If the Jaguars have a rival, it's the Tennessee Titans.
I don't care that the Indianapolis Colts are seated on the AFC South throne, or how many red moon rising jersey whatevers the Houston Texans wear, they've never taken a spot in the Super Bowl away from Jacksonville. Not just that, but the Music City Forward Passes admitted to having the Jaguars defensive playbook.
I'm still numb.
But the Jaguars have the chance to do something special on Sunday. They can earn the first victory of the season in Nashville for two years running. And you want to know something? Even with an offense that sputtered last week, it's totally plausible. Why?
Because the Titans linebackers are vulnerable, especially to a Jaguars offensive line that's getting better every week, and that showed against the Cleveland Browns running game and Ben Tate & Co. last week.
No. 95 Kamerion Wimbley
The former first-round selection isn't playing like so far this season, and his worst performance came last week against the Cleveland Browns.
For example, his inability to shed blocks or seal the edge allowed running backs Terrance West and Ben Tate to get easy yards on the left side of the line, like in this second quarter run for nine yards.
And this one isn't so much on Wimbley as it is on the entire linebacking corps. No one gets penetration. Cleveland just builds a wall and there isn't a single Titans player who wins at the point of attack.
No. 91 Derrick Morgan
Missed tackles were a big part of the Titans loss to the Browns last weekend, and Morgan had his share of them. Here's one the several opportunities Morgan (along with Avery Williamson) had to get Tate down and they just couldn't do it.
No. 54 Avery Williamson
The angles... my God, the angles. Tate doesn't even commit hard to the inside run and Williamson can't take a proper angle or seal the edge.
And here's just a lack of awareness by Williamson (and the entire Titans linebacking corps) that leads to a big gain and the Browns defense just mowing them over.
Lastly, here's another inability to shed a block by Williamson and missed tackle on Isaiah Crowell. What's even more surprising is Williamson is going up against a wide receiver and still can't make the play.
No. 59 Wesley Woodyard
Woodyard is on the field to stop the run and cover the short pass. He's rarely called to rush the passer (in fact of all the Titans linebackers, he rushed the passer the least amount of times last week) and you'd think that would help him develop some consistency.
Nope.
He misses tackles after routine spin moves...
...and lunges at air when presented with any sort of agility move.
The starters on the Jaguars offensive line -- Luke Joeckel, Zane Beadles, Luke Bowanko, Brandon Linder, and Austin Pasztor -- have played one, just one, game together this season... last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. And it was a very good game. One sack was given up by Pasztor, but other than that no hurries or pressures and the running lanes may not have been good enough for Toby Gerhart, but Storm Johnson was doing well.
Will the Jaguars have the same level of success as the Browns last week? Probably not. The Browns offensive line is one of the best in football.
But if the Jaguars can win the point of attack, get to the next level, and put pressure on the linebackers to make plays, they'll win on the ground, especially with Storm Johnson and Denard Robinson -- two quick and agile running backs -- carrying the load.