 2010 would make him the first Titans receiver to accomplish the feat since Drew Bennett in 2006.
Titans-Jaguars Series History
The Jaguars are the Titans’ longest-standing division rival. The clubs have met at least twice each year since Jacksonville began play as an expansion franchise in 1995. For the first seven seasons of the 16-year rivalry they played in the AFC Central and for the last nine years they have been members of the AFC South. The teams have met a total of 32 times, with the Titans holding an 19-13 advantage.
The majority of Titans-Jaguars contests have been highly competitive. Overall, 18 of the 32 Titans-Jaguars meetings have been decided by seven points or fewer.
On October 18th, in their first of two get-togethers this season, the Titans traveled to Jacksonville for Monday Night Football and won 30-3. Vince Young and Kerry Collins combined for 171 passing yards and two touchdowns, and Chris Johnson rushed for 111 yards and one score in the win. The Titans defense helped the cause with four takeaways.
In 2009, the teams split their two contests. In Week 4 (October 4th) at Jacksonville, Jaguars quarterback David Garrard passed for 323 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-17 victory. In the rematch November 1st at LP Field, Chris Johnson set a franchise record with 228 rushing yards in a 30-13 Titans victory.
The Titans have posted two separate five-game winning streaks against the Jaguars, dating from 1998-00 and 2001-03. Jacksonville’s longest winning streak in the series was a four-game run from 1996-98.
The stakes of the rivalry were never higher than in 1999, when the Titans and Jaguars met three times, including the AFC Championship Game in Jacksonville. Steve McNair rushed for two touchdowns and Derrick Mason returned a kickoff 80 yards as the Titans earned their first Super Bowl berth with a 33-14 win. Tennessee went on to Super Bowl XXXIV and eventuall fell at the hands of the St. Louis Rams, 23-16.
The Jaguars played their first game in franchise history against the then-Houston Oilers on September 3rd, 1995. Playing in Jacksonville, the Oilers won the game by a 10-3 final score.
